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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Emilie Kiser breaks silence on son Trigg's tragic death in Arizona
Influencer Emilie Kiser has filed a lawsuit against Arizona officials in an attempt to block the public release of investigative records surrounding the tragic drowning of her three-year-old son, Trigg. The child died in hospital on 18 May, six days after he was found unresponsive in the family's backyard pool in Chandler. The incident prompted a police investigation to determine the circumstances of the toddler's death, though authorities have not disclosed any findings. On 27 May, Kiser filed the suit under her maiden name, Emilie Henrichsen, arguing that disclosing records related to the investigation would violate her family's right to grieve in private and expose them to further emotional trauma. The lawsuit, obtained by Arizona Central, states that the influencer has been overwhelmed by public scrutiny and is struggling to care for her newborn son, Theodore, while mourning Trigg. 'Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore, but every day is a battle,' the complaint reads. According to the filing, more than 100 public records requests have been submitted to the Chandler Police Department and the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner. The requests include police reports, 911 calls, autopsy details, bodycam footage and scene photographs — materials that Kiser's lawyers argue would expose 'graphic, distressing and intimate details' of the child's final moments. 'To allow disclosure in these circumstances would be to turn Arizona's Public Records Law into a weapon of emotional harm, rather than a tool of government transparency,' the lawsuit states. The influencer's legal team contends that the potential release of these documents would cause the family 'irreparable harm,' particularly as some requests may be commercially motivated. Kiser is requesting the court either bar the release of all records related to her son's death or, at the very least, subject each item to judicial review before any public disclosure is allowed. Arizona authorities have yet to respond to the lawsuit publicly. The Chandler Police Department previously said the investigation into the drowning remains open, but no criminal allegations have been made. Kiser, known for her lifestyle content on social media, has received an outpouring of support online. However, her legal team contends that the intense public interest has created a 'media frenzy,' hindering her family's ability to grieve in peace.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Emilie Kiser sues to keep records about son's drowning from public view
Social media influencer Emilie Kiser has filed a lawsuit in Arizona to block investigative records about her son's drowning from being released to the public. Trigg Kiser, 3, died in the hospital May 18, about a week after police responded to a drowning call at the Kiser home, near East Chandler Heights and South Cooper roads in Chandler. The drowning took place in the family's backyard pool and is under investigation, Chandler police said. The public won't let Kiser or her family grieve in private as she endures every parent's worst nightmare, wrote her attorneys in the lawsuit, filed May 27 under Kiser's maiden name, Henrichsen. "Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore," the lawsuit said. "But every day is a battle." The lawsuit said Trigg's accidental death had become a "media frenzy." More than 100 public records requests were filed with the Chandler Police Department and the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner for documents and information on Trigg's death, according to the filing. Those records could include the police report, body camera footage, scene photos, 911 calls and the autopsy report, the lawsuit said. In Arizona, police officials often redact portions of those items. Those records have not been made available to Kiser's lawyers, nor does Kiser want to see them, the suit said. They could reveal "graphic, distressing and intimate details" of Trigg's death that have nothing to do with government accountability, it said. The death was a private family matter, did not involve the public and the government was only "tangentially" involved when first responders arrived at the Kiser home on May 12, the lawsuit said. "To allow disclosure in these circumstances would be to turn Arizona's Public Records Law into a weapon of emotional harm, rather than a tool of government transparency," the lawsuit said. What we know: Son of Chandler-based influencer Emilie Kiser dies after water incident If the records were released, the Kiser family would suffer "irreparable harm," Kiser's lawyers said, referencing a redacted declaration from Kiser attached to the lawsuit. The lawsuit argued that many of the requests for public records related to Trigg's death were likely for commercial purposes. Arizona law does not consider requesting records for the purposes of news gathering to be a commercial purpose. If the judge won't permanently prohibit the disclosure of the records, Kiser asked that the court review records before they are released to determine what "what, if any, information may be lawfully disclosed." The defendants in the lawsuit include Chandler, its Police Department, the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and the Arizona Department of Health Services of Vital Records. Who is Emilie Kiser? How the Arizona TikTok influencer rose to fame This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Emilie Kiser sues to keep records about son's drowning from public
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Missing California influencer found dead near Arizona hiking trail after extensive search, officials say
A missing social media influencer who lived in California was found dead last week near a hiking trail in Arizona, according to authorities. The body of Hannah Moody, 31, was found around 12:05 p.m. on May 22 near the Gateway Trailhead of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, according to a Scottsdale Police Department news release. Moody was reported missing the previous night around 7:50 p.m. after her friends said they had not heard from her, sparking an extensive search. Scottsdale police officers went to the trailhead where she was last seen and found her car in the parking lot, according to the release. Calls and pings to her cellphone weren't successful in tracking her. Officers then searched for her on foot, with help from Phoenix Police Department helicopter and drones. The search was called off for the night around 11:30 p.m. Officers resumed the search the next morning with the help of the Maricopa County sheriff's search and rescue team and air unit, according to the release. The air unit found her body about 600 yards from the trail. Officials said there were no obvious signs of foul play or trauma. 'Scottsdale detectives and crime scene personnel will now conduct a thorough investigation to piece together what happened to Hannah and how she died,' according to the release. 'Our investigation will be in cooperation with the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, which will ultimately determine the cause of death.' According to public records, Moody has lived in Los Angeles, Alameda and Orange counties as well as South Carolina. Her family members told news outlets that she moved from Charleston, S.C., to Scottsdale because she missed hiking in Arizona. Moody frequently posted about her love for hiking on her Instagram and TikTok accounts. Her Instagram account has about 45,000 followers. She posted a video to her Instagram on May 18 showing her hiking along a trail and discussing her love of sunsets. Temperatures in Scottsdale exceeded 100 degrees by Thursday afternoon, around the time Moody's body was found.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Hope for the loved ones': Investigators solve 20-year mystery of unidentified Phoenix man
On Aug. 17, 2004, a man died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix. While the death wasn't an unusual occurrence for the hospital, the way he was found was. Just days earlier, he was lying unconscious on the sidewalk at Third Avenue and Madison Street. There was no identification on his person when emergency medical services took him to the hospital. The identity would be a mystery for more than two decades. That was until late December, when local authorities got the long-awaited breakthrough in the John Doe case they had been waiting on for years. With the help of researchers at Ramapo College's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in Mahwah, New Jersey, local investigators confirmed that John Thielleson was their mystery man. 'This case showcases the power of investigative genetic genealogy to close longstanding missing persons cases,' Cairenn Binder, assistant director of the IGG Center, stated in a news release on April 16. 'Every John and Jane Doe is the answer to a family missing a loved one, and we will continue to do everything in our power to keep restoring their names and providing those answers.' Back in 2004, the Phoenix Police Department worked to uncover Thielleson's identity. Officers ran fingerprints and entered DNA samples into the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS. They kept coming up empty. Then in September 2024, the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner reached out to Ramapo for help. After taking on the case, the genealogy center sent a portion of a bloodstain to a research organization called Genologue in Tucker, Georgia. Genologue extracted DNA and determined the man's genetic material — a process called genome sequencing. After Genologue's files were shared with Parabon Nanolabs, a DNA technology company, to analyze the biological data in November, undergraduate students in a Genealogy Center workshop course got to work to identify John Doe. However, they were unable to finish the job before the semester ended, leaving the task to the Genealogy Center staff. Only a day into the school's winter break, the team found a pair of third cousins related to the man. The team determined Thiellesen was the likely candidate and forwarded the info to Senior Medicolegal Death Investigator Christen Eggers of the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner. Working with the Arizona Attorney General's Cold Case Unit, the medical examiner positively confirmed Thiellesen's identity in March 2025. 'Ramapo College has become a beacon of hope for individuals and families across the nation,' Eggers stated. 'Their tireless efforts have provided answers to countless families and demonstrates an unyielding dedication to the welfare of all people, regardless of their circumstances.' Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said she was proud of the Cold Case unit's work to help family members of missing and murdered Arizonans get closure. 'With increased technology, and the right kind of cooperative approach between law enforcement agencies,' she stated, 'there is hope for the loved ones of countless victims.' If you have any information related to cases the Arizona Attorney General's Cold Case Unit is investigating or any other missing or murdered Arizonans, please submit your tip to the Cold Case Unit or visit Silent Witness. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: John Doe unmasked: DNA helps solve case of man found dead in Phoenix
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
What we know about Scottsdale murder-suicide that left family of 3 dead
An affluent Scottsdale community became the site of a homicide investigation after police officers who were called to make a welfare check discovered the remains of three family members killed in a murder-suicide. Scottsdale police responded to a gated community near Indian Bend Road and Via De La Sendero at about 10 a.m. March 26, when they found two bodies in the backyard and another inside the home. The victims were identified as Tod Daniel Lonergan, 51; Lisa Kay Lonergan, 46; and their 15-year-old daughter, Sophia Brin Lonergan. Here is what we know so far about the homicide investigation and what happened to the family. According to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, Tod died by suicide with a gunshot to the head, while Lisa and Sophia died by homicide. Local news: Arrests made in Arizona train robberies involving stolen Nike shoes Scottsdale police spokeswoman Sgt. Allison Sempsis confirmed to The Arizona Republic that the three were a husband, wife and daughter. Police said that a concerned coworker requested the welfare check after one of the family members failed to show up for work and did not respond when they tried to contact them. The medical examiner was still investigating the primary cause of death for the family members as of March 31, and medical examiner reports for the mother and daughter were not available. The father's cause of death was reported to be a gunshot to the head. Additional details such as what led to the deadly incident and whether Scottsdale police had been called to the home before were not immediately available. The investigation remained ongoing as of March 31. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The facts: What we know about Scottsdale family's murder-suicide
