Former Miami-Dade Police Sergeant Dies by Apparent Suicide Ahead of Sentencing

Former Miami-Dade Police Sgt. James Hurley Edwards, 58, died by apparent suicide Monday inside the Federal Detention Center in Miami — just days before he was scheduled for federal sentencing on child exploitation charges that carried a mandatory minimum of 15 years.

Attorney Michael Catalano confirmed Edwards was found alone in the top bunk of his cell, dead from apparent strangulation. Catalano said Edwards had messaged him earlier that morning without any indication of suicidal intent.

Edwards’ legal troubles stretched back to 2014, when he was first charged with lewd behavior involving two teenage brothers. He accepted a plea deal that spared him sex-offender status and allowed him to keep his police pension.

But last year, federal investigators uncovered new evidence after a man reported receiving a sexually explicit video from Edwards through a dating app — which he believed involved a minor. An undercover FBI agent continued the conversation, during which Edwards allegedly described sexual encounters with underage boys.

A subsequent search of his old electronic devices uncovered previously unknown illicit videos, including secretly recorded footage of a minor showering. Edwards pled guilty in September to federal production and possession of child sexual abuse material.

His death marks the second apparent suicide in the same facility within three days, raising concerns about conditions and inmate monitoring.