DA investigating video that appears to show ‘affluenza teen' Ethan Couch partying
DALLAS - The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office is investigating a video that appears to show the “affluenza” teen Ethan Couch at a party where alcohol is involved.
The video was posted on Twitter and sent to various media outlets and local law enforcement agencies. It shows several young men playing beer pong and includes the caption, “ya boy ethan couch violating probation. i got more if u want.”
The DA’s office confirmed it has seen the clip and has opened an investigation. But, it has not yet confirmed that it is Couch in the video.
“TCSO is aware of the #EthanCouch video being circulated on SM. We no longer have jurisdiction and it has been forwarded to the proper agency,” the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office added on Twitter.
In 2013, Couch was convicted of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years of probation for driving his pickup truck drunk and killing four people.
Prosecutors said Couch’s alcohol level was three times the legal limit when he caused the chain reaction crash in Burleson. And there were seven other teens in the pickup, including two in the bed.
The crash killed a 24-year-old stranded motorist, a youth pastor who stopped to help her and a mother and daughter who lived nearby. They were all working to change a flat on the side of the Ellis County road.
Couch was found guilty, but the defense argued he had “affluenza.” Attorneys said he was the product of a dysfunctional and abusive family -- parents who condoned drug and alcohol use and never set boundaries. He was given probation and sent to a pricey rehab facility in California.
At the time, Judge Jean Boyd told the court the reason for the probated sentence was because she believed the 16-year-old could be rehabilitated if kept away from his family and given the right treatment.
While on probation he is not allowed to drive, drink alcohol or use drugs. A violation of those terms could mean a re-sentence of up to 10 years in prison.