Family seeks answers in death of Fort Eustis soldier

Sgt. Robert Edwards' life changed forever when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Iraq more than four years ago.

Shrapnel tore through his stomach and exited near his hip.

The Army reservist from Ohio spent a year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, undergoing surgeries.

In 2007, Edwards was assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Eustis, one of about 35 specialized units for soldiers with serious medical problems.

After Edwards missed morning formation Friday, a buddy checking on him found Edwards, 27, unconscious in his barracks room.

Robert Miller, Edwards' father, said paramedics tried to revive his son. Edwards was pronounced dead about an hour later at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News.

Miller, who lives in Akron, Ohio, said the initial report from paramedics indicates his son went into cardiac arrest, but he wants more answers.

"I don't understand why a... pretty healthy kid with no heart condition would just die of cardiac arrest," Miller said. "I want to know what the real cause of death is."

Autopsy results are pending. So are funeral plans.

Edwards' wife, Jasmine, said her brother, who is currently serving in Iraq, will return to the U.S. to escort Edwards' body back to Ohio.

The state medical examiner's office in Norfolk said it was investigating the death but noted that toxicology reports typically take three to four months to complete.

The Army's Criminal Investigation Command is conducting its own investigation into Edwards' death, a Fort Eustis spokeswoman said Monday.

Jasmine Edwards said she and Robert met as students at Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio. They dated on and off for years, and even when they weren't dating, she said, they were best friends.

"When he got hurt, I was like, 'Forget the past. I'm not losing any more time with you,' " Edwards said through tears.

They married in 2006.

The night before her husband died, Edwards said, she was on the phone with him. Both were excited about her plans to visit him this weekend.

A fter years of recovery, both looked forward to him getting out of the Army in a few months.

"He was absolutely happy," Edwards said.

Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com