Background: Louis Connelly’s Bar sits on South Cleveland Street in Memphis, Tennessee (Google Maps). The inset on the left shows Edward Wurl, a Shelby County sheriff’s deputy, while the inset on the right features Blake Rhea of Canale Funeral Directors.
A man spent months scrolling through a musician’s Facebook page, then trailed him across the street from a Tennessee bar and shot him dead.
Edward “Eddie” Wurl, 53, was convicted by a Shelby County jury of first‑degree murder for killing 48‑year‑old Blake Rhea, and also found guilty of being a felon in possession of a handgun, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office reported.
Jurors wrapped up deliberations in just eight minutes before delivering guilty verdicts on both counts.
On Nov. 6, 2024, Wurl and Rhea were near Louis Connelly’s Bar on South Cleveland Street in Memphis. Rhea, a local musician, was “held in the highest esteem by his fellow musicians and bassists in Memphis and far beyond,” his obituary read.
Prosecutors said Wurl had been stalking Rhea for months, with Facebook logs showing “repeated visits to Rhea’s profile in the months leading up to the killing.” A week before the murder, Wurl searched his phone for, “If I haven’t fired my gun in years will it work?”
Surveillance footage from that night captured Wurl “following Rhea across the street to his vehicle while holding an object consistent with a knife behind his back.” The video then showed the defendant “leaning into the open driver’s door and appearing to struggle” with Rhea.
Wurl stepped back, raised his right hand toward the victim, and “the footage showed several flashes consistent with gunfire,” the DA’s office added. “Wurl then walked away.”
Memphis police arrived just after 1 a.m., found Rhea in his parked car “suffering from gunshot wounds and lacerations,” and pronounced him dead.
During the trial, Wurl took the stand and faced cross‑examination by prosecutors. It remains unclear whether the two men shared any relationship, and if so, what that relationship entailed.
Rhea’s obituary praised his “contagious smile, inescapable laugh, kindness, and countless talents,” noting that everyone who knew him will deeply miss his example of how to live. It celebrated his lasting legacy as a musician, teacher, coach, son, brother, and friend.
Wurl is set to be sentenced on Nov. 13.
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