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.
Court documents outlining the charge finally piece together details about what authorities believe happened. See video of Kanatzar announcing the charges after the jump.
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.
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.
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.
The story has been a cyclone of controversy since the death was ruled a homicide in early December. The massive amount of ink and TV time spent covering and
speculating about Euston's death sparked endless angry debate about why the case was a magnet for
reporters, while other unsolved homicides, notably with nonwhite victims, garnered little coverage.
But, Kanatzar speculated, it was precisely the public's and the media's fixation that broke the case open. He said neither
Westport security footage nor a $36,000 reward fund played a part in getting the witnesses to talk.
"I think it's safe to say that the surveilence tape was not significant
in us coming to these charges today," Kanatzar said. "There's no doubt in my mind that the
media attention this case got helped us to have those people come
forward," he said.
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Midtown Kansas City Thug Stanford Griswold Gets Away With Murder (KCRNR News Now)
Big bad tough guy Stanford Griswold feels good when he gets away with murder. He is one badass muther fucker.
He will be back out this weekend looking for passers by to show just how bad he be. We axed Griswold where his next murder will take place?
Griswold replied maybe the mutherfuckin Coffman Center muther fucker.
Did Brian past include getting drunk and harrassing people, it appears that with the press stated this is what the witnesses said Brian also had an anger problem, so it appears we can equally say by your judgement that they are both worthless peices of shit, God, already figured out how to put the drunk angry white boy away, so know we will wait on what you come up with for the thug black boy! It might be awhile since you are an angry wthlss pce of shtz.
I have been reading this text and following the story, It seems that some of you have not read or choose not to believe what the witnesses stated, I have not read everything but I still have not found where it stated the witnesses was frineds of the puncher... I thought we as Americans had a right to defend ourselves... No one wants a drunk, harrassing them and yes I can see and understand that he was punched, am sure this is not the first white boy/black boy who had been punched at a bar for harrassment. It is unfortunate that he died as a result of this. No one is going to stand around and wait after knocking someone out, if we stick with the facts it clearly indicates this was an unfortunate event that caused a man to loss his life, his BAC has alot to do with it because had it not, we would not be here as he probably would have never been harassing people in the first place. I don't do westport because of drunk white boys / girls talking shit, getting in your face, splashing drinks then crying when they get they azz whooped, however when it is a black boy /girl talking shit, getting in peoples face splashing drinks and getting their azz whopped they usually end up in jail! EVeryone is quick to jump to the black man's past yet the white man's current/past has nothing to do with what happended..... look at this situation with no color, look at the facts. The punchee should have een sitting his azz down and the puncher should have stayed his azz away from the westport, its not a good place for blacks you cannot do as they do!
identify yourself since you feel it is necessary that you identify this man!you are a simple azzhole, hiding on the net.....it would really be cute if you was not under guest.
Have you ever looked at the TV show "Snapped" so many white people (women mostly) offing thier white husbands/boyfriends for money..... I really think you need to look at the percentage of killings and not the percentage of media coverage and arrest and you will learn that white people do not value each other lives and off each other for meth as a hobby.... Racist is a mutha
I would like to state, for the record, the media did not get drunk and punch anyone in Westport because they were annoyed. The media didn't get drunk and provoke anyone based on the 10ft tall and bulletproof theory taught in Johnson County public schools. The media is naturally drawn to controversy, no fault of mine. I feel for Brian and I feel for Stanford. Paper is white and print is black. My only wish is that everyone could read between the lines on this one.
It is amazing that so many people on this board seem to know a lot about what exactly happened that night, but never came forward during the search for what really happened...
So you are saying his other "problems" punched him in the face and left him for dead? Because that one punch gave him a bloody lip, caused him to fall backwards, hitting his head on the concrete with such force it caused severe head injury....how do you possibly rationalize that one punch does not do that to someone??
P.S. The correct English is "one punch would not have done that to him"
God I hate the media! The fact that nobody sees this as a hate crime is an absolute travesty and liberal publications like the Pitch are too scared to offend blacks and tell it like it really is. Instead we have a bunch of liberal guilty white people who try to diffuse the race issue at every turn if it happens to be a black on white crime. If this were a black guy who got the shit beaten out of him by white people, it would be an absolute circus. I'll bet some hipster working at the Pitch will start a rant about how fascist our society is right after he pushes the delete button on this comment! Enjoy your coffee and your music that nobody else listens to! You guys are the fucking coolest! --- Eat shit!!!
I love how you claimed in a previous post that this story is receiving an unnecessary amount of media attention....holy shit! Since you're either a black guy or an extremely guiltly white person, I would like you to picture in your head the same scenario, only this time it involves a white guy punching and killing a black guy. This wouldn't be a story contained within the local media, it would be a national media circus and would most certainly be labeled a hate crime regardless of the circumstances. Old Jesse and Al would be camped out here for weeks because they love profiting off the fact that black people and white people don't like each other. There would be demonstrations and probably riots and the city would be more divided than ever. As for your little comment regarding his mother's reply about being young and partying in Westport, at least she and the rest of her family, who I'm sure are devastated by their son's death, aren't crying foul and pulling out the old race card as the black family would most certainly do. As for your comment about the 10-12 unsolved murders in your part of town, maybe the black community should do away with the old "no snitchin'" rule so the people responsible can be brought to justice. Don't put that one on the police, the media, or white folks. And as for the folks on our end of town, well let's just say it's the typical animal-like behavior that we've come to expect from you. A brother poppin' another brother just ain't newsworthy...sorry but it's the truth. Deal with it.
KFELLS you are arrogant. Brian WAS a successful college graduate, and a HAPPY college grad as you say. His parents do obviously care a lot about him or this case wouldnt have been solved at all! Griswold obviously had past convictions, and yes, this does have a lot to do with this case as well. If you have a record, karma will get you one way or another. Brian was a dear friend of mine and regardless of one drunken night, it does not constitute the right for him to have been left there for dead. And the fact that this case has been going since october with no one coming forward is just insane. The fact that neither Griswold nor his girlfriend had the guts to admit to what was done, and made the Euston Family wonder, and think about what may have happened to their son all through the holidays is sickening. This has NOTHING to do with Race and it seems it is only the black people that are saying it is racism. It wouldnt matter who punched him, black, white hispanic, they still left a young man on a street corner to die. You, and everyone else that is defending the man who killed Brian should be ashamed of yourselves!
Please excuse my white, educated, employed, shallow mouth, but this is why I hate N*****S. Thats what people like Griswold are. Nothing less, nothing more. There is definitely a difference between a black person and a n****r, but Griswold is most definitely the latter. I hope you die a slow and painful death, you piece of shit.
Shut the fuck up, NICOLECHLDS8. You have no idea what you're talking about. Nor do you have any idea how to actually talk (or type, in this case). Try not using ebonics, you'll come across with a little more credibility. Until you can provide justifiable FACTS to back up your bogus claim, all this crap you just typed is just a bunch of ebonics drivel.
wow, nichole, why so judgmental? Did you see Brian sloppy drunk and harassing people or did you just fall for that excuse.
You know when people get caught doing dumb CRIMINAL STUFF and end up in jail they ALWAYS blame it on somebody else.
And hey, I saw you said that Griswold had parents who treated him like a babydoll. That guy is the ugliest damn babydoll I have ever seen.
Well then just like this other DUMB ASS sitting in jail right now, you'd be his bunk mate. Find a better way to deal with your agression.
~FIRST OF ALL MR.GRISWOLD HAS A MOTHER AND FATHER WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR MR.GRISWOLD SINCE BIRTH WHO LOVES AND CARES ABOUT HIM TO BABY DOLL AND HAVE FAMILY ALSO WHO LOVES AND CARES ABOUT HIM YOU S QUICK TO JUDGE BUT I DID ALITTLE DIGGING AND MR.EUSTON HAS A PAST TO NOW DIG THAT YOU PEOPLE ARE SO QUCIK TO JUDGE OMG THIS IS SAD JUST SAD~
AA'S are annoying too
How about you punch one of those thugs that are annoying to you!
Great point! How come the broken vertabre and severe shin injuries are not explained. It sounds like the charges should be upgraded to murder.
Bottom-line is DEAD is DEAD. Thugs have no COLOR neither do IDIOTS. You sit and argue and call names ALL day long Brian will not walk this earth again. Stanford ONLY faces involuntary man slaughter which is what the crime was. Have you ALL forgotten the bounty hunter that killed a man and only received involuntary man slaughter and served a YEAR………..
provider getting his life on track--gonna be pretty difficult to do much providing for the next 1-7 years.
your buddy is incarcerated on 75k cash bail b/c he punched a guy in the face, killed him AND because he is a convicted felon...thats the reason for the seemingly excessive bail.
ha ha...a good lawyer...who's paying for that? even prominent black pro bono lawyers wont touch this case. it'd be career suicide.
where are his parents? not all over every news channel every night. not down at westport every weekend night looking for answers. not going out and raising $36k for a reward, etc...this case was solved due to persistence on the part of the euston family and their friends.
the fact that your friend was killed in front of 400 people and nobody came forward doesnt make you think that there's a stupid mentality in the black community about 'snitching'?
how is that hypothetical situation even relevant? There is really nothing funny about any of this.
will you post this link on the kmbc website? They will allow you to post URL's. There are a lot of shit talkers over there who cant get their facts straight.
You want to talk about annoying??????? Go to oak park mall and walk around on a weekend day or night and tell me if you don't get annoyed by the AA's acting like fools and starring everybody down and making rude comments to your girlfriend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean get a clue you idiots......Perfect example why Bannister Mall shut down.....AA"s
This man in no way felt threatened by a single man in Westport. I've spent many of nights in that part of town to say that this individual, regardless if he was black or white, could have felt threatened enough by a single guy drunk. Everyone in Westport is drunk. That's why people go there. There are thugs all over that part of town, both black and white, who are trying to "claim their part of town" by making the middle upper class afraid to come around. If someone is "annoying" you in Westport then why stay around? Walk away... From the sounds of Brian's severe injuries it's hard to believe that he was punched one time.
This "one punch" story doesn't jive with the condition Brian's body was in. People that saw him in ICU before he died have stated he looked as if he was beaten to death from the extent of his injuries, apart from the head injuries. Even his legs had injuries.
For such strong Christian values as the community the Eustons come from, it's a wonder so many of their supporters are crying so loudly that one man deserves such strong punishment for an event, though tragic because of the death of a young man, was brought on by unfortunate circumstances.
While it's easy to defend Brian's drunken behavior as "initiating conversation," it probably wasn't as civilized as that. He was terribly inebriated to a point where he couldn't drive and most people can barely stand or walk. Chances are his conversation was beyond friendly and probably kind of annoying, at the very least. Griswold shouldn't have punched him, agreed, but if it had been his girlfriend who had done it, because she felt harrassed, would we feel so quick label her a thug? Or even mitigate Euston's behavior to so innocent as "trying to talk?"
Yes, you guys took care of each other well that evening leaving your dear friend drunk beyond measure at a bar by himself. Wish I had friends like that.
This is the saddest thread ever, seeing Brians death stir up so much racial hatred. He was an absolute wonderful kid....SOBER. When he was drunk he was insulting, aggressive, and one of the worst people to be around. Instead of blamming "black thugs" we should mainly blame ourselves for not getting Brian help sooner. RIP Brian, I wish I had been a better friend to you!
"Not to be funny but what colors was the killiers in AZ"
True, yes he was white. Here is the difference: White people are not stading up defending this guy. He is also a piece of shit like griswold and they should both Fry!
"led Kendall to co-write, co-produce and perform on his first CD -- titled “Let’s Go ½ on a Homicide”
Real productive member of society, Kendal.
He cant afford a lawyer of that caliber.
He will be sharing showers again. Taking in the backside, like the little bitch he is.
He's probably taken more dick than the girl he was protecting. And he had to come back for more. YUMMY.
Yes, and the black would be screaming bloody murder! Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be here with national media claiming it was a hate crime!
It's not a sense of entitlement...we were all brought up being taught that if you work your ass off then anything is possible...trust me, we are a conservative crowd.."entitlement" isn't as big of a part of our vocabulary...we take care of ourselves and each other
I say it once and I'll say it again, Kendall K. W. Fells or skitzo recordz supports convicted fellons and condones murder. You are a piece of shit!
Bring back the mafia like the 60's and 70's and these east side wanna be gangstas wouldn't have a chance ./
This is so petty. You sound insecure/jealous and its pathetic. Your better than that i hope.
Brian got the worst of this. His actions didnt warrant deah. Griswold felt entitled to end Brians life. But you are here to accuse Brian of feeling entitled for initiating conversation. The prosecuting atty. is quoted saying that brian was not acting threatening. Griswold belongs in jail. He didnt care what happened to Brian, He got to show his homies and his boo how bad he is. He will probbaly never rehabilitate and will probabaly commit another violent crime.
And I bet you think that Michael Vick was crucified because he was Black. You're racially based attitude shows your darky black underside to us.
Do you mean a white kid from a strong and rich community, one that bestows upon its children a strong sense of entitlement.
When you can use the English language to make a compelling case on racism then maybe we will all pay attention to what you are saying but until then...
Really punching someone in the face is the way to address a situation?
Last I checked, the streets of Kansas City are public and no one owns them. Therefore, Mr Euston had every right to be standing there on that fateful night. Just like you and I can stand on any street corner in Kansas City. Mr. Griswold could have just as easily moved on too but instead he choose to make a very bad decision. He punched another young man in the face because he was standing on a street corner. Nice,,,
I'll put myself in them shoes. I would've walked away and not hit the drunk. It's that easy. Put yoself in 'dem shoes, foo.
Drunks are relaxed, being relaxed allows the body to withstand more force than being tensed up and sober, ergo you are talking out of your posterior.
Because of the inherent violence of blacks? Because black males frequently have a problem with using their words instead of their fists? Do I win a cookie?
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