Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"We believed at one time that Sean might have been a dealer for him, that he may have crossed Fig and either Fig had him killed or killed him himself." — Detective Barry Bernstein
"He was the best of all five of us. He was the most gentlest one, the most happiest one. The one that listened to everything mom said. That was the only night that he disobeyed mom in his life, one time, and that one time cost him his life." — Kimberly Edwards
"For $500, you contact the phone company. And they'll give you the last 24 hours of phone calls that came in and went out of that house. They wanted us to do some more work first. And that would have been fine. We were going to continue working. But in the meantime, you have 24 hours to capture this. After that, it's gone." — Detective DeRosa
The episode recounts the tragic murder of 14-year-old Sean Edwards, who was found stabbed and beaten to death outside Middletown High School on a frigid January morning in 1986. The initial discovery by a custodian led to a grim scene with extensive evidence of a violent struggle spread across the school grounds, including blood, a knife handle, and broken glass. Despite the brutality, identifying Sean was challenging initially, with police relying on his distinctive jacket to confirm his identity as an eighth-grader from Middletown Junior High.
The investigation quickly became a labyrinth of theories and rumors, fueled by the lack of immediate suspects and Sean's seemingly clean record. Early hypotheses explored drug involvement, a persistent rumor that police found no concrete evidence for. Other avenues included questioning friends, family members, and associates, including Sean's father, Melvin, who underwent polygraph tests that yielded inconclusive results. The lack of a clear motive and the absence of crucial phone records, which were not obtained due to a failure to act within the 24-hour window, significantly hampered the progress of the case.
As the investigation continued, leads ranged from anonymous threats and false confessions to the mysterious "Mr. Figg" and his Camaro, which was initially a strong suspect vehicle but later dismissed due to conflicting timelines and ownership details. Despite extensive efforts, the case remained unsolved, leaving Sean's family without answers and highlighting the frustrating challenges law enforcement can face when confronted with a violent crime devoid of immediate, clear connections. The episode concludes by setting up a continuation of the investigation in a subsequent part.