Edward Castro was born on January 26, 1950, in El Cajon, California. There is not much known about his childhood, but it later came to light that he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child. The details of this abuse are not well-documented, but it had a significant impact on his life.

In addition to the trauma he faced, Edward was diagnosed with a brain disorder. This medical condition added to the difficulties he experienced growing up. Despite these challenges, he eventually became an adult and decided to move to Florida. As an adult, Edward struggled with alcohol abuse.

On October 25, 1986, 46-year-old Claude J. Henderson moved into a mobile home in Auburndale, Florida. That same day, his brother Charles visited him and found him in good spirits. This was the last time Charles ever spoke to his brother.

A few days later, Edward Castro, who had recently moved to Polk County, entered Henderson's trailer. Castro tied Henderson's hands behind his back, tied his feet together, and beat him to death. He left Henderson's body face up on the bed and stole the keys to Henderson's 1973 Chevrolet van.

On November 4, when acquaintances had not heard from Henderson, Charles and his friend Roy Allen went to the trailer and discovered his body.

On January 5, 1987, Castro visited a gay bar in St. Petersburg. He started talking to 50-year-old George Larry Hill, an interior designer. Castro expressed interest in going home with Hill, and after initially declining, Hill agreed and took Castro to his home.

Upon entering Hill's home, which he shared with a doctor, Castro became jealous of the nice things inside, like an entertainment center and several TVs. Castro decided he wanted to kill Hill. He grabbed a knife, threatened Hill, and tied him up before stabbing him four times in the heart area. Castro then wrote homophobic messages on the walls before leaving.

Eight days later, Castro paid a motorist $10 to drive him to Tampa and offered another $60 to take him to Ocala. On January 14, 1987, Castro visited a gay bar in Ocala, where he met 57-year-old Austin Carter Scott. Scott agreed to drive Castro to his apartment.

Once at Scott's one-room apartment, Castro decided to kill him to steal his vehicle. He produced a knife, choked Scott, and then stabbed him multiple times in the heart area. Castro invited a neighbor, Robert McKnight, to the apartment and ordered him to stab Scott, which McKnight did. Castro then stole Scott's watch, rings, change, wallet, and Ford Maverick before driving off.

Castro was later stopped by a sheriff's deputy in Columbia County, who noticed his slurred speech and the smell of alcohol. Castro became hostile and was arrested. While in a holding cell, Castro confessed to killing all three of his victims. Police linked him to the last two murders and found Henderson's van based on Castro's information.

Castro went on trial for Scott's murder in 1988, where he admitted his guilt and was sentenced to death. In 1991, he was tried for Hill's murder and received a life sentence. The Florida Supreme Court overturned his death sentence in 1992, demanding a new hearing. In 1993, a jury again sentenced him to death.

Over the next few years, Castro repeatedly changed his mind about appealing his case. In 1999, a high court granted his request to drop all appeals. On November 14, 2000, Florida Governor Jeb Bush approved his execution. Castro was executed by lethal injection on December 7, 2000, after having a final meal of steak, shrimp, ice cream, and cola. He was declared dead at 6:15 p.m.