Serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards died of natural causes in prison in 2011, before he could face execution by lethal injection. But long before his arrest, his daughter, April Balascio, had suspicions about her father that would eventually reveal his dark secrets.
Growing up, Balascio remembers her father’s obsession with murder mysteries and detective stories.
Edward, who worked as a handyman, often inserted himself into local investigations, gaining the trust of law enforcement wherever the family lived. There were also frequent, unexplained relocations.
“Kids aren’t stupid,” Balascio told PEOPLE magazine, describing how her family would move in the middle of the night without warning. Even as a child, she knew something wasn’t right.
Hollywood Haunted House: Brittany Murphy Died in the Mansion now Listed for $18M
Discovering the Truth
Balascio’s suspicions stayed with her for decades. In 2009, as a 48-year-old mother of three, she finally decided to investigate her father’s past. Haunted by doubts and concerns from her childhood, she searched online for cold cases in towns where the family had lived.