Andrew David Edwards was born on March 6, 1958, in Sunnyvale, California. Growing up, not much is known about his early life. He attended Fremont High School in his hometown. After finishing high school, he went on to study at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.

Edwards had a girlfriend and worked as a bricklayer for a while. However, he struggled with alcohol addiction and had been in and out of treatment centers since he was 19 years old. This pattern of drinking and seeking help marked much of his young adult life.

In 1985, Edwards made a significant change. He decided to leave both his girlfriend and his job behind. He chose to live a transient lifestyle, moving from place to place. During this time, he spent a lot of time with other people who drank.

On October 5, 1987, Andrew David Edwards killed 38-year-old John Harold Schiermeister in a railway yard in Portland, Oregon. They were drinking together when Edwards became angry. He hit Schiermeister in the head, which caused fatal injuries. The next day, railroad workers found Schiermeister's body.

Then, on April 5, 1990, Edwards killed 24-year-old Anthony Keith Thurman by beating him with a pipe. He left Thurman's body under a freeway overpass in Portland. It was discovered later that month.

On February 21, 1992, Edwards met 52-year-old Melvin Richards while riding the trains. They shared drinks, and Edwards became enraged again. He beat Richards to death and then discarded his body off the train near Bakersfield, California.

A couple of months later, in either April or May 1992, Edwards was at a homeless shelter in Pueblo, Colorado. There, he met 48-year-old Bud Griffith, and after drinking together, Edwards attacked him. He killed Griffith using a 2x4 wood board and a wine bottle. Griffith's death went unreported for several days.

In January 1993, Edwards almost killed a fifth victim, 42-year-old Lynn Ellis Delong, in San Jose, California. He attacked Delong with a wrench behind a bowling alley. After the attack, Edwards decided to seek help. He left the train he was riding on and hopped onto another train. On January 26, he was found wandering and seeking medical treatment for his hand. During this encounter, he confessed to killing five men. He did not know that Delong had survived the attack.

Edwards was later arrested and convicted for the murders of Schiermeister and Thurman. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution, where he remains as of 2020. His earliest release date is set for February 14, 2052.