Suspect in 1990 Homicide Arrested in Santa Barbara County 21-070

On November 5, 1990, at approximately 6:25 AM, San Francisco Police officers responded to a reported shooting on the 200 block of Potrero Avenue. Officers located the victim, 46-year-old Lamar Vaughn who was suffering from a gunshot wound. Vaughn was transported to San Francisco General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

San Francisco Police Department Homicide Inspectors determined that Vaughn and the suspect had been involved in an argument prior to the shooting. Investigators identified the suspect as James Francis Edwards, then 40 years old, and obtained an arrest warrant for Murder and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. As the investigation continued, investigators learned that Edwards used multiple identities and likely fled the state.

On March 17, 2021, at approximately 3:32 PM, deputies from the San Barbara County Sheriff’s Office were conducting a welfare check on another individual on the 1000 block of Casitas Pass Road in Carpinteria, CA. The deputies contacted Edwards, and after running a records check, determined that he was wanted on a 1990 homicide warrant from San Francisco. As of the date of this news release, Edwards remains in the custody of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff, pending his transfer to the San Francisco County Jail.

We would like to thank the members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in locating and apprehending Edwards and helping return him to San Francisco where he will be held to answer for the criminal charges.