One punch kills an obnoxious drunk.

[proud2BlibKansan]

Very interesting story. The victim is from a prominent local family. He was found unconscious outside a local bar and died 10 days later.

All it took to kill Brian Euston was a single punch. That's the assertion that Jackson County Prosecutor Jim Kanatzar made Thursday morning when he announced that Stanford C. Griswold had been charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter in Euston's October death.

Euston, 24, was discovered at Westport Road and Mill Street around bar closing time on October 10. He suffered a severe head injury, but initially the cause of death was a mystery, with no witnesses coming forward. He died at Truman Medical Center two days later.

<skip>

Two witnesses told police that they were standing outside of America's Pub, when Euston -- whose blood alcohol level was .387, more than four times the legal limit to drive -- approached. Euston began bothering people outside of the bar and "getting in their faces" one witness said. The witnesses said they urged Euston to leave, but he refused. Griswold became annoyed and allegedly then threatened to knock Euston out. When Euston wouldn't leave Griswold and his girlfriend alone, one witness said, Griswold struck Euston once, and quickly walked away into the mass-bar exodus with his girlfriend. When Westport Public Safety officers arrived on the scene, Euston was bleeding from his mouth, and he was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with severe head injuries. He died October 12.

On Thursday, Kanatzar, with Euston's parents by his side, said the charge was manslaughter rather than murder because there was no evidence that Griswold intended to kill Euston. If convicted, Griswold faces one to seven years in prison.

more . . . http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/01/stanford_griswold_brian_euston.php

[NuclearDem]

1. .387?! Holy shit!

I don't think I could consciously reach that...

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. I wonder what his mom would have said if he had died from alcohol poisoning

When Euston's mother, Kathy, was asked if she was surprised by her son's high level of drunkenness, she responded frankly. "You know, I was 24 years old once in Westport. I never had my blood alcohol checked," she said.

[Warpy]

4. All it takes is a lot of practice

I've seen people with lethal amounts of alcohol in their bloodstream walk in under their own power, although most are found passed out in doorways or in front of stores. If they're breathing, they're allowed to sleep it off if they're frequent flyers at the ER.

This guy's liver was going to do him in before he hit 30 if he was functional at all with a blood alcohol of .387--and it might have been higher than that when he took the punch.

If other people come forward and identify him as a belligerent drunk, then Griswold might have a defense. This seems like a tragic accident/possible self defense more than manslaughter.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. The prosecutor thinks it doesn't matter

Kanatzar said Euston's extreme level of intoxication had nothing to do with the case.

"It's not relevant from a criminal culpability standpoint," he said.

[NuclearDem]

14. Until the defense brings an expert witness to trial...

Who can say whether or not that the BAC had anything to do with Euston's death. If it shows that the BAC played a significant role and that the punch just caused a chain reaction, Kanatzar may get a better deal.

[hedgehog]

23. I would consider that statement in support of the self-defense claim -

but then I'm not a lawyer or judge.

[REP]

7. He was hugging people - obnoxious, but not belligerent

The suspect has a prior weapons charge.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Where did you hear that?

<<Euston began bothering people outside of the bar and "getting in their faces" one witness said.>>

Where does it say he was hugging anyone?

[REP]

20. Numerous local news reports

The 'getting in the face' thing is coming from the accused's side.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. I've watched the reports too but never heard he was hugging anyone

Just that he was bothering people.

I don't know how he was still standing with that much alcohol in his system.

[Warpy]

32. Then there's little hope of self defense

although he might have been trying to protect his girlfriend from a too friendly drunk.

Manslaughter it is.

[taught_me_patience]

2. That's why you aim for the gut

Hard to believe the guy was even standing. A little tap probably would have pushed him over.

[Myrina]

6. with .387 a severe pop to the gut might have burst his liver ...

... or something else he might have needed ....

[taught_me_patience]

17. Probably would have popped his bladder

Takes a lot of drinks to reach .387... bladder was probably pretty full.

[petronius]

9. Would it matter? It seems like in these cases the injury occurs when the head

hits the ground rather than from the punch. I guess if he was knocked out cold he wouldn't be able to catch himself, but with that BAC I doubt he could have stopped a fall even if conscious.

sad story all around...

[WinkyDink]

10. Being majorly drunk is not a capital offense. The puncher is at fault.

[notesdev]

13. Depends on the jurisdiction and the circumstances

there's a doctrine called "fighting words" which basically states that if you're obnoxious enough and won't leave someone alone they can retaliate with force

sounds like this could be a case where it was well deserved

[udbcrzy2]

11. BAC high, but he wasn't driving

So, he was at a bar drinking, it didn't say he was drinking and driving. This guy was killed in early October and the killer wasn't going to come forward until someone turned him in. The family and friends of the victim came up with 36k as a reward.

Here is the link if you would like to see the story I read and with video:) http://www.kmbc.com/news/26631451/detail.html

edit: Links to the other stories leading up to this one at the same link.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. No he wasn't at a bar, he was outside

He was probably too drunk to be allowed in any bar.

This has been a HUGE story locally. The victim is from a prominent family and they have kept the story in the media. I'd like to see the cops put this much effort into solving the dozens of other unsolved murders in this city.

Bottom line - if he hadn't drank himself nearly to death, he would probably still be alive today.

[REP]

21. No - if he hadn't been punched by a thug while he was waiting for a taxi he'd be alive

I do not miss living in Westport, or being attacked in Westport - but that was probably my fault for walking home from work.

[udbcrzy2]

29. Why are you blaming the victim?

The one I blame is the one being charged who threw the fatal blow. Not only that, but the guy wasn't going to come forward until someone turned him in. Please remember this happened in October of 2010 and has been a cold case until now.

- snip -

Euston was discovered badly injured early Oct. 10 at the corner of Westport Road and Mill Street. He died of his injuries two days later.

The charging statement said an unidentified witness claims Griswold was outside of America's Pub in Westport when Euston who had been drinking, came up to him.

The witness said Griswold became "irritated and stated he was going to knock the victim out." The statement said the witness tried to get Euston to leave the area.

- snip -

http://www.kmbc.com/news/26631451/detail.html

[Kaleva]

15. At first reading, I didn't feel sorry for the drunk....

but upon further reflection, I think the charges against Griswold are appropriate.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I think they are too.

The guy did kill him, whether he meant to or not.

But the bottom line to me is that if this guy hadn't drank himself to 4 times the legal limit, we probably wouldn't be talking about his death.

[Kaleva]

19. We wouldn't be talking about his death if a number of things hadn't happened.

In Michigan, an establishment can be held liable if it serves alcohol to a person who is visibly intoxicated. I doubt the deceased drank at home and walked or drove to the bar at closing time.

Griswold and his girlfriend were in no danger and both were not restrained in any fashion. Griswold could have and should have walked away instead of resorting to physical force.

[REP]

22. If Griswald had called 911, we might not either

Instread, we know Griswald punched him because his girlfriend turned him in once the reward was high enough.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Where are you getting all of this?

Link?

[Kaleva]

27. Here's what i found

"Kansas City police arrested Griswold Wednesday after they interviewed his girlfriend, who was with him the night Euston died. Police said a tipster led them to the girlfriend and another witness."

"His parents, Kevin and Kathy Euston, urged witnesses to come forward. A $35,000 reward was offered.

Kanatzar said he didn’t believe the reward played a role in breaking the case, but rather all the media attention and the persistence of Euston’s family and friends."


http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/27/2613768/involuntary-manslaughter-charge.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. What about the other witnesses?

Why didn't any of them call 911?

[RagAss]

18. He could have shoved him to the ground...a punch to the head of a drunk is pretty nasty stuff.

[struggle4progress]

26. Moral: don't hit people in the head. If that's too hard to remember, then just don't hit people

[superduperfarleft]

31. This.

All kinds of bad, unexpected things can happen. Sometimes all it takes is that one punch.

Then there's the urban legends I hear about people punching someone else in the teeth and then dying of some sort of infection weeks later from getting bacteria from the other person's saliva into their bloodstream...

[Recursion]

30. .387!?!? (imagine that in the voice of Dante from Clerks)

But, seriously, you don't really need another reason to die at that point.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

33. I don't feel sorry for the victim.

.387 is insane. He's lucky he didn't kill anybody else.

[The Midway Rebel]

34. Black guy killed a white guy...

what's more is that a poor, stoned, black guy killed a rich, white, drunk guy in Jackson County, Missouri, in Westport no less. Shakespeare could not have written a better tragedy.