Arizona dad's terrible 'mistake' that led to toddler drowning at mansion while famous wife wasn't home
Emilie Kiser, a popular mommy blogger on TikTok, lost her three-year-old son Trigg on May 18 - six days after he was found unresponsive in a backyard pool near East Chandler Heights and South Cooper roads in Chandler, Arizona.
Brady Kiser, Trigg's father, allowed his son to go play in the backyard after eating lunch - just before the tragedy unfolded, as reported by AZ Central. Emilie was reportedly out with friends at the time.
He saw his three-year-old son playing near the pool - something police records note was 'not uncommon' - and while the pool was usually covered for safety, this time it wasn't.
However, the Brady was 'soon distracted' while caring for their newborn son and took his eyes off of Trigg for a mere three to five minutes.
When he turned his attention back to the little boy, he was met with a horrifying sight - Trigg floating lifeless in their backyard pool.
Brady immediately burst into action, jumping into the pool to retrieve their son before calling 911 to their home.
Officers performed CPR upon arrival before firefighters took over medical care.
Trigg was transported to Chandler Regional Medical Center, then transferred to Phoenix Children's Hospital, where he died on May 18 after remaining in critical condition.
While processing the scene, investigators discovered two outdoor cameras in the backyard that may have captured the moments leading up to the little boy's death, AZ Central reported.
Authorities are now working to obtain the backyard surveillance footage to corroborate Brady's account of what happened, according to search warrants obtained by the outlet.
Since authorities opened an investigation into Trigg's death, the influencer has fought to keep the police reports redacted and the medical examiner reports sealed, possibly due to her status as a TikTok influencer with around 4 million followers.
On June 4, the Arizona Superior Court for Maricopa County ruled in her favor, granting her temporary confidentiality - meaning evidence will not be released while the court makes its final ruling on the tragedy.
The 26-year-old mother's declaration 'reflects an intensely personal account of her grief and trauma' that was 'submitted to help the court understand her perspective - not for public consumption,' per the source.
In her motion, Kiser specifically urged the court to keep not just detailed records of Trigg's death private, but also footage as '100+ public records requests' for the video have come in, according to the source.
The intense amount of records requests 'only serves to satisfy morbid curiosity more than any type of justice,' they added.
Kiser 'should not be forced to relive the aftermath through viral footage,' the source stated.
'The motions behind the push for release are concerning. In many cases, requests appear to be driven by monetization and notoriety, not accountability,' they continued. 'That is not a valid justification for invading a family's grief.'
The Medical Examiner's Officer has since removed summary information about Trigg's death from its website following the lawsuit filed by Emilie.
Emilie's legal team has also since agreed that certain government records related to the investigation into her son's death - including redacted police and medical examiner reports - may be released, AZ Central reported.
However, they emphasized that any information released should carefully balance Emilie's right to privacy with the public's right to know.
Following the tragic ordeal, a neighbor told DailyMail.com that the influencer's house was swarmed with five police cars.
Emergency responders arrived and performed life-saving efforts until Trigg was airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital for specialized care.
Emilie hasn't posted since the tragedy, but her followers have continued to flood her accounts with messages of support and condolences before she turned off her comment sections.
Meanwhile, Brady made his accounts private following Trigg's death.
Kiser and Brady first became parents in July 2021 when they welcomed their son Trigg.
Just over two years later, in September 2024, the couple revealed they were expecting their second child.
In March, the Kiser family officially grew by one with the arrival of their second son, Theodore.
'Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore. But every day is a battle,' the suit said.
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