In a grievous event that shook the community, a Virginia deputy, after an unlawful intrusion into a California home, murdered three individuals and kidnapped a teenager. The deputy, who later died in a confrontation with law enforcement, has prompted a lawsuit against the sheriff’s department that employed him.
Austin Lee Edwards, previously hired by the Virginia State Police in July 2021 and a police academy graduate in January 2022, joined the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on November 16, 2022. Shortly thereafter, on November 25, Edwards committed the heinous act, ending the lives of Mark Winek, 69, Sharon Winek, 65, and Brooke Winek, 38, in their Riverside, California home.
The lawsuit, filed by the surviving family members, contends that the Washington County Sheriff’s Office failed in its duty to conduct a thorough background check on Edwards. Lead attorney David Ring emphasized that Edwards had a history of mental illness and had been prohibited from possessing firearms.
On the anniversary of Edwards’ hiring, Mychelle Blandin, the daughter and sister of the victims and the aunt of the kidnapped girl, initiated legal action in the Central District of California. The lawsuit targets the sheriff’s office, several staff members, and Edwards’ estate. The complaint alleges negligence in hiring practices, pointing to Edwards’ psychiatric evaluation in 2016 following threats of violence.