Suspicious death in Westport

[KCMax]

http://www.kcconfidential.com/?p=21174#more-21174

Three theories are under review, police say. Euston may have been beaten, hit by a car or merely slipped and fell.

Right now there are no front runners; no conclusive witness accounts and police await autopsy results.

But there are a couple theories floating around by Westport insiders.

?I think he just got bumped into and fell down and the sidewalk?s right there,? says Westporter Bill Nigro, who has reviewed the surveillance videos. ?It was crowded and I think he just got pushed down and the curb is right there. If there?d been a big fight, people would have seen it.?

And undoubtedly told police and/or something more would have showed up on the video.

While being tripped or getting shoved and falling remains a possibility, ?I?ve seen investigations like this take a right turn,? says KCPD spokesman Rich Lockhart.

One wild card: After reviewing video outside America?s Pub afterwards, ?One guy?s body language indicates there was a punch and a fallback,? Nigro says.

[bobbyhawks]

Of note in the mysterious situation outside of Americas Pub, the blood alcohol content was through the roof.  0.3+, which alone could kill someone.

The outcry is not helped by the nearby homicide this past weekend.  Still, many people are claiming they know of cell phone video, yet no videos have been provided to the police.

[mean]

Of note in the mysterious situation outside of Americas Pub, the blood alcohol content was through the roof.  0.3+, which alone could kill someone.

This tends to suggest that dude was stumbling around... possibly just fell of his own accord, or maybe stumbled into someone and got punched / pushed. Extremely sad, but not really the dramatic beating being suggested by some.

[KCPowercat]

Wow.....this is crazy high. Given this length of time and no witness to a large group beatdown, I'm guessing that isn't what occurred.
Maybe we should change the title of our thread so we aren't kc star'ing this story?

I hope his friends feel some responsibility for leaving their obviously very drunk friend alone at kelly's.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Have we positively confirmed the location of the actual incident yet?  I see references to Kelly's, beaumont, a back alley, mill street . . . about the only corner of Westport not identified as the location seems to be the sonic drive through. 

[KCPowercat]

Of note in the mysterious situation outside of Americas Pub, the blood alcohol content was through the roof.  0.3+, which alone could kill someone.

Where did this information come from?

[aknowledgeableperson]

His parents were on the news tonite.  Still no determination about the cause of death.

[KC Sporting Life]

Wow.  That is bizarre.  How have they not determined the cause of death yet?

[bobbyhawks]

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-brian-e ... 0137.story

"Obviously I'd like to get some answers, what's going on," Kathy Euston said. "I'd like to think the police are really on it, but the reality is because Westport security never called police, whatever evidence was on Mill street is gone now."

Captain Rich Lockhart with Kansas City Police said they're equally frustrated because they haven't been able to figure out what happened. They also haven't been able to interview Brian's friends. Lockhart said Kansas City police weren't called because it appeared to be a medical issue.

[KC-wildcat]

"Lockhart said Kansas City police weren't called because it appeared to be a medical issue."


His dead body appeared to be a medical issue???  Yeah, I'd say that's a bit of an understatement. 

[KC Sporting Life]

They also haven't been able to interview Brian's friends.

What the hell?  There's a potential beating to death, and after two weeks they haven't managed to interview his friends who he was hanging out with?  If it were a murder, it's possible there was a conflict with someone earlier in the evening.  iEven f it wasn't a murder, you'd think investigators would want some insight into his state of mind and behavior leading up to his death.

[chrizow]

yeah, that is either piss-poor police work, or the police truly don't believe that foul play is involved, but the media continues to flog the issue for scary headlines.  (i.e. calling him a "victim" in that Fox 4 headline when no one has concluded he has been a victim of anything other than chance so far)

[LenexatoKCMO]

What the hell?  There's a potential beating to death, and after two weeks they haven't managed to interview his friends who he was hanging out with?   If it were a murder, it's possible there was a conflict with someone earlier in the evening.  iEven f it wasn't a murder, you'd think investigators would want some insight into his state of mind and behavior leading up to his death.

They didn't say the police haven't tried to interview them - just that they weren't able to.  Its entirely possible, perhaps even likely, that this language could be interpreted as an indication that his "friends" have refused to cooperate. 

[KCPowercat]

That's how I read it that the friends haven't been available.

His 'friends' seem pretty shitty. Leave a seriously overintoxicated guy at the bar alone and now not making themselves available to police? 

[LenexatoKCMO]

There is a fine art to reading between the lines in crime stories.  It looks pretty obvious to me that Lockhart is making it clear that his buds are refusing to talk.

[KCPowercat]

Agreed.

[mean]

Any lawyers think they're being advised by counsel not to talk? Possibly to avoid being convicted of some level of culpability in the death for ditching their alcohol-poisoned friend, either in the court of public opinion or perhaps even in a civil suit?

[LenexatoKCMO]

Sounds like the police have been handed a hell of a shitty case to solve.  They have a body with apparently no clear cause of death?  They get called in long after the scene has been trampled all over?  And no one will tell them anything?  Pardon me if I wait before rushing to jump on the "Police need to do a better job" bandwagon.  

[chrizow]

Any lawyers think they're being advised by counsel not to talk? Possibly to avoid being convicted of some level of culpability in the death for ditching their alcohol-poisoned friend, either in the court of public opinion or perhaps even in a civil suit?

that's the thought i just had as well.  although at this point they are probably losing that very battle in the court of public opinion.  although i really dont know if the friends could really be sued for ditching him, if he stuck around for an hour or two afterwards drinking - i.e. they may not have had any duty to him at that point, or really at any point.

[KC-wildcat]

Sounds like the police have been handed a hell of a shitty case to solve.  They have a body with apparently no clear cause of death?  They get called in long after the scene has been trampled all over?  And no one will tell them anything?  Pardon me if I wait before rushing to jump on the "Police need to do a better job" bandwagon.  

I guess I just don't really buy the "head in the sand" argument.  We all know that Westport is crawling with cops.  And, I think we all know that cops will often intervene in situtations with or without an invitation.  It's their job.