MANCHESTER, NH – The brother of a man stabbed to death on Orange Street is being held without bail on felony charges occurring the day after the murder but at the same address.
Christian Edwards, 33, of 138 Orange St., fourth floor, was arraigned Friday in 9th Circuit – District Division – Manchester on charges of criminal threatening – deadly weapon; kidnapping; witness tampering, induce another; hand guns changing marks; receiving stolen property, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon.
He was ordered held without bail with a probable cause hearing set for July 8.
According to the sworn affidavit of Manchester Police Detective Timothy Carter, shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, police received a call of a stabbing at 138 Orange St., Apt. 3. The caller said a man flagged them down saying a neighbor stabbed him in the abdomen. Police then received a call from someone else who said he had stabbed a man and he had a nose bleed.
Officers arrived and both men were taken to the hospital. At 11:39 p.m. that night, the stabbing victim, later identified by police as Luis Ayala, 36, died from his injury. Police notified his next of kin, his brother, Edwards. Ayala’s death remains under investigation.
At 3:46 p.m. the following day, Thursday, June 26, 2025, police were called about an assault outside 140 Orange St. The caller said a “kid” was pulled out of a gray sedan and was being beaten by a Black kid and a White kid.
Police arrived and made contact with “J.M.,” who said he was involved in the incident but didn’t want to talk with police.
Earlier in the day, however, J.M. had talked to another detective about the stabbing that had occurred the day before. He told the officer then that he was receiving threats from Edwards. At the time, J.M. did not want to say anything more.
Shortly after the June 26 incident, however, J.M. arrived at the police station asking to speak with officers.
“He was visibly shaken and explained he could not speak to officers on scene, as he could not be seen cooperating due to the neighborhood he lived in,” Carter wrote in his affidavit.
J.M. said he was supposed to pick up a tarp for his father for an upcoming camping trip. He said when he left in his car to drive to his father’s residence, about seven people came out of the apartment building and two them – Edwards and a Hispanic man – started chasing him.
He drove off but when he got to his father’s address, he noticed a beige sedan slow down and look at him before speeding away. He believed it was the Hispanic man who followed him.
After he picked up the tarp, he returned home but then Edwards and the same Hispanic man came up to his driver’s side window and began banging on the door. He rolled down the window and the Hispanic man began punching him in the back of the head and neck, he told investigatrs. J.M. put his hands over his head to protect himself.
He told police he thought his pinky finger was broken in the incident. He said the two men then pulled him from the car. Once outside, he was facing the Hispanic man while Edwards stood behind him, pressing what he thought was a gun to his spine.
JM told police he thought he was going to be killed and only thought of survival. He complied with what the two me told him to do. He said they took him to the back of the building where there are no cameras. As they walked, he told police Edwards eased up on his back and he turned and saw what he thought was a gun in Edwards’ hands.
Other people came out of the apartment building and J.M. said he thought he was going to die but then he heard the police sirens and saw the blue lights. He felt that saved his life, Carter wrote.
He said Edwards and the Hispanic man ordered him to go up to Edwards apartment. As they proceeded, JM said Edwards turned and showed him his gun, while telling JM to follow him. Once inside the apartment, JM said Edwards made him put on one of Edwards’ hoodies because J.M.’s “was damage in the assault.”
Edwards, he told detectives, told him to go outside and tell police there were no issues.
According to the affidavit, Edwards has convictions dating back to 2019 including witness tampering, second-degree assault, and sale of a controlled drug.
Edwards was arrested later outside his girlfriend’s residence on Lowell Street.