A Fayette County, Georgia man has been sentenced to life behind bars for the murders of his mother, who was a popular doctor, as well his own wife and unborn child.
Johnny Edwards IV pleaded guilty but mentally ill to two counts of malice murder in Fayette County Superior court last week. It ended a painful saga for the families as well as the community. Edwards will spend the rest of his life behind bars without the possibility of parole.
“I wanted to send a strong message and my assistant Dan Hyatt agreed, as well as the sheriff, Sheriff Babb. We all wanted to send a strong message that when a crime occurs that is this heinous, that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is the appropriate sentence and that was always what we were striving for,” said Fayette County District Attorney Marie Broder.
On the afternoon of Dec. 7, 2019, Edwards called 911 to report that he had killed his mother and his wife. He also told the dispatcher that he would be waiting outside for responding officers to arrive.
“Yes, I killed my mother and my wife,” said 911 caller Johnny Edwards IV. He went on to say, “Johnny Edwards at 130 Coventry Court, I’ll be outside.”
Upon arrival, deputies discovered two women’s bodies: his mother, Dr. Kathy Edwards, 57, and his pregnant wife, Venus Quanteh, 31, inside the brick home on Coventry Court.
“I recall the day that this happened. It rocked the community. It rocked me. What a violent, violent act,” said Broder.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office said both victims had been stabbed and beaten with a baseball bat. A bloodied baseball bat was found between the two women and a steak knife was found on the bathroom floor.
“It was just so brutal and just…I go back to the word violent. I can’t imagine their final moments,” said Broder. Venus was pregnant with the couple’s first child when she was killed.
Edwards, who was sitting outside the home as promised when deputies arrived, was taken into custody. The man, who was 34 at the time, was covered in blood.
“This was a crime that echoed not just in a neighborhood but an entire county and beyond that,” Broder said.
Edward’s father was out of town at the time of the murders. Fox5 reported at the time that Johnny Edwards IV and Quanteh, married for nearly two years, just moved in with Dr. Kathy Edwards a few weeks before the murders.
The sheriff’s office said at the time that they “believe this was an isolated incident and that Johnny Edwards is the lone suspect.” No word on a motive.
