The drowning death of 3-year-old Trigg Kiser has shaken many, not just because of the tragedy itself, but also because his family was already well known to millions online. Now, after weeks of investigation, Chandler police have announced they’re recommending criminal charges.
Brady Kiser, husband of social media influencer Emilie Kiser, could be facing a felony child abuse charge tied to the May 18 drowning that took Trigg’s life. Police have formally asked the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to consider filing a Class 4 felony charge against Brady, which could carry a prison sentence ranging from one to nearly four years. Probation is also on the table for first-time offenders.
According to what Brady told Chandler police, he was home with Trigg and their newborn son, Theodore, while Emilie was out spending time with friends. He said he had only turned his attention away for “three to five minutes.” That’s when he found Trigg in the backyard pool, unresponsive, according to AZ-Central.
First responders arrived quickly and began CPR immediately. Firefighters took over when they got to the scene, but it was already too late. Trigg held on for six days in the hospital before passing away.
The details surrounding that day have left a lot of people asking tough questions. While nothing has been officially charged yet, police have now concluded their part of the case and passed it along for legal review.
Emilie, who had built a huge following online with over 4 million TikTok followers, has stayed completely silent on social media since the accident. But behind the scenes, she’s been fighting to keep what happened private. She filed a legal request asking that post-mortem records and investigative materials not be made public.
In the court filing obtained by Fox News, Emilie said that the release of these documents would cause significant emotional harm to her and her family. She explained that more than 100 public records requests have been filed since Trigg’s death, and she believes many of them come from people who are more interested in the spectacle than the truth.
Emilie made it clear in the filing that neither she nor her legal team has reviewed the contents of the investigation, and they have no intention of doing so. That includes everything from autopsy reports to security footage, 911 calls, and police bodycam videos.
She argued that the public records law is supposed to ensure government transparency, not to give the public access to traumatic moments in the lives of grieving families. According to the complaint, releasing those materials would turn a devastating loss into something sensationalized and exploitative.
While the legal process continues, the Kiser family remains at the center of both public scrutiny and deep personal grief. Whether prosecutors will move forward with charges against Brady is still unknown. For now, one family is left mourning a child they’ll never get back while also bracing for what comes next.