Kentucky man charged in slaying of Jefferson County couple
JEFFERSON -- Prosecutors have charged a Kentucky man with killing two high school sweethearts who disappeared from a Wisconsin wedding reception nearly 30 years ago.
Edward W. Edwards, 76, of Louisville, Ky. faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Tim Hack and Kelly Drew, who were both 19. Wisconsin investigators arrested Edwards Thursday afternoon in Louisville. Jefferson County District Attorney Susan V. Happ filed the charges later that day.
Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Corrections online records showed Friday that he was in custody and he did not yet have an attorney. He was scheduled to be arraigned Saturday morning on a fugitive warrant. If a judge decides the warrant is valid, Edwards will move to an extradition hearing, according to prosecutors in Jefferson County, Ky.
According to the criminal complaint, Hack's father reported Hack and Drew missing on the morning of Aug. 10, 1980. He told deputies the couple had gone to a wedding reception at the Concord House in Sullivan, a town about 40 miles west of Milwaukee.
The two were last seen leaving the reception around 11 p.m. Hack's father found Hack's car in the Concord House parking lot the next morning, still locked with Hack's wallet inside.
Searchers combed the countryside for two months. A week after the couple disappeared, they found Drew's pants, bra and underwear in the road about within 5 miles of the Concord House. The garments had been cut apart.
In October 1980 hunters found Drew's body in the woods about 8 miles from the Concord House. The next day searchers found Hack's body in the same area.
A medical examiner found ligature marks on Drew's ankles and wrists, the complaint said, suggesting she had been tied up. She apparently had been strangled. Hack, meanwhile, had been stabbed in the back and the chest.
Over the years, investigators learned Edwards had worked as a handyman at the Concord House and campgrounds next to the hall. Witnesses remembered Edwards had a bloody nose during the weekend the couple disappeared. He said he had hurt it deer hunting.
Detectives traveled to Louisville this past June to interview Edwards. He told them he remembered living at a campground next to the Concord House in July 1980. He also said he didn't recognize Hack or Drew's names and didn't remember hearing anything about the missing couple.
The detectives pressed him, however, and he later said he remembered investigators questioning him about their disappearance around the time of the slayings. He said he had a few beers at the Concord House and may have seen the couple, or they may have seen him.
He also told them he had never been deer hunting.
This past July 8, analysts at the state crime lab matched DNA taken from semen found on Drew's pants to Edwards.
Aug 2, 2009 at 3:45 a.m.
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Murder does not have any statute of limitations. Also, with any crime, if you leave the state that a crime occured in, the statute of limitations for that crime is suspended until such time you return to that state. So if you committed a rape twenty years ago in California but fled to Texas, you will still be held accountable for taht crime.
Aug 1, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.
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janesvillecomments: From what I have briefly read in other publications, the defendent has congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and is wheelchair bound. He has a special transport van and the police used this van to take him to jail. I would imagine he is being housed in the medical unit at the jail.
Aug 1, 2009 at 1:09 p.m.
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One good reason to keep pursuing murder cases (or any other criminal activity) is to indirectly punish the offenders. They can never "relax" knowing they've made it to a legal or procedural statute of limitations date on investigation and no longer have to worry about prosecution.
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I haven't read any specifics on Edwards' health. Perhaps his attorney thought a haircut, suit, and tie wouldn't impress potential jurors and opted for the blue gown/oxygen tube "defense".
Aug 1, 2009 at 10:22 a.m.
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This guy doesn't merit being used as fertilizer. Why not give him the same opportunities he gave those two kids?
Aug 1, 2009 at 8:38 a.m.
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tj24: Do you think this guy should just go free? One of the reasons cold case files are pursued is so people like this man don't get away with murder. Also that the family finally has some closure and justice. Just because something happened 30 years ago doesn't mean it shouldn't be solved. Look at all the murderers that have brought to justice over the years. Would you just want these guys running around maybe even living next door to you? Frankly your comment surprises me. Should we also not pursue the men who put men and women to death in Auschwitz or Treblinka because it happened 50 years ago?
Aug 1, 2009 at 7:27 a.m.
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he looks like he is about to drop dead soon.......
Aug 1, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.
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DNA has given the family closure, but not erased the pain..how horrible what this man did..and that he was free all this time..
Aug 1, 2009 at 12:55 a.m.
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tj24: Do you have a beating heart? It must be the worst feeling in the world to lose a loved one and not know why or who. So just because it's been almost 30 years, we should just forget about solving it and move on to something better? There is a reason why there is no statute of limitations for murder. The families of these two kids are probably sleeping a little better tonight. How can you put a time limit on that?
Aug 1, 2009 at 12:26 a.m.
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Thank goodness for modern technology and diligence on cold cases. The story doesn't tell us which department (I assume it is the Jefferson Co. Sheriff's Department), but good work. Judging from the picture, Ted Edwards is not long for the world. If he committed the crime, I hope he has been looking over his shoulder for 30 years and living with fear, guilt and remorse.
Jul 31, 2009 at 11:01 p.m.
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why after all these years??, among so many reasons, we know there is one less monster out there. now maybe they can find the guy that killed my wife's best friend on the south side of janesville that same summer....
Jul 31, 2009 at 9:08 p.m.
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tj24: I respect your opinion and you make some reasonable points. But please pull up today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and listen to the radio interview with the slain man's father. Even though he will never get his son back, I have a feeling he will sleep better tonight than he has in nearly 30 years. Also, a good share of the money to continue this investigation apparently came from a grant to help solve cold cases.
Jul 31, 2009 at 8:31 p.m.
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tj24 -
Maybe if Tim Hack or Kelly Drew had been a sibling or a good friend of yours, you might feel differently. A murder case is open until it's solved and there is no statute of limitations on homicide. I hope if someone I love meets a violent death, the investigators involved in the case feel differently than you do.
Jul 31, 2009 at 7:54 p.m.
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With no disrespect to the slain or their families,
But am I the only one that thinks this is a ridiculous use of our time and funds? I understand that we have new DNA testing (although I'm not so clear on whether things were collected and cataloged as properly years and years ago as they are now and that is troublesome!) but how long are we going to work backwards to find criminals? If this guy would have been 15 years older (or heck even 5 maybe!) he'd likely already be dead.
See my point? I know that he deserves to be punished. And I'm sure there a great relief for the families and some closure but I just think there are better uses for our resources.
Great job on being diligent and tracking him down!
Jul 31, 2009 at 7:22 p.m.
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sprout - Just looking at his picture I don't think he's enjoyed much of anything. Any joy was fleeting with reality gnawing at him like a cancer. His demons have possessed him thoroughly.
Jul 31, 2009 at 2:54 p.m.
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Thanks to Channel 15 out of Madison, this case was brought back into the news earlier this year. Tips coming in led to a federal grant being awarded to increase the manhours put forth on this cold case. My hat's off to Jefferson County authorities and whomever else never gave up in their quest to solve the case. If anyone is interested, there is an interesting radio interview with the father of the slain young man. It is available on the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel web site.
Jul 31, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
Jul 31, 2009 at 1:47 p.m.
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This is great news. I have followed this case through the years, and I was young when it happened. Thank you to law enforcement who never gave up.
Jul 31, 2009 at 12:53 p.m.
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JozeMozes: I hope they don't remove your post because of one word. Right now I can't think of a better (more concise) word to describe this guy.
Jul 31, 2009 at 12:50 p.m.
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Ditto on that "Wow"! I remember this and all the rumors flying when it wasn't solved quickly, including the possibility of a satanic cult being responsible.
Kudos to law enforcement and the advances in DNA testing.
Jul 31, 2009 at 11:58 a.m.
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