MURDERED: Shawn Edwards (Part 1)
When 14-year-old Shawn Edwards is stabbed and beaten to death outside of a high school in Middletown, NY, the whole community is shocked. Why would anyone want to hurt – let alone murder – this friendly, popular kid? As the investigation unfolds, police try to separate fact from fiction, only to come up emptyhanded. It seems like everyone’s a suspect…but no one has a motive.
For our friends in the Deaf and Signing community, you can view an ASL version of this episode.
Crime scene graphic printed on January 17th, 1986, in the Times Herald Record. Police say now that a knife handle was found, not a knife.
The side entranceway has been renovated since 1986, but this is where Shawn’s body was found. The building shaded in blue didn’t exist back then.
Small puddles of blood were found on a path near this lower-level door at Middletown High School, which in 1986, led to a music room. The building shaded in blue didn’t exist back then.
Please contact the authorities If you have any information about the case:
Anyone with information about the homicide should call Middletown Police at 845-343-3151.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Nina Schutzman
- Court records, Orange County Clerk
- Public records, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
- The Times Herald Record: Middletown teen slain. (1-17-1986, by Billy House & Lance Oliver) accessed via microfilm
- The Times Herald Record: Boy’s activities before slaying puzzle police. (1-18-1986, by Billy House & Lance Oliver) accessed via microfilm
- The Times Herald Record: Boy’s family shares pain, puzzlement of murder. (1-19-1986, by Lance Oliver) accessed via microfilm
- The Times Herald Record: Stabbed boy laid to rest as trail cools. (1-21-1986, by Billy House) accessed via microfilm
- The Times Herald Record: Cops check on chance killer was hurt. (2-2-1986, by Lance Oliver) accessed via microfilm
- The Times Herald Record: Police stumped on boys killing. (2-13-1986, by Billy House) accessed via microfilm
- The Times Herald Record: Car’s link to slaying unknown to owner. (2-23-1986, by Lance Oliver) accessed via microfilm
- The Times Herald Record: Cops reportedly deny car tied to killing. (2-24-1986, by Billy House & Lance Oliver) accessed via microfilm
Suggested Episodes
WANTED: Justice for MMIP
May is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Month, and we want to highlight some of the many cases involving members of Native American communities that so often go underreported and underserved, and thus unsolved.
WANTED: Justice for David Carter
Ohio State Highway Patrol were identifying unknown remains along the side of a highway in northern Ohio at the same time a man in Michigan was being reported missing.
WANTED: Justice for Arnold Archambeau and Ruby Bruguier
When a young South Dakota couple goes missing from the scene of a car accident in 1992, local police launch a large-scale investigation that ultimately ends in tragedy.
Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more!
Unlock all of the exclusive benefits and dynamic listening experience as a Crime Junkie Fan Club member.
Join the Fan Club now to reap the rewards!