A Virginia cop accused of catfishing a 15-year-old girl and murdering her three family members shot himself with a government-issued gun, the department has revealed.
Edwards, a resident of North Chesterfield, Virginia, appears to have posed online as a 17-year-old boy to engage in a romantic relationship with the girl. Police said Edwards obtained her personal information by deceiving her with a false identity, known as"catfishing."
69-year-old Mark Winek, 65-year-old Sharie Winek and 38-year-old Brooke Winek found dead inside Riverside, Calif. home. Authorities said the girl stopped communicating with him after he asked her to send him nude photos of herself. Edwards was a former Virginia state trooper and was a sheriff's deputy in Washington County, Virginia, at the time of the killings.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Virginia State Police and the Washington County Sheriff's Office for comment. Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime,Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox
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