DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A family is still grieving after a father of four was killed in February when he ran into moving traffic on Interstate 285 near Glenwood Avenue.
It was ruled an accident, but relatives believe the man was running from something. They told Channel 2 Action News that minutes before he was killed, Dejon Edouard was seen entering a gas station, claiming he was robbed and asking someone to call 911.
"He was still in fear. That's why he kept running, and that's how he died," said Edouard's mother, Joan McDonald.
The DeKalb County Police Department closed the case, but questions remain for loved ones.
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"It's constant wondering. What did he go through? What happened?" McDonald asked.
The 31-year-old's family members said they kept digging for answers and got access to a video they feel tells a different story.
The video shows the man staggering, with his clothes tattered and pockets pulled inside out. He is seen looking behind him.
Family members said a clerk at a gas station on Glenwood told them the man came into the store claiming to have just been robbed before eventually running out of the store and onto the interstate.
"'You can see him running and looking behind him," McDonald said.
Family said they got no closer to answers when two women who had been with Edouard came to their home two days later and claimed he just ran away.
The women had his cellphone and belongings and turned them back over the family.
"I want someone to say something because at the end of the day, it's not fair to us. It's not fair to his kids," said Ciara Hood.
Family members said they want to hear from those who encountered Edouard in the mysterious moments before his death.
"For him to die the way he died. He died a terrible death," said McDonald. "He's a person. His children are missing him. His nieces and nephews are missing him."
The medical examiner's report showed there was alcohol in his system. Family members said he may have been drugged.
They need answers and they're asking for help.
Cox Media Group
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