Edward Edwards
Sweetheart Murders
Active for 20 years
(1977-1996) in United States
5
CONFIRMED
VICTIMS
5
POSSIBLE
VICTIMS
Jump to:
- Summary
- Serial Killer Profile
- Serial Killer Type
- General Information
- Characteristics
- Childhood
- Cognitive Ability
- Incarceration
- Death
- 32 Timeline Events
- Serial Killers Active During Spree
- Boolean Statistical Questions
- 4 Books Written About Edward Edwards
- 7 External References
- Internal References
Edward Edwards (Edward Wayne Edwards) (born Charles Wayne Murray) an American serial killer known for committing the Sweetheart Murders. In 1955, Edwards escaped from a jail in Akron, Ohio. He robbed gas stations around the country and was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 1961. He was imprisoned and later paroled in 1967, publishing a book titled Metamorphosis of a Criminal in 1972. Edwards shot a young couple in 1977. He stabbed and strangled another couple in 1980. He was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, for the 1980 Sweetheart Murders. Edwards died on April 7, 2011, months prior to his execution for shooting his foster son in a 1996 insurance murder.
Edward Edwards Serial Killer Profile
Serial Killer Edward Edwards (aka) Sweetheart Murders, was active for 20 years between 1977-1996, known to have ( 5 confirmed / 5 possible ) victims. This Serial Killer was active in the following countries: United States
Edward Edwards was born on June 14th 1933 in Akron, county seat of Summit County, Ohio, United States. He was raised by his mother until (Age 2/3), an orphanage until (Age 15/16), reform school until (Age 17), juvenile detention until joining the Marines (Age 17/18). Edwards was raised as a only child and had no siblings. His father, (biological) Charles Murray, (adoptive) Fred Edwards. His mother, (biological) Lillian Myers, committed suicide in 1937, (adoptive) Mary Ethel Edward. Edward Edwards was physically psychologically abused at some point of his life.
Edwards a heterosexual male citizen of the United States of America. He took an intelligence quotient test before or after his crimes, Edward Edwards had an IQ of 108. Edwards completed 7 years of school, no degree received. Edwards married Peggy in 1954, married Verna in 1955, married Jeanette White using the name James Langley in 1956, married Marlene Hayworth Harmon in 1960, married Kay Hedderley in 1968. He had at least three children, two sons, Wayne and Jeff Edwards, one daughter, April Lynn Balascio (Edwards) who tipped off police about his possible involvement in the Sweetheart Murders.
Prior to his spree he had commited crimes, served time in jail, and served time in prison.
In 1977 (Age 43/44) Edward Edwards started his killing spree, during his crimes as a serial killer he was known to rob, strangle, rape, and murder his victims. Edward Edwards used a weapon and was in possession of a firearm during his crimes. He was known to kill victims at his own home. At the time of his crimes he was living with himself, alone when not incarcerated, with multiple wives in various states, where Edwards was known to work as a serial killer.
He was arrested on July 30th 2009 (Age 76), convicted on March 11th 2011 (Age 77), sentenced to death by lethal injection at a prison in Columbus, Ohio, US. Edwards was convicted on charges of murder and other possible charges during his lifetime.
Edward Edwards died on April 7th 2011 (Age 77), cause of death: natural causes at the Corrections Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, US.
Profile Completeness: 99%
serial killers by profile completenessEdward Edwards has been listed on Killer.Cloud since November of 2016 and was last updated 5 years ago.
Edward Edwards a known:
( 651 killers ) SERIAL KILLER
The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events. Serial Killer as defined by the FBI at the 2005 symposium.
( 308 killers ) RAPIST
Rape is usually defined as having sexual intercourse with a person who does not want to, or cannot consent.
( 251 killers ) STRANGLER
Strangulation is death by compressing the neck until the supply of oxygen is cut off. Stranglers kill by Strangulation.
Edward Edwards
Serial Killer Profile:
Updated: 2019-07-21 Collected by Killer.Cloud
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Edward Edwards |
| Nickname: | Sweetheart Murders |
| Victims: | 5 - 5 |
| Years Active: | 1977 - 1996 |
| Ages Active: | 43/44 - 62/63 |
| Active Countries: | United States |
| Convicted Of: | murder |
| Life Span: | 1933 - 2011 |
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Sexual Preference: | heterosexual |
| Astrological Sign: | ♊ Gemini May 21 - Jun 21 |
| Birth Month: | June |
| Marital Status: | married Peggy in 1954, married Verna in 1955, married Jeanette White using the name James Langley in 1956, married Marlene Hayworth Harmon in 1960, married Kay Hedderley in 1968 |
| Children: | at least three children, two sons, Wayne and Jeff Edwards, one daughter, April Lynn Balascio (Edwards) who tipped off police about his possible involvement in the Sweetheart Murders |
| Living With: | himself, alone when not incarcerated, with multiple wives in various states |
| Occupation: | serial killer |
| Childhood Information | |
|---|---|
| D.O.B.: | Jun 14, 1933 |
| Family Name: | Edwards |
| Given Name: | Edward |
| Birth Location: | Akron, county seat of Summit County, Ohio, United States |
| Birth Order: | 1st of 1 |
| Siblings: | no siblings |
| Raised By: | his mother until (Age 2/3), an orphanage until (Age 15/16), reform school until (Age 17), juvenile detention until joining the Marines (Age 17/18) |
| Birth Category: | only child |
| Mother: | (biological) Lillian Myers, committed suicide in 1937, (adoptive) Mary Ethel Edward |
| Father: | (biological) Charles Murray, (adoptive) Fred Edwards |
| Cognitive Ability | |
|---|---|
| IQ: | 108 |
| Highest School: | 7 years of school |
| Highest Degree: | no degree received |
| Incarceration | |
|---|---|
| Arrested: | Jul 30, 2009 (Age 76) |
| Convicted: | Mar 11, 2011 (Age 77) |
| Sentence: | death by lethal injection |
| Prison Location: | a prison in Columbus, Ohio, US |
| Executed: | N/A |
| Previous Crimes: | TRUE |
| Previous Jail: | TRUE |
| Previous Prison: | TRUE |
| Death Information | |
|---|---|
| Death Date: | Apr 7, 2011 (Age 77) |
| Cause of Death: | natural causes |
| Death Location: | the Corrections Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, US |
| Killed In Prison: | FALSE |
| Suicide: | FALSE |
32 Timeline Events of Serial Killer
Edward Edwards
The 32 dates listed below represent a timeline of the life and crimes of serial killer Edward Edwards. A complete collection of serial killer events can be found on our Serial Killer Timeline.
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| Jun 14 1933 | Edward Edwards was born in Akron, county seat of Summit County, Ohio, United States. #19330614 |
| Oct 03 1945 (Age 12) | Edwards' foster-mother, Mary Ethel Edward died #19451003 Location: Ohio, US |
| Feb 04 1946 (Age 12) | grandmother became legal guardian #19460204 Location: Ohio, US |
| Apr 25 1952 (Age 18) | arrested #19520425 Location: Chillicothe, Ohio, US Edward Edwards was arrested for impersonating a Marine and interstate transportation of a stolen car. He was sentenced to a federal reformatory in Chillicothe, Ohio, for two years. |
| Jun 14 1953 (Age 20) | 20th Birthday |
| Mar 09 1955 (Age 21) | arrested #19550309 Location: Akron, Ohio, US Edward Edwards was arrested for burglarizing the Glenn Potts home, 742 Coburn st., a clock radio was taken. |
| Apr 05 1955 (Age 21) | escaped from jail #19550405 Location: Akron jail in Akron, Ohio, US Edward Edwards escaped from the Akron jail by shoving aside the jailer and running after being let outside of his cell to use the phone. Edwards had been arraigned before Municipal Judge: C B. McRae on a charge of burglary and had been held for Grand Jury action. The escape was reported in the Akron Beacon Journal on April 6,1955 and April 7,1955 but occurred on Tuesday, April 5, 1955. |
| Mar 06 1956 (Age 22) | arrested #19560306 Location: Billings, Montana, US Edward Edwards arrested in connection to at least five service station burglaries and the escape from Akron, Ohio. |
| Jun 25 1959 (Age 26) | release on probation #19590625 Location: Portland, Oregon, US Edwards was paroled by the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole after serving three years of a ten year sentence for robbery. He was sent to Portland, Oregon on a detainer for a pending armed robbery from 1955. Portland placed him on five years probation and released him. |
| Jul 09 1960 (Age 27) | married Marlene Hayworth Harmon #19600709 Location: a Catholic Church in Washington, US |
| Dec 09 1960 (Age 27) | arrested #19601209 Location: Portland, Oregon Edward Edwards was arrested for turning in false fire alarms and parole violations. He was also questioned in connection with the double murder known as the lover's lane murders. |
| Dec 10 1960 (Age 27) | escaped from jail #19601210 Location: a jail in Portland, Oregon, US Edward Edwards had a friend pose as his probation officer, Mr. McQuiggan, call the jail and lift the retainer allowing Edwards to bond out of jail. |
| Nov 10 1961 (Age 28) | added to the FBI’s Most Wanted List #19611110 Location: Portland, Oregon, US Edwards is added to the FBI’s Most Wanted List for interstate flight and robbery. |
| Jan 17 1962 (Age 28) | bank robbery #19620117 Location: Arlington Plaza branch of the First National Bank in Akron, Ohio, US Edward Edwards robbed the Arlington Plaza branch of the First National Bank in Akron, Ohio, his wife, Marlene Edwards drove the escape car. |
| Jan 20 1962 (Age 28) | arrested #19620120 Location: Atlanta, Georgia, US Edward Edwards was arrested by Detective Larry Bradley of the Atlanta Police Department along with other officers, Edwards was arrested for being on the FBI's most wanted list for interstate flight from a robbery charge, a bank robbery in Akron, Ohio along with other charges. |
| Feb 05 1962 (Age 28) | attempted escape #19620205 Location: Cuyahoga County Jail in Cleveland, Ohio, US Edward Edwards was caught cutting his cell bars with a hacksaw blade, Edwards had hidden the blade in his shoe and smuggled it into the Cuyahoga County Jail in Cleveland, Ohio. |
| May 18 1962 (Age 28) | sentenced to sixteen years in prison #19620518 Location: the Leavenworth United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, US Judge Connell sentenced Edwards to fifteen years for the bank robbery and one year for the attempted escape. Edwards was Prisoner Number 79812 while at Leavenworth United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. |
| Jun 14 1963 (Age 30) | 30th Birthday |
| Sep 20 1967 (Age 34) | release on parole #19670920 Location: the Leavenworth United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, US Edward Edwards was released on early parole for good behavior after serving six years of a sixteen year sentence at the Leavenworth United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. |
| Jul 20 1968 (Age 35) | married Kay Hedderley #19680720 Location: Akron, Ohio, US |
| Mar 31 1969 (Age 35) | birth of Edwards' daughter, April Lynn Edwards #19690331 Location: Akron, Ohio, US |
| Jan 28 1972 (Age 38) | published his book Metamorphosis of a Criminal #19720128 Location: Hart Publishing Company, New York, New York, US Hart Publishing Company in New York published Edwards' book: Metamorphosis of a Criminal: The True Life Story of Ed Edwards. |
| Oct 17 1972 (Age 39) | appeared on the TV show, To Tell The Truth #19721017 Location: New York, New York, US Edward Edwards appeared on the TV show, To Tell The Truth, where all three contestants acted like they were the real Ed Edwards. |
| Jun 14 1973 (Age 40) | 40th Birthday |
| 1977 (Age 43/44) | Edward Edwards started his serial killing spree. #1977 |
| Jun 14 1983 (Age 50) | 50th Birthday |
| Jun 14 1993 (Age 60) | 60th Birthday |
| 1996 (Age 62/63) | Edward Edwards ended his serial killing spree. #1996 |
| Jun 14 2003 (Age 70) | 70th Birthday |
| Jul 30 2009 (Age 76) | Edward Edwards arrested. #20090730 |
| Mar 11 2011 (Age 77) | Edward Edwards was convictedand sentenced to death by lethal injection at a prison in Columbus, Ohio, US. #20110311 |
| Apr 07 2011 (Age 77) | Edward Edwardsdied.cause of death:natural causesat the Corrections Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, US. #20110407 |
Back to top Serial Killers Active During
The following serial killers were active during the same time span as Edward Edwards (1977-1996).
Serial Killers By Active Year
| 40 / 40 ANSWEREDSerial Killer Boolean Questions: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killer Question | Killer Answer | Total Answered | ||
| physically abused | TRUE | 231 | ||
| psychologically abused | TRUE | 224 | ||
| previous crimes | TRUE | 367 | ||
| previous jail | TRUE | 352 | ||
| previous prision | TRUE | 336 | ||
| kill at killers home | TRUE | 320 | ||
| used weapon | TRUE | 453 | ||
| used gun | TRUE | 451 | ||
| rape | TRUE | 453 | ||
| strangle | TRUE | 443 | ||
| robbed | TRUE | 418 | ||
| living with children | FALSE | 268 | ||
| suicide | FALSE | 225 | ||
| killed in prison | FALSE | 218 | ||
| father drug abuse | FALSE | 192 | ||
| mother drug abuse | FALSE | 195 | ||
| xyy | FALSE | 81 | ||
| problems in school | FALSE | 221 | ||
| teased in school | FALSE | 218 | ||
| physically defect | FALSE | 300 | ||
| speach defect | FALSE | 300 | ||
| head injury | FALSE | 299 | ||
| sexually abused | FALSE | 226 | ||
| drug abuse | FALSE | 226 | ||
| alcohol abuse | FALSE | 226 | ||
| psychologist | FALSE | 258 | ||
| forensic hospital | FALSE | 257 | ||
| previous killed | FALSE | 208 | ||
| kill at victims home | FALSE | 323 | ||
| torture | FALSE | 426 | ||
| stalk | FALSE | 418 | ||
| blindfold | FALSE | 363 | ||
| bound | FALSE | 406 | ||
| sex with body | FALSE | 430 | ||
| mutilated | FALSE | 447 | ||
| ate part of body | FALSE | 451 | ||
| drank blood | FALSE | 442 | ||
| posed body | FALSE | 365 | ||
| totem body part | FALSE | 365 | ||
| totem personal item | FALSE | 354 | ||
Books that Mention Edward Edwards
Kevin Smith
Serial Killer Stranglers
Kevin Smith
Serial Killer Rapists
John A. Cameron
It's Me, Edward Wayne Edwards, the Serial Kil...
Ed Edwards
Metamorphosis of a Criminal
4 Books that mention Serial Killer
Edward Edwards
| ISBN10 | Book Title | Author | Killers Mentioned | Killers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1733630600 | Serial Killer Stranglers | Kevin Smith | 164 Total Including Juana Barraza | 164 |
| 1733630619 | Serial Killer Rapists | Kevin Smith | 266 Total Including Ramadan Abdel Rehim Mansour | 266 |
| 1885793030 | It's Me, Edward Wayne Edw... | John A. Cameron | Edward Edwards | 1 |
| 0805510486 | Metamorphosis of a Crimin... | Ed Edwards | Edward Edwards | 1 |
External References
- Q5342742 on www.wikidata.org, Retrieved on Nov 26, 2018.
- Edward Edwards (serial killer) on en.wikipedia.org, Retrieved on Nov 26, 2018.
- Juan Ignacio Blanco, Edward Wayne EDWARDS on murderpedia.org, Retrieved on Nov 26, 2018.
- EJ Dickson, The Clearing Podcast Tells Story of Serial Killer - With Help From His Daughter on www.rollingstone.com, Retrieved on Jul 18, 2019.
- Edward Wayne Edwards: A timeline of his life on madison.com, Retrieved on Jul 19, 2019.
- Joshua Hehe, Edward Wayne Edwards on medium.com, Retrieved on Jul 19, 2019.
- 160. Edward Wayne Edwards on www.fbi.gov, Retrieved on Jul 19, 2019.
Internal References
Edward Edwards is included in the following pages on Killer.Cloud the Serial Killer Database
- #9 of 651[ Page 1 ] of serial killers sorted by Profile Completeness
- #19 of 34[ Page 2 ] of Serial Killers with birthdays in June
- #24 of 40[ Page 2 ] of Gemini Serial Killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #35 of 72[ Page 3 ] of serial killers sorted by IQ Level
- #50 of 651[ Page 4 ] of serial killers sorted by Years Active
- #152 of 651[ Page 11 ] of the A-Z List of Serial Killers
- #162 of 250[ Page 11 ] of Serial Killer Stranglers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #198 of 327[ Page 14 ] of Serial Killers active in the United States
- #199 of 307[ Page 14 ] of Serial Killer Rapist sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #403 of 651[ Page 27 ] of serial killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- Statistics:
- Serial Killers Statistics, charts Edward Edwards is included in: Active Serial Killers by Country, Serial Killers By Gender, Age of Serial Killer by Date, Killers By Astrological Sign, Killers By Birth Month, Serial Killers IQ Level, Years of School Completed, Highest Degree Achieved, Sexual Preference, Birth Category, Active Serial Killers by Year and Statistical Boolean Questions.
- Years Active: