Teton County Sheriff's Office, Wyoming
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 15, 1969
Age: 35
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 15, 1969
Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Sheriff William Edwards was shot and killed while assisting at the scene of a hostage situation at a lodge in Sublette County.
Four days earlier, a man, 27, and a 14-year-old youth kidnapped a woman, 42, and her 12-year-old daughter from their home in Pasadena, Texas. They forced her to drive them in her car into Wyoming along with her daughter and a 13-year-old girl who was the youth's step-sister. They stopped at the Battle Mountain Lodge just outside of Jackson Hole with the intention of robbing it. Once inside an argument began involving the two suspects and the girl with them. It ended with the suspects shooting the little girl five times killing her. Minutes later the Teton County Sheriff stopped in the parking lot to investigate the theft of a horse trailer when a customer yelled at him to take cover and call for help. Soon the lodge was surrounded by several deputies and state troopers and a gun battle erupted, Deputy Edwards ran into the lodge and was killed. After several more shots from both sides the suspects, outgunned surrendered.
The man, 27, was convicted of second degree murder, rape, and aggravated robbery, and sentenced to 91 years. On January 27, 1971, he was charged by Texas officials with kidnapping and robbery. On April 4, 1973, he was convicted of kidnapping and robbery and sentence to 100 years in a Texas prison. At some point between 1973 and 1984 he was released. On September 24, 1990, he kidnapped and robbed a woman in Austin, Texas. An hour later the woman escaped. Later that day he was apprehended by police in Austin near William Cannon Drive,
The 14-year-old was convicted of second degree murder and armed robbery and sentenced to life. Both suspects were not charged with Deputy Edward's murder because it could not be determined who fired the fatal shot, the officers or the suspects. His death was ruled an accident.