His lawyers claimed he suffered from “affluenza”, meaning his irresponsible behavior was a product of his upbringing and rich parents. Couch will be found, he will face violation of probation charges, and the judge will have the opportunity to undo the extraordinary leniency given during the sentencing.
Advertisement
Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said officials searching for Couch believe he and his mother have not only skipped town, but possibly the country.
“Any mess-ups from now on, he’s going to be over with us”, Terry Grisham, the county sheriff’s spokesman, told reporters.
One possible factor in his disappearance is a video that was posted on Twitter that appears to show Couch at a party near a beer pong table.
For mowing down four people with his pickup in 2013 while he was drunk, Ethan Couch’s name was splashed all over the news.
Couch’s blood alcohol levels were three times over the limit and he also had Valium in his system after he and a group of friends stole alcohol from a Walmart supermarket.
Instead of 20 years in prison, which is what the prosecutor asked for, the judge sentenced Couch to 10 years of probation and a stint in a rehabilitation clinic.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on Wednesday after he failed to report to his probation officer. He says if they used passports, or passed through another country’s customs, that wouldn’t take long for federal authorities to determine. The crash threw two passengers out of the bed of Couch’s truck, injuring both severely.
At the time, Judge Jean Boyd told the court the reason for the probated sentence was because she believed the then 16-year-old could be rehabilitated if kept away from his family and given the right treatment.
That’s why it is so infuriating that Ethan Couch, and probably his mother, went on the run after video surfaced of Couch violating his probation by drinking at a party. Ethan Couch’s attorneys claimed the teen had “affluenza”, or so much wealth and privilege that he does not know what consequences are.
In June 2013 Couch killed 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell, whose SUV had broken down, and three people who had stopped to help: youth pastor Brian Jennings 41, and Hollie Boyles, 52, and her daughter, Shelby Boyles, 21. “It would not be prudent for us to make any further statement on Ethan’s behalf until the investigations are concluded and it is determined what, if any, action will be taken against him”. “They had a good start”, he said.
“Affluenza” is not recognized as a diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and Couch’s probation sparked outrage.
Advertisement
Officials say they don’t know his whereabouts and have expressed concern that he may have left the country, although Sam Jordan, a spokeswoman for the Tarrant County district attorney’s office, says there’s no specific indication that he has crossed the border.
