After the horrific death of Sylvia “Maggie” Locascio, her son claimed it was his own father who killed his mother. However, the father believed their son committed the crime. The police investigation ultimately uncovered a sinister murder plot.
The Wife’s Intuition
Sylvia “Maggie” Locascio was described as a beautiful, intelligent, and determined girl. In 1972, while studying at the University of Miami (Oxford, OH), Maggie met and dated Edward Locascio. The two married after graduating.
Maggie had a master’s degree and worked as an accountant for a while until their son Edward “Eddie” Jr. was born. Wanting to spend time caring for her child and young family, Eddie decided to become a stay-at-home mom.
Edward was outgoing, while Maggie was more introverted. Gradually, their marriage became strained. Maggie suspected her husband of cheating, so she hired a private investigator. In the end, her intuition was right – Edward was having an affair with a 20-year-old massage therapist.
Maggie was furious and confronted her husband about this information. When she demanded Edward leave their home and said she wanted a divorce, he seemed normal at first but quickly moved into another apartment.
In June 2000, Maggie asked a lawyer to initiate divorce proceedings. While separated, Edward openly paraded his wife around and said Maggie wouldn’t get a penny in the divorce.
The Horrific Scene
On October 30, 2001, police received a report of a possible burglary at Maggie’s home in the upscale community of Coral Gables, Florida. Upon arriving around 9:30 pm, they noticed the alarm system was off and the door ajar. Stepping inside, the officers were shocked by the horrific scene before them.
There was blood everywhere. On the kitchen floor, they found the body of a female they immediately recognized as Maggie Locascio. The 45-year-old woman appeared to have been beaten and stabbed multiple times.
Searching throughout the house, they found a blood-covered metal baton in the hallway. The baton looked like the type officers often carry. A rubber glove was also recovered.
At first glance, this crime resembled a robbery, as Maggie’s purse was also missing. However, investigators determined the murder appeared more personal in nature.
At the time of her death, Maggie lived in this house with her 19-year-old son, while Edward lived in a Miami Beach condo and their divorce was nearly finalized. Police quickly called Edward to the crime scene.
Early the next morning, the couple’s son Eddie returned home. When shown video footage of the crime scene, Eddie was “very, very upset.”
Eddie said he was at school working with a biology professor in the lab at the time of the murder. More surprisingly, Eddie said he wasn’t shocked his mother was killed and that “the bastard finally did it.” He was referring to his father. “My dad killed my mom,” the 19-year-old insisted.
A Strained Relationship
After providing DNA and fingerprint samples, Eddie left the police station. As he reached the door, he ran into his father, who had also been summoned for questioning. Investigators noticed Eddie walked right past his father without saying a word.
Edward showed no emotion over his wife’s death. This man said he had played golf that day, then returned to his own apartment and did not leave. Edward was quite open about the divorce and insisted he was not involved in his wife’s murder.
When asked who could have killed Maggie, Edward surprisingly stated: “My son, he hated me and his mother.” Edward also mentioned things Eddie would receive when his mother died, like the house and money.
Eddie was in a program for gifted students studying pre-med. The 19-year-old had been estranged from his father since childhood. The resentment stemmed from being forced by his dad to join the cross-country team in elementary school, which Edward coached.
Eddie hated everything about his father. Meanwhile, to Edward, Eddie was a failure. Maggie sided with her son, further straining her marriage. Edward had been verbally and emotionally abusive toward his wife and son.
The Mysterious Truck
After providing his DNA and prints, Edward was also allowed to leave. Police began verifying the alibis of both father and son.
The autopsy performed the day after the body was found revealed details about the murder. The victim had been strangled and stabbed multiple times. She was also beaten with the baton.
Defensive wounds on her body showed Maggie had tried to fight off her attacker. There was a bloody shoe print on her chest.
Investigators determined this was a crime of rage. Eddie did not fit the profile of such a killer. Furthermore, his alibi has been verified.
Police continued interviewing neighbors. One revealed seeing a suspicious white pickup truck circling the victim’s home. He also saw this truck leaving Maggie’s neighborhood on the night she was killed.
Another neighbor two houses down said he witnessed the white truck driver throwing a bag out the window.
From this, police conducted a search and found the rough canvas bag in some bushes. Inside the bag were valuable clues.
Clues in the Discarded Bag
A neighbor living near victim Sylvia “Maggie” Locascio’s home said he witnessed the man driving the suspicious white pickup truck throw a bag out the window. The subsequent police search found the rough canvas bag in some bushes. Inside were rubber gloves, a bloodied man’s outfit, a knife, a baton case, and Maggie’s credit cards. Everything was sent off for testing.
Investigators continued looking into the relationship between Edward Locascio and his wife and son. They learned the conflicts between Edward and his son Eddie had turned physical, with Edward taking out his anger on his wife.
Maggie’s sister told police that her sibling had “kicked her husband out” and obtained a restraining order against him in June 2001. The order had only been in effect for a week before the murder occurred.
By now, police had the results from testing the items found in the canvas bag. It defied their expectations – the DNA did not match Edward or Eddie.
A new lead emerged when Edward’s former secretary revealed to police overheard a call between Edward and someone else, mentioning Maggie and Edward’s brother Michael Locascio.
The Notorious Brother
Michael had been arrested for extortion and some minor offenses. He was the black sheep, a notorious member of the family who only appeared when he needed money. This man had been visiting his brother and sister-in-law’s Florida home over several consecutive weekends.
Security camera footage outside Edward’s condo corroborated his alibi, showing he was home on the night of the murder. However, the video also showed a man arriving at around 12:30 am – Michael.
Moving quickly to Michael’s residence, officers were surprised to find the white pickup truck he owned. It had been cleaned out and washed, with the seats removed. Michael was brought to the police station for questioning.
From his very first statements, this man lied. He initially said he wasn’t in Florida at the time of the murder. Then he admitted being there but claimed he was at a restaurant.
It didn’t take long for investigators to verify their suspicions once they obtained a warrant for Michael’s DNA and fingerprints. His matched the DNA found on the rubber gloves, knife, and Maggie’s credit cards.
Michael was arrested for murder. However, police knew the case was not closed. Michael had no motive to kill Maggie. The team dug deeper to uncover what had really happened.
The Suspicious Phone Calls
They discovered that before her death, the victim believed her husband Edward Locascio was trying to move money elsewhere to prevent her from getting it in the divorce. The family’s assets had been frozen.
Maggie had scheduled a meeting with authorities on October 31st to discuss her husband’s finances as well as allegations against him. Just one day before this meeting, Maggie was murdered.
Examining Edward and Michael’s bank records, police saw that Michael did not appear to be paid to kill Maggie. He was nearly bankrupt himself. However, their phone records told a different story.
Before the murder, Edward and Michael lived very separate lives, rarely communicating and only speaking on holidays or birthdays. But in the days before and after the killing, they were in constant contact, calling each other 39 times.
From the surveillance camera footage outside Edward’s condo, police saw him and his girlfriend. But they also spotted a familiar face appearing around 12:30 am – Michael.
A Bitter Grudge
Police believe the victim Maggie returned home that night, unaware that Michael was hiding in the garage. As she began cooking dinner, Michael suddenly emerged, brutally killed his sister-in-law, and tried to cover his tracks. However, he made mistakes leaving behind the glove and baton at the scene, disabling the alarm system, and ditching the bag with evidence in nearby bushes.
Though suspicious, police needed proof Edward masterminded the attack. The calls between the brothers alone were not grounds for arrest. The case went cold for four years.
Meanwhile, Edward continued living his life with a new girlfriend, but the relationship became strained. The woman told police that during one argument, Edward said: “You’ll end up like my wife.” On October 21, 2005, Edward was arrested for Maggie’s murder.
In February 2006, Michael’s trial began. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
In February 2007, Edward Locascio stood trial. This man still insisted on blaming his son.
Prosecutors argued there was a bitter family grudge, with Edward willing to take any risk to prevent his son’s mother from getting money.
Edward was ultimately also convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence. He died in prison in 2018.
