Emilie Kiser yearns for the solace of mourning her beloved child away from the prying eyes of the public. This influential figure, whose 3-year-old son, Trigg Kiser, tragically passed away on May 18th due to what she described as an accidental drowning at their home, has initiated a legal action against several Maricopa County, Arizona, public entities. The objective of this lawsuit, as revealed in documents accessed by NBC News on May 29th, is to shield records detailing her toddler's demise from public scrutiny.
In her legal filing, Emilie voices profound concerns regarding the encroachment upon her family's privacy, noting that more than 100 requests for public records have been submitted to the City of Chandler and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office since Trigg's untimely death on May 18th. "Emilie and her family yearn to grieve in peace, yet unfortunately, the relentless pursuit of the public denies them this solace," reads the document. "Trigg’s death has ignited a media circus."
Furthermore, the lawsuit elucidates that Emily, who also shares a 2-month-old son named Theodore with her husband, Brady Kiser, harbors a personal desire to avoid exposure to the graphic details of her son's passing. She has no intention of ever examining the police report, security footage, body camera recordings, or autopsy reports related to the case. "The requested records presumably unveil graphic, harrowing, and intimate aspects of Trigg's death, which serve no purpose in government accountability," the filing continues. "Permitting their disclosure under these circumstances would transform Arizona's Public Records Law into a tool of emotional devastation, rather than a means of governmental transparency."
Emphasizing that Emilie is enduring "a parent's darkest hour," the lawsuit adds, "Emilie strives valiantly to support her surviving son, Theodore, who is just two months old. Yet, each day is an arduous struggle."
In response to the lawsuit, Maricopa County's Office of the Medical Examiner addressed its efforts to uphold the family's privacy amidst their profound grief. "Upon learning that the family was seeking a court order to prevent the release of these records," Jason Berry, the director of communications for Maricopa County, told NBC News on May 29th, "the Office of the Medical Examiner collaborated with the family to place a seal on the records." Representatives from the City of Chandler and the Chandler Police Department declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Trigg was discovered unconscious by authorities responding to a drowning emergency at the Kiser residence in Arizona on May 12th, according to KPNX, an NBC affiliate. Despite first responders' efforts to revive him through CPR, Trigg succumbed to his injuries after six days in critical condition at the hospital. While Emilie and Brady have yet to publicly address their son's premature demise, local authorities issued a statement at the time, extending their condolences to the toddler's loved ones. "Out of respect for the family’s privacy," Chandler Police Department spokesperson Sonu Wasu told E! News on May 19th, "we will refrain from disclosing additional details until the investigation is concluded."
