Living with a Serial Killer: How did Edward Wayne Edwards' daughter April discover her father was a murderer? 

April Balascio is one of serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards' many children. She is known as the daughter who, following her deep-rooted suspicions, tipped off authorities on one of America's most prolific serial killers - her father, Edward Edwards.

It's been a decade since the death of the convicted serial killer Edwards on death row. Now, Living With a Serial Killer will navigate through the story of the man, who is oftentimes even connected to the notorious and unidentified Zodiac Killer.

The episode, titled Edward Wayne Edwards, will air this Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 9 pm ET. The synopsis states:

"After getting away with murder for over three decades, one of the FBI's most wanted shocks investigators when he readily admits to five murders; his son discloses a family life on the run and his attempts to step out of an evil father's shadow."

It all started when Edwards' daughter, April, connected the 1980 murder of two Watertown, Wisconsin, teenagers (both 19) named Tim Hack and Kelly Drew to her father.

She told authorities that she believed the double murder case occurred during the few months April and her family lived in the small town. This was the first step in the process which led to a DNA match, two more confessions, and Edwards' subsequent arrest.

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April's life with Edward Wayne Edwards before the discovery

April grew up knowing her father was a vile person, given his criminal background and abusive behavior. He was a con artist who shoplifted in the presence of his kids, burned down two of the homes they resided in to get insurance money, had been to jail on multiple occasions, and was on the FBI's most wanted list.

According to April, he was a hypocrite, to say the least, who resorted to lying and stealing all the while telling his children off for the same.

Later, the world would discover that behind his well-liked charming persona was a psychotic serial killer who went after young people. April even revealed that they moved quite frequently, mostly because of Edwards' wrongdoings.

He explained to his family that they had to move so many times because he was an informant when he was in jail and the crooks he had tipped off had tracked him down.

At age 18, April left the house where she was raised, and at age 21 she got married to Michael Balascio. She established her own family life, something she had always desired while working as a fitness instructor in Ohio.

Although she never spoke to her father, she stayed in touch with her mother and her four siblings.

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All about the arrest of serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards

April conducted a thorough investigation of her own before reporting to authorities that her father may have been behind the decade-old cold case. After confirming her sneaking suspicions, she contacted the assigned detective, Chad Garcia, and tipped him off on the case. This helped Garcia bring down Edward Wayne Edwards, one of America's most heinous serial killers.

Garcia soon discovered that there had been a 1980 double homicide and Edwards was even questioned during the investigation back then. However, no further inquiries were ever undertaken.

He also learned that in 1988, the owner of the property the family was renting when the murders took place had informed police that he thought Edwards was responsible.

Soon after April provided the information in July 2009, 76-year-old Edwards was located and taken into custody. He was then residing in a trailer home in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife Kay.

He was wheelchair-bound, massively overweight, and was having trouble breathing. A DNA sample was obtained, which was then compared to the one found at the scene of the 1980 double homicide, resulting in a perfect match.

Edward Wayne Edwards was arrested weeks after April's tip. He ultimately confessed to the killings of Tim Hack and Kelly Drew along with the 1977 double murders of Billy Lavaco and Judith Straub, and the 1996 killing of his foster son, Daniel Gloeckner.

Although Ed Edwards only confessed to these five killings, his daughter, along with several other true-crime investigators and theorists, believes there is more to the story. She reportedly stated:

"I believe that my father has committed [more crimes in the cities where we lived], and the podcast has that message, the truth, in it."

Oxygen's Living With a Serial Killer is all set to come up with an episode this Saturday which will reveal more about April Balascio's past with her abusive, serial killer father, Edward Wayne Edwards.