Story Archive

All in a Day’s Work

Alyssa Edwards’ husband thought she had taken their two children, 8 and 4, to a babysitter before going to work. But Edwards, 27, left the kids alone at home. At around 10:00 a.m., Edwards got a call: the 8-year-old boy had gotten into the gun locker in the house, loaded a magazine into a .22 rifle, and shot his sister — several times. “She came home, cleaned up a bed cover with blood on it, examined the 4-year-old and was aware the 4-year-old was injured at the time,” said prosecutor Christopher Tunnell. “And despite that knowledge, clocked back in at work at 11:00 a.m., again leaving the 8-year-old and the 4-year-old home alone.” Then came another phone call: urine was seen leaking out of the child’s wounds, so Edwards returned home and took the girl to the hospital sometime between noon and 2:00 p.m., which is when the father was finally told about the incident. The boy wasn’t charged, but Edwards was indicted for tampering with evidence, and two charges of child endangerment. The girl survived, and both children are in the custody of Job and Family Services, Tunnell said. Her trial is set for July. (MS/Ashland Times-Gazette) ...Until then, she’ll be at work.