The lawsuit consists of the teenager’s account of what occurred after she was pressured right into a automobile with the person who killed her mother and grandparents — a state trooper who pretended to be a 17-year-old boy on-line.

The Los Angeles Instances obtained a brand new lawsuit filed by the unnamed teen and her foster mom in opposition to the property of her household’s assassin, Austin Lee Edwards, in addition to the Washington County Sheriff’s Workplace in Virginia, the county’s Sheriff Blake Andis and a detective who reviewed Edwards’ employment software.

On the time of the incident, Edwards had not too long ago labored for the Virginia State Police and Washington County Sheriff’s Workplace in Virginia. They’re in search of a minimum of $50 million in damages.

The victims within the case are the teenager’s mother, 38-year-old daughter Brooke Winek, and her grandparents, 69-year-old Mark Winek and 65-year-old spouse Sharie Winek. Their our bodies have been discovered inside a burning residence in Riverside, California the day after Thanksgiving in 2022.

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Per the Instances, Edwards and the teenager met on Instagram that summer time, she reportedly thought he was 17 on the time and the 2 even spoke over Discord. She broke up with him after he grew to become too pushy and requested for nude photographs.

In accordance with the lawsuit, Edwards pretended to be a detective to achieve entry to the Wineks’ house — earlier than making Sharie name her daughter Brooke and inform her to come back to the home with the teenager. Brooke instructed her daughters there was merely a telephone subject that wanted to be fastened on the house.

The teenager mentioned she was instructed to attend within the automobile by her mother, noting that her mother’s canine did not come to the window after they arrived — which she discovered odd. Ultimately, the lady went to the entrance door — and was pulled inside the home by Edwards. At first, she did not know who he was — till he instructed her to “Cease screaming” and he or she acknowledged his voice as being the identical because the individual she met on-line.

She mentioned she additionally noticed the our bodies of her mother and grandparents, sure with duct tape with luggage over their heads. The teenager mentioned she watched as Edwards allegedly doused the house in gasoline and set the home on fireplace, earlier than forcing her into his Kia Soul.

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After he mentioned he was taking her again to Virginia, she mentioned she requested why he killed her whole household. Edwards responded by saying if he did not, they’d “report it” and he would not be capable of escape. She additionally mentioned he instructed her to fake to be his daughter.

She claimed he instructed her he was a police officer who “lied” in the course of the hiring course of, including that companies “must do higher” background checks. The teenager mentioned Edwards held onto her hand after they stopped twice to make use of the restroom, whereas he held firmly onto his gun whereas driving. She was made to remain the backseat.

Neighbors have been capable of ID the automobile and supplied footage to authorities, who have been then capable of observe the automobile down within the Mojave Desert. Police beforehand mentioned he started firing at them in the course of the pursuit, earlier than the automobile went off the highway. Within the lawsuit, the teenager mentioned, at that time, he instructed her to get out of the automobile, earlier than he shot himself.

“The Washington County’s Sheriff’s workplace gave Austin Lee Edwards a gun, a badge and cloaked him with the authority of the legislation,” the teenager’s lawyer instructed the Instances in a press release. “He used these items to achieve entry to the Winek house and commit these atrocities. We’ll show that an enough investigation of Edwards’ background would have prevented this tragedy.”

The Washington County Sheriff’s workplace hasn’t commented on the lawsuit.

On the time of the murders, the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Workplace launched a press release confirming he was employed by the company on November 16 and had simply begun orientation to be assigned to the patrol division.

“Previous employers and the Virginia State Police have been contacted in the course of the hiring processing; nevertheless, no employers disclosed any troubles, reprimands, or inner investigations pertaining to Edwards,” they mentioned.

“It’s stunning and unhappy to all the legislation enforcement group that such an evil and depraved individual might infiltrate legislation enforcement whereas concealing his true identification as a pc predator and assassin,” mentioned Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis — who is known as within the lawsuit — on the time. “Our ideas and prayers are with the Winek household, their mates, officers, and all of these affected by this heinous crime.”

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