Rices Landing man will face trial for deadly fight at Jefferson Hotel
WAYNESBURG – A Marine celebrating his wedding anniversary at the Jefferson Hotel on Dec. 21 will stand trial for his part in a brawl that night that led to the death of a Jefferson man. Brandon Lee Teasdale, 26, of Rices Landing, on leave as a military police officer from Camp Pendleton, Calif., will be tried on charges of criminal homicide and aggravated assault after District Justice Louis Dayich, during a preliminary hearing Tuesday, ordered him held for court.
A criminal complaint filed Dec. 21 by state police trooper Brian L. Barnhart accuses Teasdale of striking David Michael Myers, 43, in the face, “causing him to fall to the ground. The victim’s head struck a sidewalk.”
Barnhart amended the complaint Tuesday, adding the charge of aggravated assault.
According to Barnhart’s affidavit, the incident took place at 1:30 a.m. Dec. 21 inside and outside the hotel, located at the corner of Route 188 and Franklin Street in Jefferson.
Teasdale and three others argued with Myers and his stepbrother, Blain Burge, and a fight ensued, leaving Myers and Burge with minor injuries, the affidavit states.
After the men were separated and Myers and Burge left the bar, Teasdale allegedly ran after them and punched Myers in the face, according to Barnhart. Myers fell to the ground, hitting his head on the sidewalk. Myers was taken to Greene County Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:58 p.m.
Taking the witness stand Tuesday, Frank Nelson Brant Jr., 27, who lives in one of the Jefferson Hotel apartments and was in the bar the night of the incident, testified that he witnessed the incident.
Brant, who had worked in the bar as a bouncer, said that after the confrontation between Myers and the others became physical, he asked Myers and Burge to leave. Brant followed them outside.
“Teasdale punched [Myers] with his fist…on the right side of his face,” Brant testified. Teasdale stepped away and Myers fell “straight back,” hitting his head on the sidewalk, Brant said.
Emergency room physician Dr. James Edward France said Myers arrived at the hospital with “no audible cardiac activity and no respiratory or circulatory activity.” Efforts to revive Myers were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead of cardiopulmonary arrest, France testified.
On questioning from defense attorney Mike Healy, France said the only obvious injuries Myers suffered were a bruise to the left eyelid, a 2- to 3-inch cut on the back of the head and a scraped knee.
“A blow to the head was what the ambulance had been called for. …All I know is that he arrested and he had a blow to the head,” France said.
Greene County Coroner Greg Rohanna, who had been called in to the hospital to examine Myers’ body Dec. 21, corroborated France’s testimony regarding the condition of Myers’ head.
After examining the body, Rohanna ordered an autopsy, which was performed by Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht. Rohanna said final results of the autopsy may not be available for six weeks or more.
In the meantime, Rohanna said, a “pending” death certificate has been issued, listing the preliminary cause of death as “blunt force trauma to the head.”
Healy said he sees difficulties regarding cause of death and also with the homicide charge, because “a single punch is insufficient to support a finding of malice for third-degree murder. …Third degree comes from repeated hitting or stomping.”
Fox countered that a 1995 Supreme Court case found that there can be more than one direct cause of death for which someone can be held criminally liable.
Healy asked Dayich to set bail, but the magistrate said his court has no jurisdiction in the matter. He suggested that Healy petition the county court to set bail.
Calling the case a “tragic accident,” Healy said he was disappointed that the charges weren’t reduced.
“This is not a murder case. …The facts are undisputed. Unfortunately, one punch and the way the person fell led to his death,” he said.
After the hearing, Fox called the incident “a tragic situation.” She added that the outcome of the trial could be affected by the final autopsy report.