Seven months later, Antonio Rodriguez is behind bars and facing the death penalty in the killings of the three women. Edwards' killer has not been caught.
That doesn't mean the case has grown cold. In the days after the killing, police identified a possible suspect - someone whom Philadelphia Police Capt. James Clark, head of the Homicide Unit, described last week as a "strong" person of interest.
"We're building a case against this individual," Clark said. "We're hopeful that we will be able to make an arrest in the near future."
While much of the city followed the case of the strangler last winter, Edwards' mother, Karen Emery, tried in vain to keep her daughter in the public eye. She collected more than $1,600 for a reward for information leading to the killer's arrest, created a Facebook page, and held vigils at the crime scene.
"It felt like she was just forgotten," said Emery, 49. "We don't want that."
Emery lives in a ranch-style home on a quiet, tree-lined street in Levittown. Edwards last walked out of the house a few days before she died. Photographs of her are everywhere, showing her shiny blond hair, lip piercing, and wholesome, bright smile.
Edwards' life was filled with setbacks, but she died when Emery was hopeful about her future.
"Any death would have been hard," Emery said. "But knowing she was stolen, after all the times she fought to live - that's hardest to bear."
Edwards was born in California, but Emery moved with her to Michigan early on after getting a job there. Edwards' stepfather, Bob Emery, came along in 1997.
At 16, Edwards gave birth to a daughter, Morgan, who lives with her father in Michigan. He and Edwards worked together to raise the girl, Emery said, and Edwards finished high school.
