The husband of social media influencer Emilie Kiser told police he was watching their newborn when their 3-year-old son fell into the pool and drowned, according to search warrant applications obtained by The Arizona Republic.
Brady Kiser told Chandler police he lost sight of Trigg Kiser for three to five minutes before finding the boy floating in the family’s backyard pool, according to the applications, which were granted by Maricopa County Superior Court judges. The applications include sworn police affidavits summarizing a police interview with Brady Kiser.
On May 12, Brady Kiser and the two boys were the only ones at their home near East Chandler Heights and South Cooper roads, the police records said. Brady Kiser told investigators his wife was out with friends, they said.
Trigg went to the backyard to play after he finished eating, Brady Kiser told police. The father said he saw Trigg playing near the pool, which the police records said was “not uncommon.” Brady Kiser told police the pool usually had a protective cover on it, according to the records.
Brady Kiser was “soon distracted” by his newborn son, the police records said. Once he saw that Trigg was in the pool, he jumped in to get the boy and called 911, according to the police records.
Officers responded to the home and performed CPR until firefighters arrived and took over medical care, Chandler police said. Trigg was taken to Chandler Regional Medical Center and then to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in critical condition, police said. He died in the hospital on May 18.
Chandler police have said the incident was under investigation. A lawyer for Emilie Kiser did not immediately respond to inquiries on June 16.
What the search warrants sought
While processing the scene, investigators noticed two outdoor cameras in the backyard that could have captured what happened, according to the search warrant requests, which were filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on May 13.
Investigators in the search warrants said they wanted to obtain the video surveillance so they could corroborate Brady Kiser’s statement.
Emilie Kiser filed a lawsuit to keep investigative records about Trigg’s drowning hidden from public view. The boy’s death has become a “media frenzy” that’s made it hard for Kiser and her family to grieve in private, according to the lawsuit filed in Maricopa County on May 27.
The Medical Examiner’s Office has already removed summary information about Trigg’s death from its website. A spokesperson for the office said that was done after the office learned Kiser was pursuing a lawsuit.
Emilie Kiser’s legal team has since agreed that some government records about the investigation into her son’s death, like redacted police and medical examiner reports, could be released. But whatever is made available should balance her privacy against the public’s right to know, they said.
Kiser is a TikTok celebrity with about 4 million followers. She also has a presence on other social media platforms, including Instagram and YouTube. She posts about parenting and her home life and promotes products.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Influencer Emilie Kiser’s husband tells police how son fell into pool