Gregory Edwards widow arrested; accused of drowning death of his son, prosecutors say

BREVARD COUNTY, Florida – Kathleen Edwards – the widow of Gregory Edwards – was arrested Wednesday in Volusia County, following the death of her 18-month-old son last July.

The Brevard and Seminole County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest in a press release.

Edwards’ son Gregory Edwards Jr. died on July 2, 2020, days after being removed from the family pool at their home in Grant on June 27, 2020, according to records.

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Kathleen Edwards and her mother called 911 after finding the toddler in the water, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.

According to prosecutors, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has conducted a months-long investigation into the child’s death. The prosecutor’s office conducted further investigation before making the decision to prosecute.

“The death of a child is a devastating event and carries with it an emotional burden like no other,” Prosecutor Phil Archer said in a statement. “As a society, we understand this sense of loss, but we also place a duty on law enforcement to determine whether abuse or neglect contributed to the death.”

The 35-year-old voluntarily surrendered to Volusia County lawmakers after an arrest warrant was issued for her. She faces a charge of manslaughter of a child.

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Kathleen Edwards was previously represented by lawyer Benjamin Crump. News 6 spoke with her lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, whose services she is retaining in this case.

“Prosecutors are committing a miscarriage of justice by indicting him in criminal matters. She is 100% innocent and the accusation is baseless, ”he said. “At the time of this tragedy, Kathleen Edwards was not the babysitter of her children. Her mother took full responsibility for their care. The prosecutors’ refusal to even speak to my client’s mother before forcing my client to jail is more than disturbing.

Eiglarsh said in the same statement that Edwards went to Volusia County Jail rather than Brevard to avoid entering the jail she believed was responsible for her husband’s death.

“The decision to prosecute is still difficult, but the evidence in this case has revealed overwhelmingly that this tragedy is entirely preventable,” said Archer. “The circumstances identified which contributed to Gregory’s death also required that we seek court-ordered intervention on behalf of Ms Edwards and her surviving minor daughter.

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Kathleen Edwards husband Gregory Edwards died in 2018 while in custody at the Brevard County Correctional Complex. He was arrested a day earlier by West Melbourne police outside a retail store for allegedly assaulting a charity worker. Kathleen Edwards told police officers who were arresting her husband was suffering from PTSD.

The man, a combat veteran, then had a confrontation with MPs while in Brevard County Jail. He was later found unresponsive in a holding cell and died the next day at a local hospital, according to records. His death was deemed accidental as a result of excited delirium.

In July 2019, the state attorney’s office determined that the deputies involved in the confrontation had acted within reason.

The man’s family filed a civil action in December 2020 against West Melbourne police officers who arrested Gregory Edwards and the City of West Melbourne seeking punitive damages for his death.