ATLANTA — The father of two children believed by police to have been killed by their mother in a murder-suicide this week had dinner with his daughter the night before her death and there were "no signs of trouble," according to a spokseman for Dr. Christopher Edwards.
The prominent Atlanta surgeon, who sits on boards for both a public agency and an elite private university in the city, was "active in the lives of his children, traveling and spending time with them regularly" the spokesman, 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," a previous statement said.
According to Dickerson, Dr. Edwards made the call to police for a welfare check on Wednesday after he was notified by his son Chris Edwards' work supervisor that he "had uncharacteristically not called or shown up for work."
Dr. Edwards "alerted authorities after he was unable to reach his children and former wife, and after reaching out to their friends and associates" Dickerson said.
Chris Edwards worked as a digital content manager for the City of Atlanta in the Mayor's Office of Film & Entertainment.
The previous night, Dr. Edwards had dinner with his daughter, Erin Edwards, a Boston University journalism student who had interned this summer with WNBC in New York.
According to Dickerson, there was no hint at that dinner of the bewildering tragedy that police now say occurred the next day.
Dr. Edwards is the chairman of the board of commissioners for the Atlanta Housing Authority. He also sits on the board of trustees for the Morehouse School of Medicine.
Dr. Marsha Edwards, the 58-year-old mother suspected of killing her 24-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter, owned and operated a medical equipment supply company called MME Enterprises, according to that company's website. She also listed herself as a partner with her ex-husband’s practice, Atlanta Neurological and Spine Institute from 2004 to 2014, on her professional LinkedIn page.