Homicide Investigators Solve 40-Year Old Cold Case Murder

HOUSTON, TX -- Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Cold Case investigators have charged a 61-year old man for the murder of a man nearly 41 years ago.

David Lee Edds was charged for theMay 11, 1976 murder of Rene Anthony Guillotte, 28,

On Tuesday, May 11, 1976, at approximately 6:00am, the nude body of a man was found on an oil field road (private road) just north of 3000 Atascocita Road.

The victim, identified as Guillotte, had multiple stab wounds and lacerations on his torso, head and neck.

Investigators determined that Guillotte was last seen leaving a bar at approximately 1:00am, in the Montrose area of Houston on this same date.

Investigators worked in conjunction with the Houston Police Department and the Texas Rangers during the original investigation, but the investigation grew cold after exhaustive work by the HCSO Homicide Division and the case went unsolved.

In July of 2014, the Cold Case Unit reviewed the case, and while conducting a follow-up investigation, linked physical evidence found at the crime scene and evidence recovered at autopsy to David Lee Edds.

Investigators learned Edds lived near to the crime scene at the time of the murder. Cold Case investigators interviewed Edds in 2017, but Edds denied knowing the victim, and denied being at the crime scene or having any knowledge of the murder.

Edds was unable to provide an explanation of why physical evidence found at the scene linked him to the murder.

Investigators learned that Edds was charged by the Houston Police Department in 1977 for assaulting a man with a knife after leaving a bar in the Montrose area.

Edds has a lengthy criminal history dating back to his juvenile years. Some of his arrests/convictions included homicide, burglary, robbery, narcotics possession, weapons charges, DWI, bail jumping and parole violations.

Photo courtesy of HCSO