Hearne: The Curious Case of Brian Euston

The candlelight vigils, Facebook tributes and letters to the editor soldier on…

But still no word on the mysterious death of 24-year old Brian Euston in Westport earlier this month. Which isn’t to say, there is no developing news.

There is.

For starters the autopsy results Kansas City police say they’ve been waiting for are back.

“Yes, it is,” says KCPD captain Rich Lockhart. “But it doesn’t tell us who dunnit or how it happened. You have a cause of death and then a manner of death. The cause of death is what caused it – it’s the biological thing. And I don’t know that we would release that because it’s an ongoing investigation.

“Then you have the manner of death, which is how it happened – how did the person get the cause of death. And the manner of death is going to be (either) homocide – somebody killed him – or it’s an accident. And we don’t know what the manner of death is because this is like a puzzle and we’re still waiting for people to come forward with the pieces.”

Therein lies the problem.

Short of the key puzzle pieces coming to light, “We may get to the point where we have to guess what happened or the medical examiner could rule that the manner of death is inconclusive,” Lockhart says.

Police say there was a large crowd around Euston in a surveilance video – who was suffered a head injury in Westport and later died – but no indication of a fall, punch being thrown or beating.

As for the number of Euston’s head injuries, even that remains unclear.

“I think where we are right now is when you get a trauma, the whole face swells up,” Lockhart says.

Stay tuned…

http://www.mb-kc.com/
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22 Responses to Hearne: The Curious Case of Brian Euston

  1. Anonymous says:

    Jim Fitzpatrick
    Hearne — Sometimes news is very incremental; we just have to accept that. But this offers good insight into how the police and medical examiner work and the distinction between cause of death and manner of death. I don’t know why Lockhart wouldn’t reveal the cause of death, however. My guess is something like “blunt force trauma.” Lockhart acknowledged as much with his quote about trauma to the face. It seems to me, also, that if Euston had fallen, it’s unlikely his whole face would have swollen up. So, I think Lockhart, in his own careful way, might have moved the needle a little closer toward beating…I wouldn’t bet a lunch on it, though.

  2. Anonymous says:

    MediaJunky
    Doesn’t smell right. Would like to know what involvement Nigro, Gottstein, Marcuson and maybe even Funk are playing in this. Westport is teetering on the edge of the Cliff. Is this case the tipping point?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Duke
    So the guy got beat up so bad and NOBODY saw anything? Forget Westport. Not for me anymore. But I will say, if you’re walking the streets drunk at 3am, you’re looking for trouble. No matter where you are, or what city.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Jim Fitzpatrick
    Duke — It is true that the later you’re out, especially when drinking, the more likely trouble is to find you. However, from all appearances, Euston was the victim; don’t blame the victim. That’s a knee-jerk position a lot of people take to rationalize an unhappy occurrence. It looks like he was simply caught up in something spontaneous and deadly. It’s a tragedy for his family — something they will never get over.

  5. Anonymous says:

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  6. Anonymous says:

    jojo
    don’t go to westport…but that area
    is filled with black youths.
    A good friend works in westport and said
    the word there and from local merchants is
    that the kid was beaten.
    a young man who appears to be in good
    shape doesnt fall over and die…doesnt
    happen. He obviously liked to drink
    because every photo hearne shows the guy
    has a beer in his hand.
    Theres a vigil for the young man which tells
    me something sill remains to find out.
    Sorry…if you have blacks around a drunk
    white kid and a video to show it and the white
    kid ends up dead….i believe and many opthers
    do too that something happened and noone is
    talking……..

  7. Anonymous says:

    smartman
    What’s the family’s opinion of all this? Have you spoken with them? All due respect to KCMOPD but if my kid died under under similar circumstances I think I’d retain the services of outside investigators to put this puzzle together.

  8. Anonymous says:

    chuck
    Yep, he fell and hit his head outside of America’s pub.

    Didn’t Richard Gere fall one time and get a hamster up his ass?

  9. Anonymous says:

    jojo
    right…wheres the familys reaction…i know
    the family and they have to be holding someting
    back..these are well known respected people and
    something isnt right here….
    Hearne…call in glazer…he knows what happened…he has the inside info to find out…
    really….i’d sayscrew the kcpd…glazer knows
    the hoods down there…he caan find out what
    happened….

  10. Anonymous says:

    Concerned Friend
    Obviously something or someone is being protected – there were so many missteps in this incident. Westport Security never even called the police. A family member requested the police after Brian was in the hospital hooked up to machines. The evidence and witnesses were gone by the time the police were called. Very surprising that no “witnesses” have come forward though. The streets were filled – Brian was not alone. ACCIDENT?????? Hardly but surprisingly the KCPD is keeping mum. We need to scream that the incident is not being covered and information is being withheld.

  11. Anonymous says:

    TK
    The police have been negligent at best, if not deceitful. The family and community count on these guys to “Protect and Serve” so get with it!

  12. Anonymous says:

    AJ
    Why does everything always have a racial spin? Get over your fears/bias and look at the case itself. Westport is integrated with all shapes, tastes, and colors. There are crazy young white kids down here who cause just as much trouble as “the blacks”. Especially the ones that get in their cars hammered and drive back to Johnson county, risking lives the whole way. So let’s just keep it true. The point is, people + excessive alcohol = no judgement. Anyways, SOMEONE saw SOMETHING and hopefully they come forward to give this family peace. I’m a 27 year old Westport resident who is a friend of friends of his. Brian knew the area, was well-travelled, and was not stupid. I would have to guess that he went out for a good time and got hammered. First thing, you’re taking a risk going solo when you’re wasted whether its you walk into traffic or get into an altercation, get robbed, etc. He knew the risk but probably had done it a million times so didnt think anything of it. Sadly, this time something went wrong. I’m praying for peace for his family and friends. This is a horrible situation.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Disappointed
    I’m deeply saddened by the KCC coverage of this story and by the comments posted by readers.

    It’s disrespectful and sensational to post such a picture of the deceased with this article – Hearne, I don’t think you’d appreciate anything of the sort if something tragic happened, God forbid, to one of your daughters.

    To be fair, you should talk with this young man’s family to get a 360, accurate picture of this story – and maybe think about walking a mile in their shoes when stories and photos like this pop up, as they are grieving such a tremendous loss.
    _____________
    HC: First of all, the photos we have been using are from the Euston friends and family’s tribute page on Facebook. Second, they are linking to KCC’s coverage because the family wants to keep this story going and in the news to help get it solved.

  14. Anonymous says:

    JimmyD
    The level of racism here is disturbing. Jojo, you must be over fifty. It’s ok for whites to hang out with blacks, right? Maybe Brian knew the blacks? Maybe Brian deserved a punch? Didn’t deserve death though. Why call Glazer jojo? You say you’re tight with the family. Ask them. Or go to westport and ask the “hoods” for yourself…unless you’re more brave behind your keyboard

  15. Anonymous says:

    AJ
    Amen JimmyD. Thank God those old dinosaurs are dying off. R.I.P. Brian and God bless your family, man. Judging from all the coverage and FB page for him, our generation has lost a great guy. I hope one day his family gets the answers they need. Those are the only people that are owed anything in this.

  16. Anonymous says:

    hearne
    Respectfully disagree, AJ. I think the community as a whole deserves to know what happened so that everyone can make educated choices as to the safety of tripping around a given area late on a Saturday night. To be forewarned, if you will.

  17. Anonymous says:

    chuck
    JimmyD

    “Maybe Brian deserved a punch?”

    Maybe he did. He probably said something stupid, like, “How ya doing? Or, maybe “Hows it going?.

    That would piss off anybody. Then there is the ultimate fuck you, “Whats up?”. Now THAT is gonna get your ass KICKED!

    Prbably lipped off to those crazy Amish kids down there on Mill St.

    Get a coupla belts of soda in those kids, well, you all know what I’m talkin about, those damn Amish.

    Or, maybe Morgan Fairchild hit him, yeah…Morgan Fairchild, yeah…, she hit him and then jumped into one of those Amish horse buggys and got away. Yeah…

  18. Anonymous says:

    ????
    ???? This list points out some of the toys that cost use better ones down the line. There are a lot of missed opportunities here. ??sf.

  19. Anonymous says:

    poodle problems
    I honestly enjoy Richard Gere, too bad he is becoming aged ! In any case any one knows what his up coming film is going to be ?

  20. Anonymous says:

    Ali
    What’s important here is Brian’s family is looking for answers. The intersection he was found on has traffic cameras on every light. AND he was right in front of the bar. You can’t tell me NO ONE saw anything. Clearly people aren’t coming forward and I pray that they do. Brian’s family just wants some answers to know how their son died. They are grieving a loss of someone great. And as for the beers. He lived in GERMANY for a year. Of course he’s going to have a beer in his hand. I lived in Germany with him and half of my photos have beer in them. It’s a part of life there. Doesn’t tell what kind of person he is or was. Please lets focus on keeping Brian’s memory alive and praying someone comes forward with information.

  21. Anonymous says:

    GAPper
    I think the family should hire a psychic to work with the detectives to see what they can come up with. there are a lot of credible sources out there, and something is better than nothing. Furthermore, the police don’t need to be waiting around (read: “…we

  22. Wally says:

    Probably a rich frat boy in college who got used to shooting his mouth off when drinking because he was around 20 of his frat brothers. Well, guess what. His frat brothers weren’t around to protect him and the little frat pussy got his ass kicked.

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