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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

CATFISH Drives Cross-Country to Murder Family of Teen Girl: FAMILY SUES

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

True Crime, News

3.97.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2023

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Austin Lee Edwards poses as a 17-year-old boy to talk online with a 15-year-old girl. He then drives across the country to her Riverside home when she stops responding. Edwards parks in a neighbor's driveway and goes inside the Winek home. Edwards kills the girl's mother and grandparents, sets the home on fire, and leaves with the girl.

A neighbor calls police after noticing Edwards leading the girl, who "appeared distressed," into his car. Another neighbor also calls 911 after seeing flames coming from the home. When police arrive, Edwards and the girl are gone. Brooke, Sherie, and Mark Winek's bodies are found inside the home; Brooke Winek's other daughter is not home.

Police get Edward's license plate from cameras in Winek's neighborhood and track him into the Mojave Desert. A helicopter spots the car and cops pursue Edwards, who fires at the officers. Edwards turns the gun on himself and crashes the car.

Now relatives of the Riverside family have filed a lawsuit against the Virginia sheriff’s office that hired Austin Edwards. Edwards was employed by the Washington County sheriff’s office. The teen’s aunt, Mychelle Blandin, claiming the agency did not do its due diligence in hiring Edwards. .

Joining Nancy Grace Today:

  • Darryl Cohen - Former Assistant District Attorney, Fulton County, Georgia, Defense Attorney, Cohen, Cooper, Estep, & Allen, LLC, CCEAlaw.com
  • Dr. Scott A. Johnson - Forensic Psychologist (Minnesota), 32 years specializing in addressing sexual predators, Author: "When “I Love You” Turns Violent" and "Physical Abusers & Sexual Offenders"
  • Dr. Tim Gallagher - Medical Examiner State of Florida; Lecturer: University of Florida Medical School Forensic Medicine; Founder/Host: International Forensic Medicine Death Investigation Conference
  • Detective Rich Wistocki: Child crime expert, president of BeSure Consulting for 30 years, decorated member of Law Enforcement, 23-year SWAT team member; Formed the Will County Illinois States Attorney’s High Technology Crimes Unit that made over 90 sexual predator arrests in its first 3 ½ years.
  • Titania Jordan - Chief Parenting/Marketing Officer, Bark Technologies, Author: "Parenting In A Tech World;" Instagram/Twitter: @TitaniaJordan, @BarkTechnologies
  • Kristen Quon - reporter WCYB, @WCYB_Quon
  • Dave Mack - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:31.1

Hillary Burton Morgan here and I'm excited to tell you about a new series I'm

0:35.1

launching it is the companion podcast to Sundance TV's true crime story it couldn't

0:40.9

happen here on the TV show we focus on small towns and the crimes that can rip them apart.

0:46.0

And on this podcast, we will go even deeper into our cases and give you a unique insider perspective on how these stories are told.

0:53.7

Come join us as we get curious and get involved.

0:56.7

Listen to True Crime Story.

0:58.3

It couldn't happen here on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:04.0

Crime stories with Nancy Grace.

1:29.9

In the last days a California family sues the sheriff's office. Why? Because an ex-state trooper Austin Edwards catfished a little girl just 15 years old crossed the country to find her and to get her murdered the

1:38.4

little girl's mother and grandparents.

1:42.0

Oh my goodness, you couldn't even make this story up.

1:45.8

I'm Nancy Grace, this is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at Crime Stories

1:50.3

and Serious XM 111. Austin Lee Edwards 28, no question about it, murdered Mark Winnick

1:58.4

69, his wife, Sheree, 65, and their 38-year-old daughter, that's the little girl's mom, Brooke Winnick.

2:10.0

Now he let the little girl, the 15- old girl he was catfishing, live.

...

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