Mark (69), his wife, Sharie (65) and daughter Brooke Winek (38) murdered in catfish kidnapping

[puzzld]

A former Virginia state trooper allegedly kidnapped a California teenage girl he had been catfishing online ? after murdering her family, according to police.

Authorities say Austin Lee Edwards, 28, drove more than 2,500 miles across the country to Riverside to meet the teen Friday.

Edwards then allegedly killed the girl?s grandparents and mom, set fire to their home, and took off with the victim.

Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff?s Department tracked down Edwards and fatally shot him later that day during a shootout, according to law enforcement.

The juvenile victim who was found with Edwards was unharmed and taken into protective custody by the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services.

https://nypost.com/2022/11/28/austin...ng-her-family/

[Nic B]

How awful.

I wonder how old the teenage girl is? Her mom was only 28.

[curiouscat]

How awful.

I wonder how old the teenage girl is? Her mom was only 28.

I think I found the girl's Facebook page. She lists 2026 as her graduation date so I'm assuming she's 14.

Brooke Winek
https://www.facebook.com/BeeHoff84?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Sharie Winek
https://www.facebook.com/sharie.winek?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Mark Winek
https://www.facebook.com/mark.winek.3?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Austin Lee Edwards
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php...ibextid=ZbWKwL

[puzzld]

How awful.

I wonder how old the teenage girl is? Her mom was only 28.

Sorry, mom was 38, bad pz, bad.

[Nic B]

Sorry, mom was 38, bad pz, bad.

Ohhh that makes more sense, thanks!

[of_corpse_not]

What a crazy fuck omg

[Angiebla]

How did this guy think this was going to end?

[kevansvault]

How did this guy think this was going to end?

You think he's thinking with the thing between his ears? No way, sister. He's a "Minor Attracted Piece of Shit" Fucking ewwww.

[Nomad]

Ugh. I looked at the Facebooks and the GoFundMe set up by the cousin, and this looks like it was a really great family. Fuck this guy. If they need someone to throw the switch on execution day, give me a call.

[Bewitchingstorm]

Ugh. I looked at the Facebooks and the GoFundMe set up by the cousin, and this looks like it was a really great family. Fuck this guy. If they need someone to throw the switch on execution day, give me a call.

I think he was shot and killed by the police.

[curiouscat]

I think he was shot and killed by the police.

Yeah. He's dead. Good riddance!

[Boston Babe 73]

I think he was shot and killed by the police.

Yeah. He's dead. Good riddance!

GOOD! What a horrible tragedy. This poor girl is going to blame herself for the rest of her life.

[raisedbywolves]

https://abcnews.go.com/US/family-vic...ry?id=99470420

Family of victims allegedly killed by officer plan to sue agencies that hired him

According to the filings, Edwards was hired by Virginia State Police in January 2022 despite failing a mental health evaluation. Edwards was ordered to undergo the evaluation after he disclosed he had voluntarily checked himself into a mental health facility in 2016 "after cutting his hand and threatening to kill his father," according to the filings.

"The Virginia State Police deliberately buried the results of this mental health examination, did no further investigation into this aspect of Edwards' application, and hired him," the filings state. "The Virginia State Police later claimed the hiring of Edwards was due to 'human error,' which could not have been further from the truth."