Bridgeport Police Unsolved Murder
Cold Case
The Murder Of Theodore “Teddy” Edwards
Date: December 6Th, 1993
Time (Discovered) 0525 Hours
Location: 35 Boston Avenue, Bridgeport, Ct.
Duchess Diner Restaurant
Cause Of Death: Gunshot Wound To Chest. Second Gunshot Wound To Ear
Manner Of Death: Homicide
By Christopher J. Lyons
On the date of December 6th, 1993 at 0525 hours Bridgeport Police were called to the Duchess Diner at 35 Boston Avenue on the report of a dead body inside. The complainant from a delivery person. When police arrived on scene at 0530 hours they entered the business and immediately observed a great deal of blood and a blood trail that led to the service counter. On the floor, the police discovered the dead body of an elderly man. That victim, was identified as the night custodian, Mr. Theodore “Teddy” Edwards, a 77 year old, employee of the store who worked the midnight shift getting the store ready for business the following day. The front of his shirt and jacket was soaked in blood and there was dried blood on the floor underneath him. There were blood smears and spatter on the walls and bullet holes in the walls of the business. Bullet fragments were found on the floor of the business as a well.
TIME LINE
Teddy Edwards arrives at work at approximately 2330 hours of 12-5-1993.
Four customers leave the store after the announcement of closing time. These men, were described as black or Hispanic men and when they left were concealing their faces.
The store manager leaves at approximately 2345 hours
Another store employee leaves the business at midnight after completing her work.
Between 0300 and 0330 hours a local resident driving to work sees the victim cleaning the exterior lot of the business but also sees three black males inside of the store at the same time.
At 0525 hours a regular delivery person finds the body of the victim inside of the Duchess Diner. He calls police.
0530 Bridgeport Police and EMS arrive on scene to begin their investigation.
0600 The Medical Examiner arrives and pronounces the victim dead a victim of homicide.
There was no forced entry to the business and police believe that the victim let his attackers inside of the business because he either recognized them or they entered on a pretense needing to get into the store.
As the investigation proceeded police learned that on the night of 12-5-93 and before closing 2 former employees entered the business to eat and were looking around. These former employees, were identified by current workers. Stolen in the robbery/murder was money and several bank boxes of quarters were taken. There was forced entry into the office area where the money, was kept.
The investigation into the murder of Mr. Theodore Edwards slowed until the date of August 30th, 1994. On that date, Bridgeport Police made an arrest for armed robbery at a local business. The accused in that incident admitted to that and other robberies and provided information about the suspects responsible for the murder of Theodore Edwards.
The investigation into the murder of Mr. Theodore Edwards is 21 years old. Police obtained solid leads and information on persons of interest. All of them are friends and members of the same group. Several of this group also provided statements to police blaming the murder on other violent men operating as criminals in the City of Bridgeport.
Review of the case makes me believe that the suspects got Mr. Edwards to open the store after closing. He knew them by sight and did so easily. Once the robbery began he protested and had to be eliminated because he could identify the robbers. This was a planned robbery and attack on a senior citizen. Police have strong persons of interest but need the assistance of the public to close the case. One thing is certain, is that the persons of interest did a lot of talking about the incident. Some was bragging, other was threatening to keep people quiet and other talk was to build up credibility in prison. But the bottom line is that violent men took advantage of a senior citizen to conduct a robbery and to get a lot of a spare change. They should be identified and brought to justice.
