Edwin Bush was born in 1940 in England to an English mother and an Asian father. His early life was marked by hardship; he was taken into care at age 12 due to poor living conditions. Bush had a troubled youth, leading to time in Borstal before turning 18. By the age of 20, he was living in the slums of Honor Oak in South East London, unemployed and struggling financially.

On March 3, 1961, 59-year-old Elsie May Batten was found murdered in the antique shop where she worked in Cecil Court, off Charing Cross Road in London. She had been stabbed with antique daggers and bludgeoned with a stone jar. A ceremonial sword was missing from the shop.

Bush had visited the shop two days prior, expressing interest in the sword. After the murder, he attempted to sell the stolen sword at a nearby gun shop. Witnesses provided descriptions, leading to the creation of Identikit facial composites—the first use of this technology in Britain.

On March 16, 1961, a police officer recognized Bush from the Identikit images and arrested him. Evidence, including fingerprints and a matching shoeprint, linked him to the crime. Bush confessed, stating he lost his temper after a racial insult from Batten.

Bush was tried at the Old Bailey, found guilty of capital murder during the course of theft, and sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging at Pentonville Prison on July 6, 1961, becoming the last person to be executed at that facility.​