The Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas announced Monday that its investigation into the death of Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver’s son has concluded with no criminal findings, and the case is now closed.
The toddler, who was a few days shy of his second birthday and also named Ed, was found unresponsive in the swimming pool of a home in a neighborhood community north of Houston on June 28. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Bills confirmed the death Saturday in a statement from general manager Brandon Beane expressing condolences to Oliver and his family.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that detectives thoroughly investigated the incident and found no criminal findings.
He has asked for privacy and prayers while he mourns his son. Oliver has been with the Bills throughout training camp since reporting at the start of the session.
What teammates said
Bills quarterback Josh Allen addressed the loss following Buffalo’s preseason win at Cleveland on Saturday, saying there is nothing that can be said to make the situation any better and that the only thing teammates can do is love on Oliver and be there in whatever ways he needs. Allen said he cannot imagine what his teammate is going through but described the way he has dealt with it as unbelievable.
Oliver’s standing with the Bills
Oliver, 28, is entering his eighth NFL season after being selected by Buffalo in the first round of the 2019 draft out of the University of Houston. He appeared with the starters in the Bills’ preseason opener, a 29-14 win over Carolina, but has sat out the past week of practice because of an undisclosed injury.
The case timeline
The death occurred on June 28, more than six weeks before the Harris County Sheriff’s Office closed the investigation. The Bills did not publicly confirm the death until Saturday, when Beane issued a statement acknowledging the loss and expressing the organization’s support for Oliver and his family.
Drowning in residential pools is one of the leading causes of accidental death in young children. The Harris County area, which includes the greater Houston metropolitan region, sees a significant number of such incidents each year, and the Sheriff’s Office maintains dedicated investigative protocols for child death cases to determine whether criminal negligence or other factors were involved.
The finding of no criminal findings and the closure of the case indicates detectives did not find evidence of negligence, criminal conduct or any other circumstances warranting prosecution.
Oliver has not spoken publicly about the loss. His teammates and the Bills organization have rallied around him, and the team’s decision to include him on the preseason roster throughout the period reflects a commitment to supporting him through grief while allowing him to be present in the environment where he is known and supported by people close to him.
