Shivangi Sinha
Upon discovering the lifeless bodies of Elizabeth and Katie Edwards in their residence, brutally stabbed in their bed, the police also encountered Elizabeth’s younger daughter, Kim Edwards, and her boyfriend, Lucas Markham, casually watching TV together in the same house’s basement. The revelation that these two young individuals were responsible for the gruesome murders posed a baffling challenge for the police. The case, featured in ‘Vengeance: Killer Families: Sinister Sibling,’ delves into the events leading to Kim reaching a point where she took the lives of her mother and sister.
How Did Elizabeth and Katie Edwards Die?
Kim Edwards and her boyfriend Lucas Markham were absent from school for several days in April 2016. Despite the school’s attempts to contact their families, they were unsuccessful. Simultaneously, Elizabeth Edwards, Kim’s mother, who worked as a lunch supervisor had not shown up either, and Graham Green, her partner, was unable to reach her. Additionally, Elizabeth’s elder daughter, Katie Edwards, was also unaccounted for. Concerned about their well-being, the police visited their home in Spalding, a rural English town, to conduct a welfare check on April 15, 2016.
Upon entering the house, the police were met with silence. As they proceeded upstairs to inspect the bedrooms, they discovered Elizabeth stabbed in her bed with a pillow covering her face, and Katie was found in her respective bed in a similar situation. Both of them had passed away. While searching the premises, the police heard activity in the basement and discovered Kim and Lucas seated on a mattress in front of a television, engrossed in watching ‘Twilight.’
Who Killed Elizabeth and Katie Edwards?
Elizabeth Edwards resided in Spalding, Lincolnshire, with her two daughters, 13-year-old Kim and 14-year-old Katie. Having been married twice before, she had another older child who did not reside with her. Her second marriage had concluded on unfavorable terms, and she began a relationship with Graham Green ten months before the discovery of her murder. The police summoned Green to the house to identify the bodies, and during their investigation, additional incriminating evidence came to light.
The police discovered a letter in Katie’s room, which she shared with Kim, written by Kim and Lucas. In the letter, the couple pledged to commit suicide as a bizarre expression of love, requesting that their ashes be scattered together in a special location. Further investigation led to the finding of Lucas’ bag containing a blood-covered knife, along with another knife and bloodstained clothing within the house. Subsequently, both Kim and Lucas were apprehended, and the interrogation process commenced.
During the interrogation, Kim maintained a calm and composed demeanor as she recounted the events matter-of-factly. She revealed that she and Lucas had devised a plan to kill Elizabeth and Katie because Elizabeth disapproved of their relationship. Kim explained that when she was around 6 or 7 years old, her mother, Elizabeth, had become angry about something and had punched Kim. Filled with guilt over her actions, Elizabeth had reported herself to child protection services, leading to Kim and her sister spending six months in foster care. Kim harbored resentment towards her mother for this experience. Additionally, she felt jealous of the close relationship Katie shared with their mother, a connection she believed she could never establish.
The police discovered that 14-year-old Lucas had a troubled past, having lost his parents and grown up in an unloving home. He had even attempted suicide. Elizabeth disapproved of the relationship between Kim and Lucas, viewing them as a negative influence on each other, and she believed they should stay apart. In response, Kim and Lucas ran away together, spending a few days in the woods in October 2015. Under police pressure, Lucas eventually provided details about the events that unfolded on the night of the murders.
Lucas revealed that he and Kim had been planning to kill Elizabeth and Katie since October, perceiving them as obstacles to their relationship and desiring to be together forever, and had finalized the plan a few days ago at a McDonald’s. Lucas devised a plan where he would climb up to Kim’s window and tap on it three times for her to let him in. They decided that Lucas would kill Elizabeth, while Kim would kill Katie while they were sleeping. However, on the first two nights, Kim slept through the knocks, and she didn’t open the window. Finally, on the third night which was April 13, she let him in.
Lucas arrived with knives, and when it was time to attack Elizabeth, Kim couldn’t bear to witness the murder. She asked Lucas to do it alone while she hid in the bathroom. Lucas stabbed Elizabeth multiple times in the neck, causing severe injuries, and then smothered her with a pillow while straddling her. Kim had entered the room briefly before her mother died and had seen the struggle. Moving to Katie’s room, Kim used the same excuse, requesting Lucas to kill her. He stabbed Katie twice in the neck while she slept and suffocated her with a pillow.
Kim Edwards and Lucas Markham are in Prison Today
On April 17, 2016, Lucas Markham and Kim Edwards were charged with two counts of murder, and their trial commenced in October 2016. However, Lucas pled guilty before the trial, leading to a sense of betrayal for Kim. The two avoided looking at each other during subsequent court dates. Kim also pled guilty, but not to murder; instead, she pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, asserting that she was suffering from a mental illness and was not herself when she committed the crimes.
On October 11, 2016, both of them were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. However, in May 2017, after appeals from both Kim and Lucas, their minimum sentence was reduced to 17 and a half years from 20, making them potentially eligible for parole when they are 32 years old. In June 2017, the order that banned their identification was lifted, and their names were revealed to the public. Currently, both of them are serving their sentence at His Majesty’s prison.
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