Parnell Steven Stacks Edwards, a 31-year-old Black musician, was shot to death in his Queens apartment in South Ozone Park on December 18, 1978. His killing came shortly after the December 11, 1978 Lufthansa heist at JFK Airport, in which roughly $5.875 million in cash and jewelry was taken. Edwards had been tasked with disposing of the van used in the robbery and removing a key piece of evidence but instead drove the vehicle to his girlfriend’s apartment; police found the van two days later.

Associates identified as Thomas DeSimone and Angelo Sepe reportedly arrived at Edwards’ apartment the morning of December 18, were let in, and shot him. The murder is described as the opening salvo in a series of killings tied to the heist; James Jimmy the Gent Burke is widely believed to have ordered the executions, though he was never charged in connection with the robbery or subsequent slayings. Much of the stolen money and jewelry was never recovered.