A two-year-old girl tragically drowned at Lake of the Ozarks in 2025 after walking away from her home in Roach. Now, her parents have filed a civil lawsuit against several state and local officials, including two detectives with the Camden County Sheriff's Office.
The lawsuit alleges authorities mishandled parts of the search and its aftermath, including how the parents were treated and what was searched under warrant. The couple's other children were also reportedly removed from their custody and placed in state care before being reunited with their parents.
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office is now pushing back, calling the allegations involving its deputies false and defending its response to the missing-child call. This week, the office released body-camera footage from the incident, citing public interest and what it describes as misinformation surrounding the case. In a press release that was published with the body camera video, Sheriff Chris Edgar said, "The Sheriff’s Office maintains that deputies acted professionally, lawfully, and with urgency throughout the search and rescue operation. Body-camera footage from responding deputies clearly reflects accurate timelines, lawful procedures, and the coordinated efforts taken to locate the missing child."
Most criticially, in one portion of footage provided by authorities from the March 2025 incident, one of the parents appears to give the detectives permission to search. The clip is below. The entirety of the 47 minute video is available on the Camden County Sheriff's Facebook page.
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office is now pushing back on a lawsuit involving the 2025 drowning death of a toddler, calling the allegations involving its deputies false and defending its response to the missing-child call. This week, the office released body-camera footage from the incident, citing public interest and what it describes as misinformation surrounding the case.
Below are the Sheriff's Office statements in full.
PRESS RELEASE
Camden County Sheriff’s Office to Release Body Camera Footage in Drowning Case Following Public Interest and Misinformation
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office will be releasing body-camera footage associated with the response to the tragic drowning of a two-year-old child at the Lake of the Ozarks. This decision has been made in light of ongoing public interest and the spread of misinformation regarding deputies’ actions during the incident.
The Sheriff’s Office maintains that deputies acted professionally, lawfully, and with urgency throughout the search and rescue operation. Body-camera footage from responding deputies clearly reflects accurate timelines, lawful procedures, and the coordinated efforts taken to locate the missing child.
The footage will be made available to the public through the Camden County Sheriff’s Office official social-media. Portions of the video have been redacted in accordance with Missouri law to protect the privacy of the family and to avoid disclosure of sensitive personal information.
“We believe openness is essential when our actions are called into question. The release of this footage will provide an accurate, first-hand account of how our deputies responded. We hope this transparency helps the community understand the professionalism and urgency shown throughout the search.”
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the emotional nature of this tragic event and encourages viewers to be mindful that the footage depicts an emergency situation involving a child. The release is intended solely to provide clarity and factual documentation of the deputies’ response.
Respectfully,
Sheriff Chris Edgar
