In the quiet community of Miller Beach in Gary, Indiana, a grim discovery was made on the morning of Saturday, September 16, 2017. Police were dispatched to a residence in the 7200 block of East 1st Avenue around 8:45 a.m. following a report of a possible suicide attempt. Inside, they found the bodies of a man and a woman in a bedroom, neither showing any signs of life.
The female victim was identified as 43-year-old Leila Edwards.
An artist and jewelry maker, she was the proprietor of Wonderland Stained Glass. Investigators noted that her injuries suggested foul play. The man found with her, identified as her husband, Michael Watkins, appeared to have died from self-inflicted wounds. Both resided at the home where their bodies were discovered. The case was investigated as an apparent murder-suicide.
The tragic event left the community mourning the loss of a creative and loved individual. Memorial services for Leila Edwards were held on Monday, September 25, 2017, at St. Mary's of the Lake Catholic Church in Gary. The investigation into the deaths of Edwards and Watkins did not lead to any outside arrests, with the evidence pointing towards Watkins as the sole perpetrator in the death of his wife before taking his own life.
