The Virginia trooper who catfished a 15-year-old Southern California woman and murdered three members of her household used his personal service weapon to kill himself, officers now say.
Austin Lee Edwards, 28, took his personal life throughout a shootout with deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division after a cross-country drive to the woman’s Riverside, California residence the place he shot and killed three members of her household earlier than setting the home on fireplace.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division confirmed the knowledge to the Los Angeles Instances on the identical day it was revealed Edwards’ coworkers in Virginia eliminated gadgets from his residence earlier than an official search occurred.
Edwards’ colleagues allegedly eliminated a sheriff’s truck and a black trash bag from the person’s Abingdon, Virginia, residence on November 25, the identical day the murders occurred in California.
Officers from the Riverside Police Division instructed the Southern California outlet they weren’t aware of the removing of the gadgets.
Austin Lee Edwards, 28, took his personal life along with his service weapon throughout a shootout with legislation enforcement in Southern California
Authorities are persevering with to analyze the deaths of Mark Winek, 69, and Sharie Winek, 65, in addition to the woman’s mom, Brooke Winek, 38
Edwards had made the two,500-mile journey to the woman’s residence after he deceived her with a false id, claiming he was a 17-year-old boy.
Upon arrival on the woman’s residence, he killed Mark Winek, 69; his spouse, Sharie Winek, 65; and their daughter Brooke Winek, 38, earlier than setting fireplace to the house and leaving with Brooke Winek’s 15-year-old daughter.
It was initially reported that Edwards died in the course of the shootout with police, seemingly by the hands of officers returning gunfire.
A SWAT staff had tried to drag over Edwards’ automobile, which additionally had the 15-year-old woman inside, however he refused to cease and a chase ensued. SWAT staff members fired quite a few pictures on the automobile which they believed to be the person’s reason for loss of life.
Initially, officers mentioned the chase ended when the person swerved off the highway and was shot after exiting the automobile. On Friday, nonetheless, that info was walked again by legislation enforcement who proceed to analyze the incident.
‘Detectives decided the gun used was Edwards’ department-issued semi-automatic service pistol,’ the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division instructed the Los Angeles Instances.
The 15-year-old woman was unhurt in the course of the shootout.
Authorities say Edwards traveled over 2,000 miles from his residence in Virginia to fulfill the unnamed teenage woman at her residence in Riverside, California
Brooke has been described as a loving single mom to 2 teenage daughters
Mark Winek (pictured) was a longtime ladies’ softball coach at Arlington Excessive College
Simply hours earlier than legislation enforcement officers in Southern California confirmed the person had taken his personal life, a video reviewed by the LA Instances reportedly confirmed coworkers taking gadgets from his residence in Virginia.
The Instances reported that no less than two deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Workplace, the company the place Edwards labored, had pulled gadgets from the home.
Deputies have been noticed on the man’s newly bought residence, which he had blacked out the home windows on, eradicating the truck and trash bag on November 25.
Southern California companies investigating the state of affairs instructed the LA Instances that they had no information concerning the motion’s taken by the Washington County deputies.
‘We aren’t conscious of any motion taken at his home previous to the November 26 search warrant,’ a spokesperson from the Smyth County Sheriff’s Division mentioned.
‘We aren’t conscious of any extra searches,’ the particular person mentioned.
Data present that Austin Lee Edwards bought this residence in Saltville, Virginia, 11 days earlier than he murdered three folks in southern California
Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Workplace have been seen eradicating a sheriff’s truck and a black trash bag from his residence earlier than an official search was performed
One lawyer who spoke with the Instances described the state of affairs as ‘unusual’ and mentioned it does not make sense why deputies who labored for Washington County, the place Edwards labored, would journey into a special county for a search.
‘That is unusual proper off the bat as a result of Washington County does not have jurisdiction to do something in Smyth County,’ mentioned Yancey Ellis, a accomplice in Carmichael, Ellis & Brock, a felony protection agency Virginia.
It is unclear whether or not the deputies who went to the person’s residence had a search warrant.
‘If you wish to do one thing in one other county you must go to native legislation enforcement,’ Yellis instructed the LA Instances.
Two different legislation enforcement officers in Virginia instructed the outlet they acknowledged the 2 males within the video and confirmed they work for the company the place Edwards was employed earlier to his loss of life.
‘This smells fairly dangerous,’ mentioned one felony lawyer primarily based in Washington, DC. ‘There are just a few the explanation why which will occur, and none of them are good or authorized.’
The house is described as a two bed room, one lavatory, residence within the city of Saltville, with a inhabitants of lower than 2,000
The newest developments come simply days after DailyMail.com reported that Edwards was detained in 2016 for psychiatric analysis after threatening to kill his father and himself.
Edwards had gotten right into a violent altercation whereas apparently struggling a breakdown over troubles he was having along with his then-girlfriend.
A police report described how cops have been known as to the household’s residence by Edwards’ father, Christopher Edwards, the place they discovered him struggling to restrain his son on the kitchen flooring.
Edwards was detained, and instructed officers he supposed to hurt himself and his father the second his handcuffs have been eliminated, main authorities to commit him to a psychological hospital.
Regardless of the incident, Edwards was nonetheless accepted into the Virginia State Police earlier this yr and in addition served within the sheriff’s workplace in Washington County, Virginia, this fall.
In 2016, Edwards had gotten right into a violent altercation whereas apparently struggling a breakdown over troubles he was having along with his then-girlfriend
Household and buddies proceed to mourn the members of the Winek household who have been killed by Edwards on November 25 in Riverside.
Antonio Castro, a next-door neighbor who spoke with DailyMail.com reporters, described the Wineks have been a loving and sort household.
A GoFundMe for the household has raised over $88,000 as of December 11, devoted to supporting the 2 surviving teenage ladies.
‘Mark Winek was a loving Father, Grandfather, Uncle, Brother, and Coach at Arlington Excessive College. Sharie Winek was a candy and caring Mom, Grandmother, Sister, and Aunt who cherished spending time along with her household,’ the web page mentioned.
‘Brooke Winek was a beloved single mom with the largest coronary heart and located her most immense pleasure in following her daughter within the Colour Guard at Arlington Excessive College.’
Pictures, flowers and prayer candles have been left in entrance of the house in Riverside, California
Authorities are persevering with to analyze the deaths of her grandparents and mom. It’s unclear whether or not they have been killed earlier than the fireplace broke out
A GoFundMe for the household has raised over $-88,000, devoted to supporting the 2 surviving teenage ladies
Police in Riverside have been first known as to the 11200 block of Worth Courtroom simply earlier than 11am on November 25 to test on the welfare of a younger woman who appeared distressed whereas getting right into a pink Kia Soul with an unknown man — later discovered to be Edwards.
Whereas officers have been responding to the scene, police started to obtain calls a couple of fireplace only a few homes away.
The Riverside Fireplace Division found three adults mendacity within the entrance entryway and took them outdoors, the place rescue personnel ‘decided they have been victims of an obvious murder,’ police mentioned.
The reason for the fireplace was beneath investigation, however appeared to have been ‘deliberately ignited,’ police mentioned, and authorities quickly found that the woman described within the preliminary welfare test had lived in the home along with her mom and grandparents.
That is the Riverside, California residence the place Edwards allegedly killed three members of the Winek household earlier than setting the house on fireplace
At that time, legislation enforcement officers within the city — about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles — distributed an outline of Edwards’ automobile to different companies close by.
Inside just a few hours, police have been capable of observe down Edwards’ Kia as he drove {the teenager} in Kelso, an unincorporated space of San Bernardino County.
When police lastly caught up with him, they are saying, Edwards fired pictures at them.
An ensuing investigation discovered that Edwards had pushed from his residence in North Chesterfield, Virginia to Riverside, the place he parked his automobile in a neighbor’s driveway and walked to the woman’s residence.
Davis stood outdoors the torched Winek residence along with her son Bryant, 25. She declined to offer particulars of who the 2 surviving teenage daughters could be residing with
Neighbor and shut pal Bonnie Davis instructed DailyMail.com she was in her again yard chopping up Thanksgiving turkey when she noticed smoke coming from her neighbors’ home
Whereas there, authorities say, he murdered the woman’s mom, grandmother and grandfather and set their residence on fireplace earlier than strolling again to his automobile with the woman and leaving the scene.
The Winek’s precise reason for loss of life is unknown, as is the reason for the fireplace.
The incident stays beneath investigation by Riverside Police officers.
