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.
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Shawn Edwards
Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Edwards
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.
Photo Source: Times Herald Record microfilm archives
Undated aerial photo of Middletown High School before major building renovations.
Photo Source: Middletown Police Department; edited by audiochuck staff
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.
Photo Source: audiochuck staff
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.
Photo Source: audiochuck staff
A reward poster for information about Shawn’s homicide was released soon after he was killed.
Photo Source: Middletown Police Department
An article about Shawn’s funeral ran in the Times Herald Record on January 21st, 1986.
Photo Source: Times Herald Record; Middletown Police Department
Shawn and his brother Aaron in 1985.
Photo Source: Edwards family; printed in the Times Herald Record on January 19th, 1986
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
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