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Bethesda.com breaks so-called Beltway Butcher story.
By Shaffer | Published: January 25 2012
Cases of Sherry Kennedy and Catharine Kalberer officially closed. Perpetrator died on California’s death row in 2009.
The Montgomery County Police’s Cold Case Squad confirmed this morning that Thomas Francis Edwards, an employee at a Bethesda gas station in 1970, was
the killer of both Sherry Kennedy and Catharine Kalberer. Kennedy, fourteen years old at the time, and Kalberer thirty-three, were murdered and mutilated within ten days of each other in January 1970 near Montgomery Mall. Both were stabbed repeatedly and Kennedy suffered a gun shot wound as well.
the killer of both Sherry Kennedy and Catharine Kalberer. Kennedy, fourteen years old at the time, and Kalberer thirty-three, were murdered and mutilated within ten days of each other in January 1970 near Montgomery Mall. Both were stabbed repeatedly and Kennedy suffered a gun shot wound as well.According to Cold Case Detective Joe Mudano, Edwards was the focus of the police investigation in 1970, but at the time evidence was considered insufficient for prosecution. Edwards was on parole for a robbery conviction and he was incarcerated until 1977 on a parole violation.
Both victims were connected to Spring Lake Apartments on Westlake Drive. Besides the proximity of Edwards’ workplace to the murder scenes, police also found written descriptions of female customers of the gas station where he was employed when a executing search warrant of his residence. A green “Army-style” jacket was also taken into evidence. In a pocket of that jacket was a small blood stain. That stain would later prove significant in ways unimaginable in 1970.
In February 2009, Thomas Francis Edwards died of natural causes while awaiting execution on death row at California’s San Quentin State Prison. Edwards’ case was unremarkable, at least for a capital conviction, except for the 22 long, appeal-filled years he spent on death row for a murder he admitted to, telling a sheriff’s deputy that he was, “guilty as sin.”
Thomas Francis Edwards was convicted in 1983 for the 1981 murder of 12 year old Vanessa Iberri in Orange County’s Cleveland National Forest. Iberri’s 12 year old friend, Kelly Cartier, was also shot in the attack but survived to stand witness against Edwards. No motive for the crime(s) was ever established. The girls were on a camping trip with Iberri’s mother when a truck pulled up and voice called, “Girls.” They turned and Edwards shot them with one bullet each from his pistol.
Nine days later, following a nationwide manhunt, Thomas Francis Edwards was captured at a Holiday Inn in College Park, Maryland. As it turns out, this was no coincidence. He was extradited to California to stand trial. He did not, however, confess to either of the Maryland killings.
Montgomery County Police’s Cold Case Unit takes pride in never giving up on any unsolved murder. Starting in 1985, a MoCo Police Detective was looking into the two 1970 murders and was certain that Edwards was their man. The California murder conviction only cemented his guilt in the eyes of Montgomery County law enforcement, and they continued to work the case.
In November 2008, Montgomery County Police Cold Case Squad sent the small blood stain found in Thomas Francis Edwards’ jacket for DNA testing. The results were consistent with Sherry Kennedy’s DNA. It was not a perfect match but contained no contradictory data. The results arrived one week before Edwards died of natural causes on San Quentin’s death row.
While the Maryland Victims’ few surviving family members were informed of the results and the case was officially closed, the identity of the Bethesda Butcher remained a mystery to the general public. County Police are keen to remind the public that they never forget an unsolved murder case. As Detective Mudano said, “It’s not like we closed the case because he [Edwards] died.”
4 comments
nancy
Feb 17th, 2012 05:50 PM
Mrs. Kalberer was my 12th grade English teacher in 1967-68. Very sad when I heard of her murder.
Gary Huckaby
Jan 31st, 2012 09:01 PM
Fascinating article, good investigative journalism. I thought that was a lost art!
Joan
Jan 30th, 2012 07:04 AM
You guys are great!!
Paul
Jan 26th, 2012 04:48 PM
Very interesting. Good job on getting the whole story.
