New True Crime Podcast Chronicles Woman’s Exploration of Dad’s Dark Past

The name April Balascio may sound familiar. She made headlines when she discovered that her long-estranged father, Edward Wayne Edwards, was a murderer. Now, the full story of her chilling realization, The Clearing, is captured in a gripping new true crime podcast from Pineapple Street Media in association with Gimlet, debuting on Spotify July 18. 

Edwards was an eccentric, difficult, and often abusive dad. He was known for a criminal past that included offenses like armed robbery and even gained notoriety for his book about it. April long wondered if he hid darker secrets and called a detective in 2009 to tell him about her suspicions—a call that led to her father’s arrest and eventual conviction on multiple murders. But the story didn’t end there.

Three years ago, April met journalist and author Josh Dean, and the two formed an unusual partnership. They began to work together to dig back into her childhood, unravel the truth of her father’s life, and overturn a viral online narrative that had turned Edward Wayne Edwards into a kind of serial killer caricature. 

Hosted by Dean and produced by Pineapple Street’s Jonathan Menjivar (formerly of This American Life), The Clearing tells the story of how April came to discover the full truth about her dad—as she visits with detectives, former neighbors, and victims’ families—and tracks April’s emotional journey along the way.  

The first two episodes of The Clearing will premiere for free on July 18 on Spotify and wherever podcasts are available. New episodes will drop each week thereafter.

Learn more about The Clearing ahead of the show’s debut.