WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — On Friday, Feb. 2, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was hit with a second civil lawsuit stemming from its hiring of a deputy who traveled from Virginia to California before killing three family members of a teenage girl he was engaging in an illicit relationship with — while pretending to be a teenager himself.
8News combed through the lawsuit’s more than 21 pages, which allege that Washington County officials equipped a man with a violent and troubled past with the tools he needed to commit such a gruesome crime.
In the summer of 2022, 28-year-old Austin Lee Edwards engaged in a relationship with a 15-year-old girl living in Riverside, California online while pretending to be a 17-year-old boy. During this time, Edwards was pursuing a career in law enforcement in Virginia.
Despite a troubled past, including a temporary psychiatric detention and the loss of his ability to legally purchase a firearm in 2016, Edwards was able to get a job with Virginia State Police after passing a background check.
“We cannot be giving people with a mental health history like this, and someone who has lost his gun rights, the power of the law,” said Scott Perry, lead attorney at Breit Biniazan, the law firm which filed the suit.
According to Perry, the 2016 incident which resulted in the temporary psychiatric detention was severe and should have warranted Virginia State Police rejecting his job application. A department representative previously attributed his violent past going undetected to “human error.”
Eventually, Edwards left his position at Virginia State Police for an unknown reason and accepted a job with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
“They end up giving him a badge, a gun and a uniform,” Perry said.
It was around this time that the 15-year-old girl ended the relationship with Edwards against his will. According to court documents, just days after becoming a Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy, Edwards drove to the girl’s home in California.
According to the Riverside Police Department, Edwards used his police badge and gun to gain entry to the girl’s home and conduct false questioning. He then kidnapped the girl and killed her mother and two of her grandparents.
Authorities said, shortly after the killing spree, Edwards killed himself during a police shootout. Perry’s team believes that, despite the killer’s death, it’s still possible for the victims to get justice and create systemic change, starting with improving law enforcement hiring practices.
“Had [the Washington County Sheriff’s Office] done an adequate investigation with information that was readily available, they would have learned that this Edwards was a very troubled individual,” Perry said.
Perry also urged parents to be aware of what their children are doing online.
This is the second civil action taken between the victim’s family members and Washington County officials, the first one having been filed on behalf of the teen’s aunt in November 2023.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has not yet responded to a request for comment from 8News.
