Police: Former Virginia State Trooper Shot Dead After Allegedly Killing California Family of Teenage Girl He Catfished Online

A former Virginia State Police trooper was shot dead by authorities after he allegedly killed the California family of a teenage girl he abducted.

Austin Lee Edwards, 28, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, is believed to have driven across the country to meet the teenage girl he met online through catfishing–a deceptive technique to pose as a different person than they actually are–and abducting her, the Riverside Police Department stated in a press release.

On Friday at approximately 11:08 a.m., police received a report of a young woman who was seemingly in distress while entering the vehicle of a red Kia Soul with a man on the 11200 block of Price Court in Riverside.

As officers responded, they received a report of a structure fire a few houses away from where the distress call originated.

Fire officials responded first and began working to put out the blaze on the first floor. When firefighters entered the house, they discovered three victims and pulled them. It was then determined that the victims were dead as a result of a homicide.

The victims of the fire were identified as Mark Winek, 69, Sharie Winek, 65, and their daughter 38-year-old Brooke Winek, 38, the grandfather, grandmother, and mother of the unidentified teenage girl believed to have been abducted in the Kia. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but it is believed to have been intentionally ignited.

Riverside authorities relayed information about Edwards, the girl, and the Kia Soul to various law enforcement agencies.

Several hours later, the vehicle was spotted by deputies driving through the unincorporated area of Kelso in San Bernardino County–located approximately 180 miles northeast of Riverside.

Deputies engaged in a shootout with Edwards, where he was subsequently shot and pronounced deceased at the scene.

The girl was found unharmed and placed into protective custody by the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, according to police.

WRIC reported that Virginia State Police confirmed that Edwards entered the police academy on July 2021 and graduated in January 2022, where he was assigned to Henrico County. He resigned in October, less than a month before Friday’s events.

Edwards was hired as a deputy sheriff in Washington County, Virginia, on November 16, the Associated Press reported.

Riverside police believe that Edwards was responsible for murdering the family after driving to the victim’s home.

“Our hearts go out to the Winek family and their loved ones during this time of tremendous grief, as this is a tragedy for all Riversiders,” said Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez via the department’s press release.

“This is yet another horrific reminder of the predators existing online who prey on our children,” he added. “If you’ve already had a conversation with your kids on how to be safe online and on social media, have it again.”

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.