ViCAP alert

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, July, 2005

Robert Mark Edwards

DOBs Edwards used: 6/14/61, 6/15/60, 6/14/58, 6/15/61

Edwards' FBI number: 41518W11

SSANs Edwards used: 552-43-8728, 553-47-2874

Edwards' physical description:

Height: 5'8" Weight: 150 lbs.

Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue

Aliases Edwards used: Kirk Edward Bell, Paul Robert Smith, Mark Edward Robert, Mark R. Edwards, Bobby Edwards, Jim Portillo, James Mark Portillo, Rob Edwards

Any agency that believes Edwards' modus operandi might match their cold cases should contact SSA Jim McNamara, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Critical Incident Response Group, Behavioral Analysis Unit-2, at 703-632-4325 for additional information.

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Currently incarcerated in California on a first-degree murder conviction, Robert Mark Edwards also was convicted of second-degree murder and five other felony counts in Hawaii. Law enforcement authorities believe he may have committed other homicides, attempted homicides, or violent sexual assaults.

Crime Scenes

In May 1986, Edwards murdered 55-year-old realtor Marjorie Deeble in her apartment in Los Alamitos, California. Marjorie had been beaten about the head, and her nose was broken. She was found in a nightgown on the floor with her hands tied behind her back with part of her nightgown and a telephone cord. Her head, neck, and shoulders were suspended about 6 inches off the floor by a noose formed by a belt and tied to the top drawer of a chest. Marks on her ankles indicated she may have had her legs tied at one time, and adhesive tape residue was found on her cheeks, suggesting a gag. Both of Marjorie's eardrums were lacerated or torn. She had been sexually assaulted vaginally with a mousse can at some point. Some items of jewelry were missing from her residence. Edwards was dating Marjorie's daughter at the time.

In January 1993, 67-year-old Muriel Delbecq, a realtor who lived in Alaska but spent 2 to 3 months each year in Hawaii, was found murdered in her apartment in Kihei, Maui. She had been strangled and beaten about the head and face. Her pubic hair appeared to have been shaved or cut, and there were contusions and abrasions on her breasts. Muriel had been sexually assaulted vaginally with a hair spray can with such force that it penetrated her abdominal cavity. The insertion occurred ante- or perimortem. Muriel's wedding ring and purse were taken. Numerous items from the victim's house, including panties and bras, were found in a trash bin across the street from the murder site. One of the bras was cut between the cups and the tips of the cups had been removed, and one pair of panties was cut open. Edwards lived within a block of Muriel's residence.

Modus Operandi

Both of Edwards' known victims have been older white females who were low- to moderate-risk victims living alone in ground-floor apartments. It appears they were sleeping or preparing to go to bed when attacked, apparently by a surprise assault. Ante- or perimortem foreign object insertion, both vaginally and anally, was present in both cases, although a lack of penile-vaginal penetration existed.

A former girlfriend reported that Edwards liked to tie her up during sex and at least twice attempted to sodomize her with a bottle. She said he would follow her and park near her place of employment, and he threatened to kill her if she discontinued their relationship.

Alert to Law Enforcement

Edwards has an extensive criminal history in California, including such charges as burglary, grand theft auto, drunk driving, possession of a controlled substance, trespassing, peeping, and receiving stolen property. He was in custody in California from July 1984 to December 1985, from December 1988 to November 1989, and was arrested for the murder of Muriel Delbecq in Hawaii on February 2, 1993. He has been in custody since that time.