The case of the Winek family’s brutal murder nearly a year ago reopened with the victim’s relative suing the sheriff’s office that hired him.
The lawsuit alleges that the sheriff’s office changed into negligent in hiring and supervising the cop, who’s additionally accused of catfishing the family’s teenage daughter.
What Happened?
The murderer, recognized as Austin Lee Edward, a former Virginia country trooper and worker of the Washington County, Va., sheriff’s office, has killed 3 Winek family members, Mark (69 years old), Sharie (65 years old), and Brooke (38 year old), after accomplishing a web catfishing scheme on the family’s teenage daughter (15 year old).
According to investigators, Edward (28 years old) had been posing as a young man online and had been speaking with the daughter for several months. Edward traveled from Virginia to Riverside just after nine days of enlistment as a deputy sheriff, where he met with the daughter and killed her family.
Edward then fled the scene with the teen and led police on a chase; however, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
The Human Cost of Negligence
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in the US. District Court in Central California, Mychelle Blandin, the teen’s aunt, sued the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Edwards’ estate on behalf of the younger child for citing violation of 4th Amendment rights and is seeking financial compensation.
The family expressed grief and hope that this lawsuit will help to prevent something like this from happening again. The lawsuit alleges that the sheriff’s office was negligent in hiring Edward, with his mental health background and violent behavior.
Shall We Trust Law Agencies Or Not?
The lawsuit is a reminder of the importance of law enforcement agencies properly screening their officers.
“The sheriff’s office has a responsibility to protect the public from its employees,” said Alison Saros, the attorney for the plaintiff. “The sheriff’s office failed to meet that responsibility in this case, and as a result, three innocent people are dead.”
The killings have raised issues about the risks of online catfishing and the need for attention and schooling about trusting strangers.
Anas Hasan
November 28, 2023
2 years ago
