Edwards was last seen at the Shamrock Motel in Vidalia, Louisiana on July 12, 1964. He was employed at the motel as a porter and handyman. He has never been heard from again. His two-tone blue and beige 1958 Buick was found abandoned on a street behind an old bowling alley on the Ferriday-Vidalia Highway a few days after his disappearance. There were bloodstains in the vehicle and a belt that did not belong to Edwards, and a necktie tied in the shape of a noose was on the steering wheel.

The Ku Klux Klan is believed to have been responsible for many acts of violence against local African-Americans in the 1960s, including some murders. Authorities heard multiple reports that Klan members shot Edwards to death, covered his body in concrete and threw it in the Mississippi River. This story was never confirmed.

The skull of an African-American or Native American male was found in Clayton, Louisiana in 2002. Edwards lived in on Highway 900 in Clayton with his grandparents at the time of his disappearance. Authorities believe the skull could be Edwards's remains, but it will take DNA testing to verify this.

Edwards worked three jobs at the time of his disappearance: at the Shamrock Motel, the Albert Pick Motel and the Swift meat-packing house. He has eleven siblings, seven of whom are still living. Edwards was engaged to be married in 1964. His loved ones describe him as a snappy dresser who enjoyed gambling in 1964 and was popular with women. His case remains unsolved.