Richard Dan Edmonson

A father of 6 is found murdered
A devoted father and passionate chili cook, Richard Dan Edmonson was on the verge of realizing a long-held dream in the fall of 1983. The 48-year-old San Antonio, Texas, man, known to friends and family as Dan, was a loving father to six children, who ranged in age from nine to eighteen. He was also a celebrated amateur chef in the competitive world of chili cook-offs. After years of perfecting his "Bulls Eye Chili" recipe, he had finally earned enough points to qualify for the prestigious Terlingua International Chili Championship, the ultimate goal for any chili enthusiast. His family remembers his excitement and how he had his sights set on competing in the famous West Texas event.

Tragically, he would never make it. In the early hours of Sunday, October 16, 1983, just weeks before the championship, a security guard for The University of Texas at San Antonio made a grim discovery. At approximately 1 a.m., Richard Edmonson’s body was found on John Peace Boulevard, a campus road near Loop 1604 on the city's Northwest Side. He was dressed in a plaid shirt, blue jeans, and western-style boots. An investigation determined he had been shot multiple times in the head.

From the outset, investigators with the San Antonio Police Department believed the location where he was found was not the scene of the crime. Evidence suggested that Edmonson had been killed elsewhere before his body was brought to the university campus and left there. This added a significant layer of complexity to the investigation, leaving detectives with two crime scenes to uncover: the place of the murder and the site of the discovery. Despite their efforts, the trail quickly went cold.

For decades, the case has remained unsolved, a source of enduring pain and unanswered questions for Edmonson’s children. Over the years, the San Antonio Police Department's Cold Case Squad has continued to investigate, periodically asking the public for help. In 2012, his murder was one of nine cold cases highlighted on billboards around the city in a joint effort with Crime Stoppers to generate new leads. His daughter, Dianne Edmonson-Lewis, then 20 years old when her father was killed, expressed her hope that someone, somewhere, knew something that could finally piece the puzzle together.

Though justice has remained elusive, Richard Edmonson's passion did not die with him. For 24 years, the family's chili pots remained dormant, the memories too painful. But in 2007, his youngest daughter, Elaine, who was only nine at the time of his death, proposed a way to honor him: they would start competing in cook-offs to complete their father’s quest and get to Terlingua. Calling themselves the "Chili Con Carnies," the Edmonson sisters and their family members began competing, bringing a portrait of their father to every event.

Their journey was one of love and remembrance, and it ultimately led to incredible success. They fulfilled their father's dream by competing at Terlingua, and in 2016, his daughter Lisa Edmonson Stone won the 50th Anniversary Terlingua International Chili Championship, beating hundreds of other cooks to become a world champion. The victory was a powerful and emotional moment, transforming a family tragedy into a legacy of triumph and resilience, all in honor of the father who inspired them.

As of January 2017, the murder of Richard Dan Edmonson remains an open and unsolved case with the San Antonio Police Department. No suspects have ever been publicly identified. Authorities continue to ask for anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Tips can be directed to the San Antonio Police Department's Cold Case Squad at 210-207-7635.