Brothers Acquitted of Manslaughter in 2022 Beating Death of Teen
In a recent verdict, two Ohio brothers, Deshawn Stafford and Tyler Stafford, were found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter charges in the tragic 2022 beating death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming on an Akron basketball court. The jury, however, did find Deshawn guilty of assault and aggravated assault and Tyler guilty of assault. They were unable to reach a decision on a second involuntary manslaughter charge against Deshawn.
Deshawn now faces 18 months in prison for the assault charges, a significantly lesser sentence than the 11 years he could have received for involuntary manslaughter. It remains uncertain whether prosecutors will pursue a retrial on the remaining charge.
Ethan Liming met his untimely end in a parking lot near a basketball court at the I Promise School, a public elementary school in Akron, Ohio, backed by the LeBron James Foundation.
The fatal altercation occurred at around 10:46 p.m. on June 2, 2022, near the basketball courts. Liming suffered a blunt force head injury, leading to his tragic demise. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that he died as a result of a punch, causing him to fall and strike his head on the pavement.
The conflict that ended in Liming’s death began when he and his friends, under the influence of marijuana, drove through Akron, firing an airsoft gun that shot gel water beads at people and objects. The situation escalated when they arrived at the I Promise School parking lot and began shooting the Stafford brothers with the gel-bead gun, ultimately resulting in a physical altercation.
The Stafford brothers and another suspect were apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service a few days after the incident. After three days of deliberation, the jury determined that the Staffords were responsible for their respective assault crimes, with a majority of jurors believing that Deshawn was acting in self-defense.
Deshawn’s attorney, Jon Sinn, expressed that they had strived to reveal the truth throughout the trial, even though their version of events differed from the prosecution’s. Sinn also doubted the possibility of a future jury reaching a decision on the second involuntary manslaughter charge.
Sinn emphasized that the incident was not a hate crime or racially motivated but rather a regrettable outcome of young individuals behaving impulsively.
Tyler Stafford faced visible emotions in court as his brother was taken into custody, given his six-month sentence for the assault conviction.
The Liming family’s attorney, James Gutierrez, conveyed their devastation with the verdict, stating that they couldn’t comprehend how three young men could escape severe punishment for their son’s fatal beating. The family also disputed the defense’s argument that Ethan’s death resulted from his head hitting the concrete, likening it to claiming innocence while holding a murder weapon.
Gutierrez’s statement highlighted the heartache and injustice the family had faced, underscoring the need for community reflection.