A Shelby County jury convicted Edward Wurl of first-degree murder in Blake Rhea's killing.

A guilty verdict is the jury's finding on the counts it tried. Sentencing is still ahead in both accounts. FOX13, citing the district attorney, put the deliberation at eight minutes. Action News 5 put it at less than 10 minutes and placed the verdict on Saturday. Both outlets put the sentencing date on Nov. 13.

FOX13 Memphis reported Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, that the Shelby County District Attorney's Office said Edward "Eddie" Wurl was convicted of first-degree murder and of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun in the shooting death of Blake Rhea. The station reported the district attorney's office said the jury deliberated for only eight minutes. Action News 5 reported a Shelby County jury found Edward "Eddie" Wurl guilty of first-degree murder and of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, and that the jury deliberated for less than 10 minutes before reaching its verdict Saturday. FOX13 reported Wurl is set to be sentenced on November 13. Action News 5 reported he will be sentenced on November 13. Eight minutes and less than 10 minutes can describe one deliberation. Saturday is in the Action News 5 story. Monday's FOX13 story does not name the weekday of the verdict.

FOX13 reported the shooting occurred outside Louis Connelly's bar on South Cleveland Street in Midtown just after 1:00 a.m. on November 6, 2024, and that Memphis Police officers found Blake Rhea in his parked car with multiple gunshot wounds and cuts and pronounced him dead at the scene. Action News 5 reported Rhea was shot and killed Nov. 6, 2024, outside Louis Connelly's bar on South Cleveland Street. Action News 5 also reported Rhea was a member of the Grammy-nominated band Southern Avenue and taught at the School of Rock Memphis. The band and the teaching job are in that story. They are not in Monday's FOX13 account.

FOX13 reported surveillance footage showed Wurl following Rhea to his car while holding an object that appeared to be a knife behind his back, leaning into the open driver's side door, and appearing to struggle with Rhea. The station reported he then backed away, raised his right hand toward Rhea, and that several bright spots that appeared to be muzzle flashes showed in the footage before he walked off. Action News 5 reported that during the trial prosecutors showed surveillance video they said captured Wurl following Rhea to his vehicle with an object that appeared to be a knife behind his back, then a brief struggle, several flashes consistent with gunfire, and Wurl walking away. The open driver's door, the step back, and the raised right hand are in FOX13's description of the footage. Action News 5 describes a brief struggle and flashes consistent with gunfire.

FOX13 reported the district attorney's office said digital evidence showed Wurl had searched online to ask if his gun would still work if he had not fired it in years, and that Wurl had visited Rhea's Facebook page in the months leading up to the shooting. Action News 5 reported investigators recovered digital evidence from Wurl's phone, and that a week before the killing someone searched, "If I haven't fired my gun in years will it work?" It reported Wurl also repeatedly visited Rhea's social media profile in the months leading up to the killing. FOX13, citing the district attorney, attributes the search to Wurl and does not give the week-before timing. Action News 5 says someone ran that search a week before and says the phone was Wurl's. FOX13 reported Wurl took the stand in his own defense and was cross-examined by the prosecution before the jury returned its verdict. That testimony is not in the Action News 5 story. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.