Introduction to the Incident
Arizona police on Friday released new details about the fatal May drowning of influencer Emilie Kiser’s 3-year-old son, including allegations that her husband placed a $25 bet on an NBA playoff game before the tragic incident.
Circumstances Surrounding the Drowning
Brady Kiser, the husband of the parenting influencer, was home with the couple’s two sons while his wife was out with friends on May 12 when Trigger drowned in the family’s backyard pool, according to the Chandler Police Department report unsealed on Friday. The report states that the toddler was in the pool for around seven minutes before Kiser found him unconscious and took him out of the water. He died in the hospital six days later.
Initial Investigation and Charges
Police initially recommended that Kiser be charged with one count of child abuse, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office later determined that he would not face charges because there was “no reasonable likelihood of conviction.” Kiser’s lawyer previously said that he is “grateful to law enforcement and the county attorney for conducting a thorough investigation and confirming that this was a tragic accident.”
Details of the Day of the Incident
According to the report obtained by People magazine, Kiser called the police around 6:41 p.m. local time and told the responding officer that he had lost sight of Trigger for around three to five minutes before he found his son in the pool. In a series of subsequent interviews, Kiser detailed his day to officers after his wife left to meet friends, including feeding his kids dinner and sitting on the couch while watching Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
Kiser’s Account of the Incident
“I didn’t have a clock, obviously,” Kiser told police in an initial interview about how long he lost sight of his son. “I don’t know the exact time, but it was moments, it wasn’t minutes, it was moments. It wasn’t that he had been out of sight for long.” However, surveillance footage showed that Trigger was unsupervised for at least nine minutes, and had been in the water for at least seven before Kiser found him, the report states.
The Role of the Sports Bet
Around that same time, according to Kiser’s phone data detailed in the report, “a $25 wager was placed on Jayson Tatum scoring more than 40 points” on a sports betting app at around 5:14 p.m. local time, before his wife left. The report states that the “wager was a winner, paying $102.50.” This detail has raised questions about Kiser’s attention and priorities during the time leading up to the incident.
Conclusion
The incident highlights the importance of supervision and safety measures around water, especially for young children who cannot swim. The fact that Trigger was unsupervised for an extended period and that Kiser’s attention was divided due to watching the game and placing a sports bet has significant implications for parental responsibility and child safety.
FAQs
- What happened to Emilie Kiser’s son? Emilie Kiser’s 3-year-old son, Trigger, drowned in the family’s backyard pool on May 12.
- Was Brady Kiser charged with any crime? Initially, police recommended that Kiser be charged with one count of child abuse, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office later determined that he would not face charges.
- What was Brady Kiser doing when the incident occurred? Kiser was at home with his sons, watching Game 4 of the NBA Finals and had placed a $25 bet on the game before his wife left to meet friends.
- How long was Trigger unsupervised? Surveillance footage showed that Trigger was unsupervised for at least nine minutes before Kiser found him in the pool.
- Has Emilie Kiser commented on her son’s death? Emilie Kiser, who has built millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram, has not publicly commented on her son’s death.
