After Edwards killed her mother and grandparents, he abducted the girl. Neighbors called 911 as she struggled with the man who was pushing her into his car. And Edwards died in a shootout with police after a chase.
Family warns of catfishing
Michelle Blandin, whose parents and sister were killed in the catfishing scam that turned violent, spoke at a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 30. And she warned parents about the dangers of online predators.
“If something like this horrific tragedy can happen here, in our neighborhood, in our community, it can happen anywhere,” Blandin said.
“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,” she added.
“Mark, Sharie, and Brooke were loving people who didn’t deserve this tragedy,” in the Winek family statement they thanked people for “love, support, prayers and patience during this horrific time in our lives.” And set up a GoFundMe campaign.
Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said, “Our hearts go out to the Winek family and their loved ones during this time of tremendous grief, as this is a tragedy for all Riversiders.”
