Matthew Edwards Murdered His Wife and Three Children, Ages 3, 4, and 6, in Delaware Family Murder-Suicide

 

Matthew Edwards Murdered His Wife and Three Young Children Before Killing Himself in Delaware

On July 9, 2018, Matthew Edwards, 42, shot and killed his wife and their three young children inside the family home in Prices Corner, Delaware.

The victims were:

• Julie Burton Edwards, 41, his wife

• Jacob Edwards, 6, his son

• Brinley Edwards, 4, his daughter

• Paxton Edwards, 3, his son

The family was discovered around 8 p.m. after a neighbor's child arrived for a planned sleepover and entered the house.

Inside, all five family members were dead.

Investigators determined that Matthew had killed Julie and their children before turning the gun on himself.

According to friends and neighbors, the couple had been estranged.

Matthew had recently been working out of state and reportedly returned to Delaware that weekend ahead of a family trip to Baltimore.

People close to him described employment difficulties, marital problems, and emotional distress in the period leading up to the killings.

Authorities reported that he had no prior criminal history in Delaware.

None of those circumstances excuses what happened.

Because Matthew died, there was no criminal trial.

Julie was 41. Jacob was six. Brinley was four. Paxton was three.

Three little children who should have been looking forward to summer, sleepovers, and whatever adventures their parents had planned.

Instead, their father killed them.

A six-year-old. A four-year-old. A three-year-old. And their mother.

Whatever Matthew Edwards was going through, those four people deserved to keep fucking living.