Edward Wayne Edwards was born on June 14, 1933, in Akron, Ohio. He spent his early years in an orphanage, where he reportedly suffered abuse. As a young adult, he joined the U.S. Marines but was dishonorably discharged. Edwards led a transient lifestyle, taking on various jobs such as ship docker, vacuum cleaner salesman, and handyman.

In 1955, Edwards escaped from jail in Akron, Ohio, and embarked on a cross-country crime spree, robbing gas stations. His criminal activities landed him on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 1961. He was captured in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 20, 1962, and subsequently imprisoned at Leavenworth Penitentiary. After his release on parole in 1967, Edwards claimed to have reformed, even authoring an autobiography titled The Metamorphosis of a Criminal in 1972 and appearing on television shows to discuss his supposed rehabilitation. However, his criminal behavior continued, leading to further incarcerations, including a two-year sentence for arson in Pennsylvania in 1982.

On August 7, 1977, 21-year-old William "Billy" Lavaco and his 18-year-old girlfriend, Judith Straub, were found shot at point-blank range in Norton, Ohio. Their bodies were discovered in a park, and the case remained unsolved for decades.

On August 9, 1980, 19-year-olds Tim Hack and Kelly Drew disappeared after attending a wedding reception in Concord, Wisconsin. Their bodies were later found in a wooded area; both had been stabbed and strangled. Edwards, who had worked as a handyman at the reception venue, was questioned but not charged at the time.

In 1996, Edwards murdered his 25-year-old foster son, Dannie Law Gloeckner, also known as "Danny Boy," in Burton, Ohio. Edwards lured him into the woods and shot him twice in the face, burying his body in a shallow grave. The motive was to collect a $250,000 life insurance policy.

In 2009, Edwards' daughter, April Balascio, contacted authorities, suspecting her father's involvement in the 1980 Wisconsin murders. DNA evidence linked Edwards to the crime, leading to his arrest on July 30, 2009. He subsequently confessed to five murders:

William Lavaco and Judith Straub (1977)

Tim Hack and Kelly Drew (1980)

Dannie Law Gloeckner (1996)

Edwards was convicted and sentenced to death in March 2011 for the murder of his foster son. However, he died of natural causes in prison on April 7, 2011, before the execution could be carried out.