Social media influencer Emilie Kiser said her 3-year-old son Trigg's death was "the worst moment of my life" in a May court filing pushing to conceal documents about the incident.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten ordered the unsealing of Kiser's declaration on Aug. 20, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
The declaration was part of a lawsuit that Kiser filed in May that sought to conceal records about Trigg's death.
In early August, as part of the lawsuit, Whitten granted the release of a partially redacted police report describing Trigg's accidental drowning death. The report said police concluded that Trigg accidentally fell into the pool after tripping and falling on an inflatable chair.
Kiser's declaration, which was attached to the initial lawsuit filing in May as a redacted version, was confidential until now. The document offers Kiser's first publicly available comments about her son's death.
Gallagher & Kennedy, the law firm representing Kiser, has not responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment.
Emilie Kiser son's death: See full case timeline
Emilie Kiser says son's death 'haunts me'
In the declaration, Emilie Kiser said Trigg's death is "the most severe and emotional event I have ever experienced."
She asked a judge to conceal photos and video footage of Trigg's death, which she said authorities advised she and her husband never see.
"Viewing or knowing others could view these images forces me to relive the worst moment of my life, exacerbating the situation and hindering my ability to heal," she wrote.
As a social media influencer, Kiser argued, she has only shared "love for our children" online.
"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," she said. "That is how it should stay forever in my mind and in the minds of all others."
Kiser also acknowledged that her platform has created public interest in the case. Strangers have shown up at her door and asked "to pray over the house," and some unknown senders have shipped her packages, Kiser said.
"The tragedy already haunts me, but to know that there is specific video and other footage capturing this event and its aftermath that may be released to the public crushes me beyond words," she wrote.
The surveillance video and images from the police report were redacted from the version that was made available to the public, per the court's ruling.
What happened to Emilie Kiser's son Trigg?
Emilie Kiser's 3-year-old son, Trigg, died on May 18 in what court documents called an accidental drowning.
He was hospitalized six days earlier after being pulled from the family's backyard pool in Chandler, Arizona, Chandler Police Department's public information officer Sonu Wasu confirmed to USA TODAY.
According to the partially redacted police report released Aug. 7, Emilie Kiser's husband Brady was home alone at the time with Trigg and the couple's newborn son, Theodore.
Brady Kiser told police that Trigg had gone outside after eating dinner. He said he was distracted by Theodore when he lost sight of Trigg.
Surveillance video showed that Trigg accidentally fell into the pool after tripping and falling on an inflatable chair. He was outside alone for 10 minutes and in the water for seven, according to the report.
A drowning, a lawsuit, a possible felony charge: Timeline of case
Since Trigg's death in May, the Kiser family faced both a lawsuit and a possible felony child abuse charge against Brady Kiser.
Emilie Kiser has not spoken publicly about her son's death and has gone silent across her social media accounts, where she has millions of followers.
The lawsuit and criminal case have now both ostensibly been resolved. See the timeline below.
May 12: Trigg Kiser is hospitalized after being pulled from the pool.
May 13: Chandler Police file search warrant applications for surveillance video from two outdoor cameras in the backyard of the Kiser's home.
May 18: Trigg Kiser dies.
May 27: Emilie Kiser files lawsuit to conceal public records about son Trigg's death.
June 3: Public records lawsuit has its first court hearing.
July 15: Chandler Police recommend a felony child abuse charge against Brady Kiser in Trigg's death.
July 25: Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announces Brady Kiser won't face charges.
Aug. 7: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten orders release of redacted police report about Trigg's death.
Aug. 20: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten orders Emilie Kiser's declaration be unsealed.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Emilie Kiser says son's death was 'the worst moment of my life'
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