Murder Investigation

Homicide victims' father: 'Our family will never recover'

Posted: Feb 3, 2012 7:25 AM by Angela Douglas & Jeanelle Slade - Q2 News
Updated: Feb 3, 2012 8:00 AM

BILLINGS - It's unimaginable for most people, but the deaths of two daughters is all too real for one Billings family.

Daisy, 21, and Rose, 22, Edwards were found stabbed to death in their home on Sunday.

Their alleged killer, Andrew Denning, 20, now faces two charges of deliberate homicide.

The victims' father, Zeb Edwards, says his family will never recover.

"Rose was the kindest hearted girl you'd ever meet. If she thought you needed help, she would do anything to help. She was kind-hearted, trusting and innocent," Edwards said emotionally. "Daisy, my baby, was the most incredible artist I ever knew so incredibly talented. Innocent and trusting too."

Court documents shed some light on the events leading up the murders of Rose and Daisy.

Just days before the double homicide, the alleged killer was checked in to the psychiatric center at a local hospital.

According to court documents, Denning was released from the psychiatric center at Billings Clinic last Wednesday. The Edwards sisters were brutally murdered in the early hours of Friday morning.

The documents say Denning had prescriptions for the drug Ambien and another prescription drug, possibly Depakote.

"Ambien is a medicine, the generic name is called Zolpidem, it's a very good medicine for sleeping aid. Probably the most widely prescribed as a sleeping aid," explained Dr. Brad Fuller, MD, with Fuller Family Medicine in Billings. "Depakote is also called Valproic Acid, it's a medicine that is sometimes used for seizures, it's a medicine that is sometimes used for mood stabilizers. For example, people that might have an underlying illness such as bi-polar, or such as real extreme irritability or difficulty to control their moods."

At this point, the Yellowstone County Attorney's Office has not contacted Billings Clinic, therefore the hospital is not directly involved with the investigation.

Prior to talking with the hospital, there is a formal process the county attorney's office must go through due to various regulations.

County Attorney Scott Twito says at some point they will likely be in contact with Billings Clinic.

Twito says the case is very important to their office and they continue to follow-up on leads.

"A double homicide case is very, very unusual and very rare in our community," said Twito. "We will be very thorough in our investigation.