Erin Edwards death: Mom posted about daughter, son on Instagram before apparent murder-suicide

A Georgia mother who shot both of her adult children in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide gushed about the two victims on social media the same day she allegedly killed them.

"I've had the best summer, first with Chis [sic] in Miami, and Erin in Italy," Dr. Marsha Edwards, 58, wrote on Instagram Wednesday. "I could not ask for better children."

She then shot and killed her children, 24-year-old Christopher Jr. and 20-year-old Erin, before turning the gun on herself, police say.

Their bodies were found inside the family's townhouse in a gated community in Vinings, Ga., around 6 p.m. Wednesday night by Cobb County police officers conducting a welfare check, WSB-TV reports. Authorities did not reveal who requested the check.

A spokesman for Marsha Edwards's ex-husband and the children's father, Dr. Christopher Edwards, a well-known orthopedic surgeon and chairman of the Atlanta Housing Authority, issued a statement to the station following news of the tragedy.

"Dr. Christopher Edwards learned Wednesday of the death of his former wife, Dr. Marsha Edwards, and his two adult children, Christopher Edwards, Jr. and Erin Edwards," family friend Jeff Dickerson said. "Dr. Edwards, his extended family and friends are in a state of grief and shock, and privacy of the family is paramount as arrangements are being made."

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance also issued a statement, expressing condolences to the Edwards family, who she apparently knew personally.

"Chris and Erin were beautiful, vibrant and brilliant young adults, whom we had the pleasure of knowing their entire lives," Lance said. "They filled the lives of all who met them with joy, compassion and kindness."

Investigators are now searching for a possible motive behind the shocking crime.

The young victims' social media profiles reveal what appear to be very close and happy relationships with their mother.

Just last week, Marsha and Erin, a Boston University student who interned with New York City's NBC4 over the summer, traveled to various parts of Italy together, including Lake Como and Tuscany. Both women documented the trip across multiple social media posts.

More recent posts reveal that Marsha and Christopher, who had worked as the digital content manager for the City of Atlanta's Executive Office of Entertainment since 2018, attended the National Association of Black Journalists annual conference in Miami together two weeks ago.

The travel photos were just the latest in Marsha Edwards' affectionate social media posts about her children.

In June, she shared a picture of her smiling with both of her kids to celebrate their birthdays, Erin's on June 21 and Christopher's on June 30.

"Sending birthday wishes to my June Blessings," she wrote. "Happy Birthday to you both. #mybestguy #mybestgirl."

Talia Cartall, a neighbor of the family, told WSB-TV she was shocked and confused by the crime, which she said has made "a huge impact on everyone in the neighborhood."

"For something like this to happen and unfold, it's unbelievable," she told the station. "We didn't hear anything. There was no sign of violence or anything."

"From our knowledge, no malice between the children, nothing like that. They just seemed like a normal, happy, cool family," she added.

"They were wonderful people, which makes it a lot harder to just understand what went wrong."

More photos of the family: