Suspicious death in Westport

[TfromKC]

Pretty terrible story about a guy mid-20s getting "allegedly" jumped and beat unconscious late Saturday Night/Sunday Morning outside America's Pub. He died of his injuries today. The police don't know exactly what happened yet, but early indications is he was assualted, and some cell phone vidoes exist. Graduate of Rockhurst high school, out with his friends. Don't know if it is completely random or unprovoked, but again, the early info doesn't look good.

How many more people have to get randomally killed in/around Westport. It is seriously out of control. I'm as big an urban KC supporter as you will find, but I don't plan on staying in Westport past midnight. Guy was on a crowded street with plenty of people around, and apparently people watched as he got beaten to death? Absolutely terrible.  

[kcmetro]

People still go to Westport?

[Highlander]

People still go to Westport?

A lot of people I know in the 20-something range go there because the P&L District is too expensive for them. 

Sad, if not pathetic, story. 

[warwickland]

A lot of people I know in the 20-something range go there because the P&L District is too expensive for them.  

Sad, if not pathetic, story.  

plus daves stagecoach is technically in westport, not P+L. 

[dangerboy]

How many more people have to get randomally killed in/around Westport. It is seriously out of control. I'm as big an urban KC supporter as you will find, but I don't plan on staying in Westport past midnight.

It's actually quite rare.  Much rarer than random killings on the East Side or in KCK.  I am often in Westport after midnight and have never felt unsafe.  Let's wait to learn the circumstances before rushing to judgements.

[phuqueue]

Heard about this from my mom a little while ago.  I went to middle school/junior high with his older sister. He always seemed like a really nice kid, comes from a really nice family.  Just an awful story.  My mom told me the "theory" (not sure whose, police or the neighbor's or what) is that it was some kind of gang initiation thing, some thugs just had to go out and murder anybody and it happened to be Brian.  They evidently didn't even take his wallet or phone or anything.  Sounds like a totally random thing.  Hope the guys that did it are found and fucking fry.

Also, what I heard (again from my mom) was not that there were cell phone videos, but that Kelly's should have surveillance video.  From the way she told it, it didn't sound like there were tons of people just hanging around taping it.  Then again, it's hard to imagine that stretch being completely deserted on a Saturday night, so you've got to think that there was somebody around who must have looked the other way.  Hopefully anyone who saw it will come forward with helpful info.

[chrizow]

this could truly be a "random" killing, and that's really awful, but the fact is that it is tremendously rare for a "random" killing to happen anywhere, including westport or the east side or anywhere else.  if KCMO has 100-150 murders per year, it seems that about 5% are "random."  it is big news when it happens - the woman killed by the wayward bullet on 71, the kid caught in the shootout at 3am at the westport walgreens, etc. - they are very, very rare.  one is too many, of course.  but if you alter your behavior or habits (aside from reasonable keeping your eyes open) b/c of the risk of being randomly killed, you're really trying too hard.  

[chrizow]

all the coverage i am reading says that no one has any idea what happened - no clear video footage of any altercation or anything.  it seems like if he was beaten, KCPD would be able to distinguish that from a bad fall or another accidental cause?

[chrizow]

Heard about this from my mom a little while ago.  I went to middle school/junior high with his older sister. He always seemed like a really nice kid, comes from a really nice family.  Just an awful story.  My mom told me the "theory" (not sure whose, police or the neighbor's or what) is that it was some kind of gang initiation thing, some thugs just had to go out and murder anybody and it happened to be Brian.  They evidently didn't even take his wallet or phone or anything.  Sounds like a totally random thing.  Hope the guys that did it are found and fucking fry.

Also, what I heard (again from my mom) was not that there were cell phone videos, but that Kelly's should have surveillance video.  From the way she told it, it didn't sound like there were tons of people just hanging around taping it.  Then again, it's hard to imagine that stretch being completely deserted on a Saturday night, so you've got to think that there was somebody around who must have looked the other way.  Hopefully anyone who saw it will come forward with helpful info.

so strange - i just checked the kc star, the pitch, and all four KC news stations, and not one of them has said anything other than this is a "mysterious" situation and that KCPD cannot tell from the video what happened.  of course this could be some random killing, which would be awful and sad, but it really strikes me as hysteria that people are immediately leaping from the ambiguous news coverage to "omg this was a gang initiation!"  i wont say it's impossible, but i would bet anything that you could count the number of people killed in KC in 30 years randomly through "gang initiation" on one hand (if at all).  again, i dont want to speak out of line in the wake of an obvious tragedy, but the "gang initiation" thing reminds me of the urban legend that you'll be killed if you flash your headlights at a car driven by gang members with its lights off...

[phuqueue]

edit -- sorry, just since this person isn't a totally faceless stranger to me I feel kind of uncomfortable gossiping about it, so I'm just gonna withdraw from the discussion here.

(and I don't mean to disparage the rest of you continuing to discuss it by calling it "gossip," that's just kind of how my participation in the thread felt to me)

[KCPowercat]

I'm beating against a random gang initiation story. Too email chain lettery.

Also betting no matter what he did, if anything, didn't deserve even a beatdown much less death.

The lack of coverage is weird. Good suburban family kid in westport is usually a recipe for team coverage for days.

[droopy]

where did you see this story?  i can't find it.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/12/23 ... ryone.html

Story indicates video surveillance was inconclusive and he seems to have been alone.

[TfromKC]

Yep, nothing "conclusive" they are releasing public yet. But the story amongst many of his friends is that he was jumped by a gang of guys outside America's Pub and beaten to death.

I'll wait for the final report and realize much is just speculation, but the early word is this is a very bad situation and I think a lot of very bad details may come out.

[droopy]

Yep, nothing "conclusive" they are releasing public yet. But the story amongst many of his friends is that he was jumped by a gang of guys outside America's Pub and beaten to death.

I'll wait for the final report and realize much is just speculation, but the early word is this is a very bad situation and I think a lot of very bad details may come out.

I hope the police have a better sense of what happened than the article lets on and the resolution comes quickly.  It's very sad, the Eustons are great people. 

[KCPowercat]

Where are his friends coming up with this? The reports say everybody bailed on him at Kelly's and he was alone.

[kcmetro]

This will be the nail in the coffin for Westport as a nightlife destination. 

[TfromKC]

Reports from KCPD. I believe it was Fox4 that had a report on their news saying that KCPD can see him in surveillance video and people are standing around taking cell phone videos. It is too crowded to see what is going on in the middle of the crowd, but it doesn't sound good.

I guess it is possible he fell/hit by car, and people gathered around. But then why didn't anyone call police?

It is wrong of me to speculate when I don't know what happened(maybe no one does at this point), I'm just telling you the initial indications are very, very bad, and I hope there is a full investigation.

[kcmetro]

Reports from KCPD. I believe it was Fox4 that had a report on their news saying that KCPD can see him in surveillance video and people are standing around taking cell phone videos. It is too crowded to see what is going on in the middle of the crowd, but it doesn't sound good.

I guess it is possible he fell/hit by car, and people gathered around. But then why didn't anyone call police?

It is wrong of me to speculate when I don't know what happened(maybe no one does at this point), I'm just telling you the initial indications are very, very bad, and I hope there is a full investigation.

Get real.  He didn't get hit by a car.  If he had gotten hit by a car, people would have been calling 911.  Plus, he wouldn't have been beaten senseless like he was.

[bobbyhawks]

Yep, nothing "conclusive" they are releasing public yet. But the story amongst many of his friends is that he was jumped by a gang of guys outside America's Pub and beaten to death.

I'll wait for the final report and realize much is just speculation, but the early word is this is a very bad situation and I think a lot of very bad details may come out.

I got a similar story through an email chain.  It sounds like KCPD may have a bit more evidence than they would like broadcast to the public, which hopefully means they have some leads.  Don't want to spread any rumors because my information is from someone I don't know, but there was speculation that a group of people were involved in beating him or watching this unfold closely.

Just a terrible situation.

[TfromKC]

I got a similar story through an email chain.  It sounds like KCPD may have a bit more evidence than they would like broadcast to the public, which hopefully means they have some leads.  Don't want to spread any rumors because my information is from someone I don't know, but there was speculation that a group of people were involved in beating him or watching this unfold closely.

Just a terrible situation.

Correct. And I agree he didn't get hit by a car, I was simply listing other possibilities. Like I said all along, all signs "privately" point to a group beating while others watched, which is why this is so terrible.

And why I said Westport just isn't safe late at night anymore. If you can't leave a bar and try to get a cab or walk to your car, that is not a place I want to be. Others might disagree and can go there. In my opinion, this will be the death of Westport nightlife, which is why I'm afraid all the information might not come to light if certain interested parties try to suppress it.