Austin Lee Edwards has been identified by Southern California Law Enforcement, as a former Virginia State Trooper.
According to sources, Austin Lee Edward was accused of murdering 15 years old’s grandmother, grandfather, and mother. He later set the house on fire and kidnapped the teenage girl.
The Riverside Police is about about 80 kilometers southeast of downtown Los Angeles, from the place of the incident. They received a call for a welfare check Friday morning regarding Austin Lee Edward and the teenager.
The authorities believe Edward parked his vehicle in the driveway, walked towards the family to commit the horrific murder, and flee with the girl. The dispatchers were later alerted to smoke, only to discover the corpse of three adults and the possibility that the fire was set intentionally.
After the police were alarmed by the incident at the time, Austin Lee Edward Led the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on a dangerous pursuit but was gunned down by the police after opening fire on a SWAT.
Austin Lee Edward is 28 years old and worked for the Virginia State Police Department before joining the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
With regard to his personal details, Austin Lee Edwards enrolled in an academy on July 6th, 2021, and graduated on Jan 21, 2022. He was then assigned to Henrico Country in the Richmond Division of Virginia. Prior to this incident, Austin Lee Edward resigned from the department on 28th October 2022.
The accused continued his law enforcement career with the Washington County Sherriff’s Office on November 16, 2022. He started the orientation process with the department prior to his assignment to the patrol division.
Considering the relationship between Austin Lee Edward and the 15-year-old victim, the Riverside Police Department hinted that they met through a catfishing scheme. Edward pretended to be a different person from the young girl and developed a relationship with her.
It is believed that Austin Lee Edward traveled from Virginia to Riverside after getting her information. He killed her 69-year-old grandfather Mark Winek, 65-year-old grandmother Sharie Winek, and 38-year-old mother, Brooke Winek before fleeing with the victim.
The Riverside Police have revealed the safety of the 15 years old girl as she has been taken into protective custody by the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services.
Did Austin Lee Edwards Have Kids?
Per the details that have surfaced online, it’s not clear if Austin Lee Edwards has a wife and kids. Details released so far are based on his work and the murder case. We are still following this closely and updates will be made accordingly when his details are disclosed.