MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - A Germantown family wants to know why Mickey Edwards is out of jail. Police say Edwards nearly robbed them blind. The Mundt family is angry Edwards is free, and they can't understand how a guy with a rap sheet as long as a roll of toilet paper can simply wipe them out and get off scott free.
"Now I feel like, jeepers can I leave the house? I don’t even want to go shopping,” Gisela Mundt told abc24.com
That’s understandable considering Edwards is on the loose. Germantown Police say Mickey Edwards stole thousands of dollars in jewelry from Mundt's home. Gisela Mundt says that's not all the crook did.
"He tore the meter off the wall outside and he cut the phone wires and we had no electricity for days,” said Mundt. “Then he had the nerve to drive by here right when the cops were here. They chased him."
When Edwards was arrested, investigators say they found a list of more than 30 homes in Germantown he was targeting.
"How stupid can you be?" asked Mundt.
Well, no one ever said criminals are smart. Edwards' arrest record goes back 9 years. The question is, how do guys like Edwards stay out of jail?
"They're eligible for parole usually once they serve 30-percent, give or take, of their sentence. It'll depend on their criminal history and the offense level,” said University of Memphis Law professor Steve Mulroy.
But at least 2 of 5 former cases against Edwards were dismissed, so no long term jail time. Mulroy says that could change if Edwards stays on the same path.
"The law already says if you have multiple convictions then your sentencing will be longer and I think that's appropriate,” Mulroy said. “That's the way to deter what you would call these repeat offenders."
Mundt hopes it'll be for good.
"Now we're going to have this house like a fortress that nobody can come in."
The family says they've installed new locks and doors. Edwards' attorney did not want to talk with abc24 News about his client. Edwards next court date will be in January.
