Cause of Death Confirmed for Emilie Kiser’s 3-Year-Old Son Trigg More Than a Year After Fatal Pool Accident

Emilie Kiser and son Trigg.

More than a year after the death of social media influencer Emilie Kiser’s 3-year-old son, Trigg, authorities have officially confirmed the toddler’s cause and manner of death.

According to a report from the Maricopa County medical examiner released on Tuesday, Aug. 25, Trigg died from an anoxic brain injury caused by drowning. His death was officially classified as an accident, with the report stating that the fatal injury occurred after he “drowned in a residential pool.”

Trigg died on May 18, 2025, six days after an emergency unfolded at the family’s home in Chandler, Arizona.

At the time, Chandler Police Department spokesperson Sonu Wasu confirmed that authorities responded to a drowning call on May 12. Trigg was pulled from the family’s backyard swimming pool and transported to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition before dying several days later.

Emilie, now 27, was not at home when the incident occurred.

Her husband, Brady Kiser, 29, was at the residence caring for the couple’s younger son, Teddy, who is now 17 months old, when Trigg entered the backyard pool.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Brady reportedly told police that he had lost sight of Trigg for approximately three to five minutes before discovering the boy in the water.

However, investigators later said that video evidence from the property showed a longer period without direct supervision.

According to the Chandler Police Department, footage reviewed during the investigation indicated that Trigg had been “in the backyard unsupervised for more than nine minutes,” and that he had spent approximately seven of those minutes in the pool.

The discrepancy became a significant element of the police investigation into the circumstances surrounding Trigg’s death.

After completing its investigation months later, the Chandler Police Department recommended that Brady face a Class 4 felony child abuse charge in connection with the incident.

The case was subsequently reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Ultimately, prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against Brady.

In explaining the decision, the county attorney’s office said there was “no likelihood of conviction” based on the available evidence.

As a result, Brady was not charged in connection with his son’s death despite the police department’s earlier recommendation.

The tragedy also led to an intense public-records dispute because of Emilie’s substantial online following and the widespread attention surrounding the case.

Shortly after Trigg died, Emilie filed a legal request seeking to seal certain records connected to her son’s death.

At the time of that filing, more than 100 requests had reportedly been submitted seeking access to public records related to the incident.

A source previously told PEOPLE that some of those requests sought video footage depicting the accident involving the 3-year-old.

For Emilie, protecting those materials became part of an effort to preserve her family’s privacy following an intensely painful and highly publicized loss.

In a declaration associated with her original filing, which PEOPLE later obtained, Emilie addressed the fact that she had not been home at the time Trigg entered the pool.

She openly expressed regret over the circumstances surrounding that day.

“I will forever second guess that decision, among many others,” Emilie wrote.

The influencer also addressed the tension between her public career and her family’s right to privacy.

Emilie has built a large social media following across several platforms, and portions of her family life had previously been shared with millions of followers.

In her filing, however, she argued that her decision to share aspects of her family online should not mean that the most traumatic moment of their lives should become public material.

“Our love for our children has been shared and expressed worldwide, given my role as a social media personality with many ‘followers’ across a number of social media platforms,” she stated.

She continued by explaining that the family-oriented content she had previously shared was intended to reflect affection and closeness rather than surrendering privacy over every aspect of their lives.

“Nothing we have shared as part of my profession has depicted or been intended to depict anything but deep and adoring love within our Family,” Emilie said. “That is how it should stay forever in my mind and the minds of all others.”

The legal effort highlighted a broader challenge faced by public figures and online creators after personal tragedies: while their lives may attract substantial public attention, certain moments can involve deeply private circumstances that families seek to protect.

For Emilie and Brady, the months following Trigg’s death included both the grieving process and continued legal and investigative developments.

Police examined the events leading up to the drowning, including the amount of time Trigg had allegedly been outside alone and how long he had remained in the water.

Authorities then forwarded their findings to prosecutors after recommending a child abuse charge against Brady.

Despite that recommendation, the county attorney ultimately concluded that the evidence would not support a successful criminal prosecution.

More than a year after the drowning, the medical examiner’s report has now provided the formal medical determination regarding Trigg’s death.

Emilie Kiser, husband Brady Kiser, and their son Trigg.

The report identifies the immediate cause as anoxic brain injury due to drowning.

An anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen for an extended period. In Trigg’s case, the injury resulted from the drowning incident in the residential swimming pool.

The official classification of the death as accidental also confirms that the medical examiner did not categorize it as homicide, suicide or an undetermined death.

The release of the report comes as Emilie and Brady prepare for another major change in their family.

In July, the couple announced that they are expecting another child together.

Emilie shared news of her pregnancy through social media but made clear that her approach to posting about her family has changed significantly since Trigg’s death.

In the announcement, she emphasized that privacy would remain central as she moves through the pregnancy and into the next stage of family life.

“My family’s privacy will always be my priority,” Emilie wrote.

She explained that she had not yet decided how much information she would publicly share about the pregnancy.

“Because of that, I’m not sure how much I will be sharing about this pregnancy and next phase of life, but I appreciate your understanding as I navigate those boundaries,” she added.

The comments reflected the boundaries Emilie has increasingly attempted to establish since losing her son.

What began as a devastating accident in the family’s backyard on May 12, 2025, quickly became the subject of emergency treatment, a police investigation, prosecutorial review and significant public interest.

Trigg survived for six days after being pulled from the pool before dying on May 18.

Investigators later determined through video evidence that he had been unsupervised outside for more than nine minutes and had reportedly spent around seven minutes in the water.

Police eventually recommended criminal charges against Brady, but prosecutors declined to proceed after determining that a conviction was unlikely.

Now, more than a year later, the medical examiner has formally concluded that Trigg died from anoxic brain injury resulting from drowning and that his death was accidental.

For Emilie and her family, the official determination closes one procedural chapter surrounding the tragedy while the personal consequences of losing their 3-year-old son remain far more enduring.