A preliminary was held Thursday afternoon at the Washington County Courthouse for Shawn Lynch who is being charged in the alleged first degree murder of his roommate, Kolton Edwards. Judge Kyra Franks determined that the burden of probable cause had been met.

Assistant district attorney Brett Mize was the prosecutor on behalf of the State of Oklahoma. Mize called Tara Martin, a roommate of both Edwards and Lynch, to the stand first. Martin testified that Edwards was angry after Lynch returned to a residence located at sooner Park Drive in Bartlesville on the night of May 17. Lynch was supposed to return with groceries but he did not. Edwards then slammed the refrigerator causing the door to break, according to Martin.

Martin described the victim acting aggressively, but not in a threatening manner. The witness recounted Lynch shooting Edwards three times from about 30 feet away when the victim turned to enter the living room. Martin noted that Edwards was holding a baseball bat at his side when he was allegedly shot.

The state then called Bartlesville Police detective Denver Millard to the stand. Millard chronicled two instances in which he spoke with Lynch after the incident. Millard testified that Lynch admitted to shooting Edwards. Lynch told the investigator that he got a gun from his mother earlier in the day due to a fear of Edwards and another roommate.

Defense attorney Benjamin Waters then confirmed that Millard found a baseball bat in the living room while the investigation took place. Waters argued that the burden of probable cause was not met and that Lynch acted in self-defense. Waters cited the baseball bat Edwards held as a key to the defense’s argument.

Mize then argued self-defense would be an issue for trial not preliminary hearing. Mize also recounted the previous statements from Martin and Millard that showed premeditation and malice. Ultimately, judge Franks ruled that probable cause was found.

Lynch will be bound over for district court arraignment in front of judge Russell Vaclaw on August 21at 1:30 p.m. Lynch is being held on a $950,000 bond.