Susan Edwards, convicted of murdering her parents and burying their bodies in their garden for 15 years, is seeking a potential appeal based on newly acquired information. Edwards, who was portrayed by Olivia Colman in the 2021 television adaptation "Landscapers," received a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in 2014.
Edwards, now 67, shot her parents, William and Patricia Wycherley, in May 1998. With the assistance of her husband, Christopher, she buried them in the garden of their Mansfield, Nottinghamshire home. The couple then stole approximately £286,000 from the parents' accounts to fund an extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia, including signed autographs and Frank Sinatra souvenirs. Susan Edwards also reportedly faked correspondence with French actor Gerard Depardieu.
The couple maintained the illusion that the Wycherleys were alive by writing letters from their parents' names to friends, neighbors, and officials. For 15 years, neighbors and friends were led to believe the elder Wycherleys had moved away or were visiting family. However, the discovery of their bodies occurred only after inquiries were made regarding William Wycherley's upcoming 100th birthday, which would have prompted a telegram from the Queen.
A neighbor did recall seeing Christopher Edwards digging a large hole in the garden late at night, but attributed it to landscaping. The following morning, the presence of newly planted shrubs on a disturbed patch of earth was also noted.
Susan Edwards has maintained her innocence, claiming her mother shot her father and then provoked her into shooting her mother. She stated her husband's only involvement was in burying the bodies. However, a judge later determined that Christopher Edwards shot both parents with a World War II .38 revolver.
During the 15 years the bodies remained hidden, Susan Edwards systematically emptied her parents' savings accounts, opening a joint account with her deceased mother. She continued to divert pension and benefit payments, funds from the sale of the house, and obtained loans and credit cards in her mother's name. Despite the influx of stolen money, by 2013, the couple was living in poverty, struggling to afford basic necessities while surrounded by their expensive memorabilia.
Concern over potential discovery grew when the Department for Work and Pensions requested a meeting to review William Wycherley's benefits. The couple then fled to Lille, France. Christopher Edwards contacted his stepmother, Elizabeth, asking for money and recounting a fabricated story in which Susan's mother shot their father, and Susan subsequently shot her mother in retaliation. This conversation prompted Elizabeth to contact the police.
Upon their arrest, the couple possessed only one euro, a change of clothes, and a suitcase filled with their memorabilia. In 2014, Mrs. Justice Thirlwall sentenced both Susan and Christopher Edwards to life imprisonment with a minimum 25-year term, stating they planned and carried out the murders of parents who lived a reclusive life and were unlikely to be missed.