Listed below are the specifics of his employment timeline, in accordance with CBS Information. A spokesperson for the Virginia State Police mentioned Edwards graduated from the academy as a trooper on Jan. 21, 2022. He was assigned to Henrico County and resigned on Oct. 28, 2022. He was reportedly nonetheless employed as a trooper when he utilized to work on the sheriff’s workplace. He was employed by the sheriff’s workplace on Nov. 16, 2022, and was in orientation. So, put one other means: He acquired this job 9 days earlier than allegedly killing three individuals and attempting to flee with a young person.
Even with out all of this confusion in regards to the suspect, this crime is each deeply disturbing and deeply unhappy. Edwards allegedly first met the teenage woman on-line, whereas she was residing in California and he was throughout the nation in Virginia. Edwards lied about his id whereas they developed some type of a relationship (therefore the “catfishing”), per the Riverside Police Division.
Authorities assume Edwards went to California on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, and set the household home on hearth, killing the teenager’s mom and two grandparents. The precise reason for the hearth and causes of demise for the woman’s household haven’t been decided, however they’re thought-about murder victims right now. By the point the police and hearth division arrived, the three adults—Mark Winek, Sharie Winek, and Brooke Winek—have been discovered on the ground on the entryway of the house.
A neighbor advised native outlet KABC that she had seen Edwards and the teenager get into his automobile and famous the woman didn’t have sneakers or pants on on the time. The neighbor was involved for apparent causes, together with that the woman couldn’t appear to talk and gave the impression to be crying.
“She did appear and seem somewhat distressed,” the general public data officer for the police division, Ryan Railsback, advised the outlet. “So it was regarding sufficient to those individuals to name.”
Per CNN, police consider Edwards killed the three adults earlier than setting the house on hearth and taking the woman again to his automobile. Police have acknowledged they don’t consider the woman had any involvement in setting the home on hearth or the murders. She is now in protecting custody.
And Edwards? In line with a press launch from police, he and the woman have been discovered a number of hours later whereas Edwards was driving. He was killed by deputies throughout a shootout with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division.
“It’s surprising and unhappy to your entire regulation enforcement neighborhood that such an evil and depraved particular person may infiltrate regulation enforcement whereas concealing his true id as a pc predator and assassin,” Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis mentioned in an announcement. Andis added their “ideas and prayers” are with the household, associates, and all affected by the “heinous crime.”
Right here’s the factor. Greater than somewhat information protection contains people reminding us at dwelling to watch out about on-line predators—don’t give away an excessive amount of data, don’t inform individuals the place you reside, and so forth. Clearly, that is good recommendation. Nevertheless it looks like, but once more, individuals are reluctant to debate the discovering that law enforcement officials within the U.S. commit home violence at roughly 15 occasions the speed of the overall inhabitants.
Thoughts you, it’s robust to get numbers on this for apparent causes. However that’s a horrifying quantity as it’s. Based mostly on this information—which is admittedly drawn from a small pattern dimension—about 40% of responding cops mentioned they’d participated in home violence within the earlier 12 months. In a associated research, about 40% of cops admitted they’d been violent with their partner within the earlier six months.
After sending like to victims and their family members in an announcement, Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez added partly: “That is yet one more horrific reminder of the predators current on-line who prey on our youngsters. In case you’ve already had a dialog together with your children on the right way to be secure on-line and on social media, have it once more. If not, begin it now to raised shield them.”
Whereas it’s, once more, honest to remind younger individuals (and actually, individuals basically) to watch out what they share on-line, it’s not as if on-line security was the one issue right here. Not by a protracted shot.
