Heartbreaking new details have emerged in the drowning death of three-year-old Trigg Kiser, the son of popular lifestyle influencer Emilie Kiser, revealing troubling allegations about the moments leading up to the tragedy and a controversial decision by prosecutors not to file criminal charges.
The Fatal Evening
On May 12, Emilie Kiser, known for her TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube content, was out with friends when her husband, Brady Kiser, was caring for their two children: Trigg and newborn Theodore.
At approximately 6:40 p.m., Brady discovered Trigg floating unconscious in the family pool. According to a police report obtained by People, the child had been in the water for about seven minutes before being pulled out.
Brady told police he had seen Trigg playing near the pool after dinner, something he claimed was not unusual, but became “distracted” by caring for the newborn. He said he lost sight of Trigg for three to five minutes before spotting him in the pool, jumping in to save him, and calling 911.
The boy was rushed to the hospital but died six days later.
Video Evidence Paints a Different Picture
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators told a more devastating story. According to the police report, Trigg was unsupervised in the backyard for more than nine minutes, with seven of those minutes spent in the water.
The video showed that the child did not enter the pool intentionally. Instead, he tripped and fell into it while playing with an inflatable chair.
Investigators noted that Brady’s account to police “did not accurately describe one thing [Trigg] did after he went outside”, leading them to conclude that he was not actively supervising the toddler.
The NBA Playoffs and the $25 Bet
One of the most shocking revelations in the report was the allegation that Brady had been watching an NBA playoff game at the time and had placed a $25 sports bet on the outcome.
Police stated that “the combination of these factors led to drowning, and a remedy to any of the contributing circumstances could have prevented the outcome.”
Initially, Chandler police recommended that Brady be charged with felony child abuse. However, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced prosecutors would not proceed, citing a lack of “reasonable likelihood of a conviction.”
Legal Battle Over the Records
In the aftermath, Emilie Kiser launched legal action to prevent the release of certain records surrounding Trigg’s death. On Thursday, a court ruled in her favor, ordering two pages of the Chandler Police Department report to be permanently removed from public release.
The ruling offers some privacy to the grieving mother, but the case has already sparked widespread public debate over parental responsibility, pool safety, and the role of distraction in fatal child drownings.
As of now, the Kiser family has not released any public statement addressing the newly revealed allegations.
