Jury hands up verdict in death of Ethan Liming

[Auburnfan91 1,407]

Jury hands up verdict in death of Ethan Liming

by: Danielle Langenfeld, Justin Dennis

Posted: Sep 25, 2023 / 06:55 AM EDT

Updated: Sep 25, 2023 / 03:32 PM EDT

 

AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — Jurors on Monday handed up their verdicts in the involuntary manslaughter trial of two brothers for a fight that ended in the death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming.

Deshawn and Tyler Stafford were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges. Deshawn was found guilty of felony aggravated assault as well as a misdemeanor count of assault. Tyler was also found guilty on a misdemeanor count of assault.

A third, first-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter against Deshawn was dismissed as jurors failed to reach a verdict. Summit County Common Pleas Judge Tammy O’Brien declared it a mistrial.

Deshawn’s bond was revoked during the Monday hearing. He could face up to 2 1/2 years in prison on his convictions, prosecutors said Monday. A sentencing hearing is set for Oct. 26.

Jurors were tasked with deciding if Liming’s beating death outside the I Promise School in Akron in June 2022 was involuntary manslaughter or an act of self-defense.

Jurors earlier Monday morning signaled they were struggling to reach a verdict. Judge O’Brien sent jurors back into deliberations.

The trial started on Friday, Sept. 15. After two full days of deliberations, the jury ended Friday, Sept. 22, with no verdict.

In June of last year, the brothers were playing basketball with friends when Liming and three of his friends drove up and started firing gel guns at them as a prank.

During a fight that ensued, Deshawn admitted during police interrogation that he hit Liming and knocked him out. Liming died from his head hitting the pavement.

Brad Gessner, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office chief counsel, on Monday told reporters the office will now consider whether to re-try the first-degree felony charge of involuntary manslaughter on which jurors could not decide.

“The jury took their time. You see how long they deliberated. Those are decisions the jury could tell us (about). We’ll have to wait and see if we have the opportunity to hear from them,” he said

“The family has gone through something that no one should ever have to deal with — the emotions tied to this, the loss of a child. We respect their grieving,” Gessner said. “There’s nothing that can be done to bring their child back. This is something that, in better circumstances, would have never happened.”

Deshawn’s attorney Jon Sinn called it a “tough case” that ultimately ended with a fair trial.

“We are grateful the jurors took as much time as they did. There’s no winners here. Absolutely not. It’s kind of a split verdict,” he said. “The state of Ohio fought hard. Police did the job they needed to do. The community needed to figure this thing out.”

Sinn said it appeared the jury was sending “a message” that Liming’s death, though unfortunate, was not caused by Deshawn’s actions.

“I hope this verdict allows all the folks who have suffered, all the folks who are hurting … I hope this verdict allows them to get some kind of closure, some kind of peace,” he said.

https://fox8.com/news/another-day-of-deliberations-in-fate-of-two-brothers/

 

[Auburnfan91 1,407]

Brothers on trial in death of Ethan Liming, 17

by: Danielle Langenfeld, Justin Dennis

Posted: Sep 18, 2023 / 07:32 AM EDT

Updated: Sep 18, 2023 / 10:37 PM EDT

 

AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — The trial continued Monday for two brothers accused of beating a 17-year-old boy outside the I Promise School in June 2022 and unintentionally causing his death.

On Friday, jurors visited the school’s basketball court on West Market Street where prosecutors say Deshawn Stafford, 21, of Akron, and his younger brother Tyler Stafford, 20, of Cleveland, confronted Ethan Liming, 17, and three other teens.

Prosecutors in Friday’s opening statements said Liming and his friends shot at the Staffords and another person with a toy gun that fires gel pellets at a high rate of speed.

Liming was knocked unconscious and beaten, authorities said. Medical officials ruled Liming was killed by a blunt force head injury when his head struck the pavement during the fight, according to his autopsy report. He was pronounced dead that night.

In opening statements Friday, prosecutors said the brothers went too far, but defense attorneys said they were just defending themselves.

The jury on Monday heard from one of the Akron detectives first on the scene and showed the jury surveillance video of Liming driving up to basketball courts outside of the school. Several people from his car were seen getting out and running to the courts.

A short time late, there was an altercation at the car.

A friend described the fatal altercation.

“From where I was standing, it’s jut like a ball of people, and then Ethan gets like knocked out, and then he’s on the ground,” said the friend. “They are like stomping and kicking.”

The Stafford brothers were initially charged with murder but were later indicted by a Summit County grand jury on lesser charges.

At the time, Deshawn was 20 and Tyler was 19.

https://fox8.com/news/trial-continues-in-death-of-ethan-liming/

According to a friend who was there at the incident it wasn't just a single punch and Liming hitting the ground being knocked out. They continued to beat and kick him after he was already unconscious on the ground.

[CoffeeTiger 5,227]

Tough case. It does look like a mutual fight that went too far and ended badly. I don't know if it was manslaughter or not, but I do agree assault charges at least should stick. 

Unfortunate situation for all involved. 

[Auburn85 434]

Read a few different articles about the case and the fatal blow was Liming hitting his head on the pavement after a punch from DeShawn Stafford.

The autopsy said there was an imprint of a shoe on his chest wall.

So Liming is on the ground unconscious, already dying or possible already dead, and they are stomping his chest and kicking him.

Also read where DeShawn Stafford admitted to moving Liming's vehicle to keep Liming's friends from using the vehicle to leave the scene.

[I_M4_AU 8,054]

2 hours ago, Auburn85 said:

So Liming is on the ground unconscious, already dying or possible already dead, and they are stomping his chest and kicking him.

This makes no difference.  The attackers didn’t know if he was dying or not, they wanted him dead by their actions.  There was no attempt to determine if Liming was alive or not, they just kept on beating him.