Prosecutor John Fahey told Hartford Superior Court Judge Laura F. Baldini during a brief hearing Tuesday that the state has extended an offer to Tywone Edwards Jr., 18. Deron Freeman, Edwards's lawyer, said he will discuss it with his client. Edwards, clad in a bright yellow jumpsuit with hair in short dreadlocks, stood quietly as his case was heard.

Though specifics of the potential deal were not addressed in court, Edwards, who was 17 at the time of Keon's death, faces up to 40 years in prison under statute for first-degree manslaughter with a firearm.

Baldini continued the case until Nov. 6 to give the defense time to review the offer with Edwards and to present any additional information to the prosecution that could affect the deal.

During a previous court appearance, the state lowered the charges against Edwards from murder to manslaughter. Edwards told investigators that a gun he was holding went off, killing Keon, but that the shooting was an accident, according to arrest records.Fahey said at the time, "There's a difference between hearsay on the street and what I can prove in the court of law."

With the lesser charges, Freeman said Tuesday he intends to file a motion for bail modification during his client's appearance next month. Edwards is being held on $1 million bail and has been incarcerated at Manson Youth Institution. Fahey told the judge he intends to oppose that bail motion.

Keon was found dead in the rear hallway of Garden Street apartment building the night of March 17. A gunshot wound to the head had killed him.

Keon, who was often on the radar of police and the state's Department of Children and Families, was the subject of an active "take into custody" order, issued by juvenile probation department, at the time of his death.

A review of police records obtained by The Courant showed that the teen had slipped through the grasp of authorities and the DCF in the weeks before his death.

First, he disappeared from a DCF facility in Hartford on March 2, only to turn up again during an arrest by Newington police on March 8. Without a "take into custody" order at that time, he was again brought to the DCF facility, and again he left.

The custody order was not issued until March 16, the day before he was found dead. Questions remain as to why DCF officials accepted Keon back even after he had leaving days earlier and why the justice system did not intervene when the teen was arrested on March 8.Edwards, arrested about a week after the killing, told investigators that he was playing with a gun and, believing the safety was on, started pulling the trigger. He said Keon was seated and, as he got up, the gun went off, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Witnesses in the hallway that night told investigators Edwards told one of them to throw away the shell casing. One witness said Edwards kept saying he did not mean to do it, the affidavit said.

Baldini acknowledged in court Tuesday that Edwards will not have to accept or reject the deal at his next court appearance.

Source: https://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-br-tywone-edwards-deal-keon-huff-case-20171010-story.html