Marcia Edwards Scribbled the Name of Her Killer

In her final moments, Marcia Edwards hastily inscribed the name of her assailant. A single pull of the trigger had left her lifeless in the sanctuary of her living room. As the essence of life slipped away, she may have faintly perceived another terrifying gunshot. Outside, the malefactor had ruthlessly extinguished the life of her spouse, Robert Edwards.

Nevertheless, even in the face of imminent demise, Marcia summoned the strength to guide a pen across a notepad, etching a name onto its pages: Joe Edwards. Joe, a mere eighteen years of age, was their adopted son.

This revelation would emerge as the investigators’ most pivotal lead concerning the identity of the assailant. Even after the passage of four decades, it remains their most valuable clue.

Since that pivotal day, Joseph Sinnott Edwards has managed to evade capture, becoming a fugitive of the law. Despite a shift in generations within the investigative team, the presence of the Edwards continues to cast a shadow in the detective room.

“This case has persisted incessantly,” asserts Sergeant Earl Dutko, the diligent detective assigned to the investigation.

Driven by an unwavering determination, the law enforcement agency has resolved to re-examine the evidence sealed within bags for nearly thirty years. Although Edwards disappeared without a trace, advancements in technology may empower the police to transcend time and reignite the pursuit through DNA analysis.

To assist in this endeavor, the police have obtained new assistance. A few weeks earlier, they managed to trace Joe Edwards’ biological mother. Scientists will strive to match her genetic profile with any traces found at the scene of the crime. If a correlation is established, the path illuminated by the computer could potentially lead them to Edwards.

The possibility of an arrest looms large, primarily due to the dying testimony of his adoptive mother, who pointed an accusatory finger at him three decades ago. Now, his birth mother joins the quest to trace him.

Joe Edwards was a source of trouble from the moment Marcia and Robert Edwards welcomed him into their rural abode in Pontiac, situated approximately fifty miles East of Peoria. In 1977, they adopted the thirteen-year-old from the nearby Salem Children Home in Flanagan. Police have refrained from disclosing comprehensive details regarding the Edwards’ family life. However, it appears that the couple had been childless, with hardly any known relatives residing in the vicinity.

Law enforcement portrayed the couple as amiable and compassionate individuals. Nevertheless, for reasons unbeknownst to them, thirteen-year-old Joe Edwards developed an immediate antagonism towards Marcia Edwards. His animosity grew to such an extent that he eventually resorted to physical violence against her.

Soon his rage, fueled by enigmatic motives, extended outward. In 1978, he vandalized a residence still under construction. On another occasion, he even attempted to take his own life.

During the initial stages of the murder investigation, the police indicated that Edwards had dabbled in satanism. He engaged in acts such as devil worship and the sacrifice of small animals. However, no conclusive links were ever established between these activities and the homicides.

As time progressed, Edwards began experimenting with drugs, including various unidentified pills, according to law enforcement. His parents made concerted efforts to guide him onto the right path. They even sent him to a renowned treatment center in North Dakota. Unfortunately, he absconded from the facility and found his way back home.

Unperturbed in their quest to assist him, the couple suggested that he enroll in another clinic in Chicago. Though reluctantly, he acquiesced. He fled once again, returning to Pontiac with an even greater ferocity than before.

On January 20, 1983, the eighteen-year-old Edwards entered his parents’ dwelling. Joe, accompanied by a male acquaintance armed with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, perpetrated the murders. He shot Marcia in the living room and swiftly gunned down his father, who sat behind the wheel of his Lincoln Continental. In the wake of the tragic events, Joe Edwards vanished, along with the firearm (which the police never recovered) and the unidentified companion.

Edwards left Marcia on the brink of death. Summoning the last vestiges of her strength, Marcia seized a notepad and hastily inscribed a brief note. She had been shot by her son, who arrived in the company of the unnamed friend. With that final act, Marcia succumbed to her wounds.

The police pursued numerous leads and interviewed countless individuals. Edwards found himself on the FBI's most wanted list. However, as 1984 approached, despite a ten-count indictment for murder filed against him, he remained elusive.

The case lay dormant until 1988 when “America’s Most Wanted” featured a segment on the case. Although a trickle of tips emerged, the police were no closer to capturing Edwards.

Nearly a quarter-century passed, leaving the question of how someone could elude detection for such an extended period. According to the police, various possibilities exist.

Firstly, it is plausible that Joe Edwards is deceased, perhaps residing in a remote location. The fate of Edwards and his unidentified accomplice remains shrouded in uncertainty after the homicides.

Alternatively, he might be living under an assumed identity. Fugitives have long evaded the law for decades, even indefinitely.

In fact, it is conceivable that he assumed another person’s identity long ago or spent years incarcerated. This scenario represents an optimal means to evade detection in a cold case. Behind bars, under a false name, the risk of an unexpected encounter with someone from one’s past is nullified.

Presently, the challenge of evading electronic records, social media, and other technological advancements might seem insurmountable to the general public. America is vast, and forensic technologies have substantially progressed within the last two decades. Edwards turned forty-eight on May 20th. It’s ample time to evade capture after committing the crime.

However, Dutko and his colleagues remain hopeful that time now works in their favor. The trial grew cold soon after the murders. Still, Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputies diligently collected and preserved evidence from the crime scene. Additionally, recognizing the potential degradation of physical evidence, particularly biological samples, the department meticulously maintained the integrity of the materials.

“That evidence has been stored for a significant period,” Dutko notes. “However, the packaging appears to be in excellent condition.”

This fact is pivotal for the initial phase of the reinvestigation. Presently, the police lack a genetic profile for Edwards. They are gradually progressing in that direction, despite his absence.

Livingston County intends to leverage the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which contains DNA profiles from various local, state, and federal crime labs. These profiles originate from a range of investigations. Several states, including Illinois, collect DNA samples from felons. Although the system is not entirely comprehensive, it provides investigators from any jurisdiction with the means to pursue suspects and fugitives across the nation.

For the police to obtain a match on Edwards, his DNA profile would need to already exist within CODIS. According to Dutko, this is a plausible assumption for an individual indicted for a double homicide nearly thirty years ago.

“It is reasonable to assume that he has committed further crimes,” Dutko remarks.