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“Helpful” Grandpa Has No Idea Police Matched His DNA to Two Murders
“Helpful” Grandpa Has No Idea Police Matched His DNA to Two Murders

The Denial Tapes  |  2026-09-25

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Language: en
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He came in because a sergeant asked. He was told he was not in any trouble and that they would take him home. They did. Nine months later they came back. This is the real interview of Robert Edwards, recorded on 2 November 2021 at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in Columbus, Ohio. Detectives h...

He came in because a sergeant asked. He was told he was not in any trouble and that they would take him home. They did. Nine months later they came back. This is the real interview of Robert Edwards, recorded on 2 November 2021 at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in Columbus, Ohio. Detectives had already matched DNA from his household trash to a profile found on two women: Alma Lake, found in Urbancrest on 3 June 1991, and Michelle Dawson, found on James Road near Granville on 7 November 1996. The lead came from a familial DNA tip involving his own sons. Robert Edwards was convicted in July 2023 and sentenced to 45 years to life. His conviction was affirmed on appeal on 16 January 2025 (State v. Edwards, 2025-Ohio-112). Everything you hear on the tape is the real recording. A few short scenes are illustrative reconstructions and are labelled on screen. One living person who appears in the record is not named in this film. 0:00 “You are not in any trouble” 1:31 Urbancrest 4:01 Three sons with that name 5:07 The photographs 8:05 The woman who lived 9:26 Alma Lake, 1991 12:02 Michelle Dawson, 1996 14:13 She lived 16:50 “Did you kill her?” 20:57 The warrant 21:21 Nine months later 22:28 Her daughter Sources State v. Edwards, 2025-Ohio-112 (Ohio Court of Appeals, Tenth District, 16 January 2025) Franklin County Sheriff's Office interview recording, 2 November 2021, and arrest-day recording, 2 August 2022 WBNS 10TV (Columbus), report of 9 August 2022, including 1991 archive footage Aerial imagery: USGS National Agriculture Imagery Program (public domain)

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robert edwards alma lake michelle dawson cold case dna familial dna +9 more
robert edwards alma lake michelle dawson cold case dna familial dna interrogation police interview columbus ohio urbancrest licking county franklin county sheriff true crime the denial tapes true crime documentary
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2026-10-23
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