VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A new lawsuit seeks $50 million more than a year after a Virginia sheriff's deputy reportedly abducted a teenage girl and killed three members of her family.
Austin Lee Edwards previously worked for the Virginia State Police but was employed by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Abingdon, Virginia at the time of the murders.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office hired Edwards as a patrol deputy on November 16, 2022. The lawsuit said just nine days later, he would “go on to use both the badge and the weapon to commit murder, arson and kidnapping.”
“It’s not about the money. No amount of money is going to bring her parents or grandparents back, but she wanted to bring attention to the fact that, you know, these hiring practices for any police department are so important," said attorney Scott Perry with the Virginia Beach-based law firm Breit Biniazan who filed the lawsuit this month.
The suit names the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, members of the sheriff’s office, and Edwards’ estate as defendants. Perry said members of the sheriff’s office failed to properly screen Edwards before hiring him.
“He even had a psychiatric detention in his past and as a result of that, he had had his gun rights taken away in the state of Virginia. From everything we’ve investigated, he never had those gun rights restored," Perry said.
Detectives in California say in November of 2022, Edwards drove from Virginia to a teen girl’s home across the country. Edwards reportedly met the girl while posing as a teen himself online.
Detectives say Edwards kidnapped the teen after murdering her grandparents and mother. Edwards later died during a shootout with California deputies.
“If this terrible guy didn’t have a badge and a gun and the indicia of official police authority, he never would’ve been able to do this horrible crime," Perry said.
When it comes to how the teen girl is doing now, Perry said, "She is now with a loving foster family… she’s doing her best as one can expect.”
The lawsuit is also seeking a jury trial.
13News Now reached out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for comment on the suit, but we have not heard back. However, Sheriff Blake Andis previously told 13News Now, "It is shocking and sad to the entire law enforcement community that such an evil and wicked person could infiltrate law enforcement while concealing his true identity as a computer predator and murderer."
Virginia State Police blamed their initial hiring oversight of Edwards on human error. VSP said it’s since taken steps to ensure the error is not repeated.