The three suspects who allegedly beat 17-year-old Ethan Liming to death in Akron, Ohio on June 2 have been indicted on lesser charges for the teen's death instead of a murder charge.
Fox News reports that a Summit County, Ohio grand jury indicted 20-year-old DeShawn Stafford on two counts of involuntary manslaughter, which are felonies in the first and third degree, plus one count of first-degree assault and fourth-degree aggravated assault. DeShawn's brother, 19 year-old Tyler Stafford, was indicted on first-degree involuntary manslaughter and first-degree assault, while their cousin, 21-year-old Donovon Jones, was indicted on two counts of first-degree assault.
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, chief counsel for the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office Brad Gessner said that facts were discovered that led to the reduced charge, and said that the information "can't be made public."
Liming was found beaten to death in the Lebron James' I Promise School parking lot, according to the Akron Police Department, and died from blunt force trauma to his head.
According to Fox News, police say that Liming, who would have been a senior at Firestone Community Learning Center in the Fall, was in a vehicle with friends as the group was "riding around the surrounding area shooting a SPLATRBALL Water Bead Blaster at objects and possibly unsuspecting people."
A fight broke out in the school parking lot and Liming was found dead at the scene around 11 pm that night.
The three men who allegedly beat Liming were originally charged with murder and held on a million dollar bond each.
The three suspects allegedly stole Liming's car and prevented his friends from taking him to the hospital, though the defendants have said they felt like "they were in the right" to steal vehicle and have placed the blame for the events of the night on Liming and his friends.
"My understanding is it wasn't moved in an effort to try and prevent anyone from getting help," said Jonathan Sinn, who is representing DeShawn Stafford. "It was more of a situation of, 'You guys are going to stay here. You guys are gonna stay here until the cops come, you're going to have to explain the situation.’ So they didn't want the other boys taking off because they really felt they were in the right."
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