Edmund George Zagorski was born on December 27, 1954, in Michigan. He spent most of his childhood in a town called Tecumseh. Edmund faced challenges at school because he had a learning disability and a stutter. These difficulties made it hard for him to finish his education, and he did not graduate from high school. Despite these challenges, he found a way to pursue a career. At one point in his life, he trained to become a ship captain. This profession provided him with some direction during a time when he struggled in other areas. 

Edmund Zagorski met John Dale Dotson and his wife Marsha on April 5, 1983, at a trout farm. Zagorski pretended to be a mercenary named Jesse Lee Hardin and told Dotson he could sell a large amount of marijuana. They planned to meet on April 23, 1983, in a wooded area in Robertson County.

On the day of the meeting, Dotson seemed hesitant. He asked Marsha to contact a friend if he didn't return that night. After leaving home, he met his friend James "Jimmy" Porter at a tavern near the meeting spot. Dotson had a backpack, a change of clothes, and a revolver. They drove to meet Zagorski.

Around 5:30 PM, the owner of the trout farm heard gunshots where the meeting was supposed to happen. Many people thought gunfire was normal in the area due to hunting, so not much attention was paid. Almost two weeks later, Dotson and Porter’s bodies were found in the woods. They had been shot, and their throats were cut. A bullet casing at the scene was matched to a gun owned by Zagorski.

Zagorski fled to Ohio after the murders. There, a friend noticed he had items belonging to Dotson and Porter, as well as a lot of cash. On May 26, 1983, Zagorski was arrested after a shootout with police, during which he shot several officers before he was subdued.

He confessed to the murders on July 17, 1983, but only after he was allowed to choose the terms of his execution. Zagorski was found guilty on March 2, 1984, for the murders of Dotson and Porter and was sentenced to death on March 27, 1984.

Years later, in 2018, the Tennessee Supreme Court set an execution date for Zagorski. His execution was initially scheduled for October 11, 2018, but was postponed due to legal appeals and other related issues. Ultimately, on November 1, 2018, Zagorski was executed in the electric chair at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. He was pronounced dead at 7:26 PM CDT. His last words were "Let’s rock."