Winek family relatives speak out on Riverside triple murder family tragedy
Members of the Winek family spoke out for the first time on Wednesday since a cross-country "catfishing" scheme left three loved ones dead in Riverside.
Michelle Blandin, the daughter of Mark and Sharie Winek, Brooke Winek's sister, spoke out at Wednesday's news conference about the murders of her relatives in Riverside on Friday at the hands of a Virginia law enforcement officer who preyed on a teenage girl in the household.
Riverside Police say Austin Lee Edwards, 28, a former Virginia state trooper and current sheriff's deputy in Virginia when he was died during a pursuit with law enforcement, "catfished" a teenager before he ultimately killed the family and set fire to their house on Friday, Nov. 25.
At Wednesday's news conference, Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said they believe Edwards posed online as a 17-year-old to sexually exploit the 15-year-old daughter, often known as "catfishing."
Michelle Blandin broke down crying Wednesday as she spoke about the fact that she lost much of her family because of what she calls an inappropriate online relationship between a predator and her niece.
"'Catfishing' led to the deaths of the three most important people in my life: my dad, my mom and my sister," Blandin said. "Please, parents, guardians, when you are talking to your children about the dangers of their online actions, please use us as a reference. Tell our story to help your parenting. Not out of fear, but out of an example of something that did happen."
"Because of the nature of the 'catfishing,' how it happened, it seems like that there was probably pictures and texts that were going back and forth," said Gonzalez.
"Any of us are impressionable -- if you can imagine back when you were 15, it's just, you trust people," said John Winek, Mark's brother, at Wednesday's news conference. "It's just a different world out there, people have to realize that."
Officers believe Edwards traveled from Virginia to Riverside, and reportedly parked in a neighbor's driveway before walking to the Winek residence on Friday, according to Riverside Police. He subsequently murdered the teen's grandfather, grandmother and mother before walking with the teen back to his vehicle and leaving the scene, police said.
Blandin said the neighbor who called police is a hero who saved her niece's life by alerting police on the day after Thanksgiving when the neighbor saw Brooke Winek's 15-year-old daughter barefoot and distressed, and again when the neighbor spotted a fire at the Wineks' house.
Police did not release further information about the causes of death of Mark, 69; Sharie, 65; and Brooke Winek, 38.
"We have no reason to believe she's [the 15-year-old] anything other than a victim at this point," said Gonzalez.
Wednesday it was revealed Brooke is survived not only by her 15-year-old daughter, but another younger daughter as well. The 15-year-old is receiving social services, counseling and support. The other daughter was not at the family home when Friday's tragedy occurred.
The investigation was ongoing.
