Death Of Jef Roberts Due To Head Trauma According To Report
BY MICHAEL L. OWENS
and CLAIRE GALOFARO
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Local musician Jef Roberts died March 1 as a direct result of a street fight a week earlier, his autopsy report reveals, but a grand jury last month refused to charge the man who struck the final blow, Duc Thach.
The report plays up Roberts’ .274 alcohol level as having played a big part in bringing the 329-pound man to the sidewalk fronting downtown restaurant Machiavelli’s on Feb. 23. Poor motor control and a decreased level of consciousness were just a part of what alcohol brought to the picture, East Tennessee State University forensic pathologist Teresa A. Campbell wrote in her May 1 report, obtained by the Bristol Herald Courier on Monday.
Campbell suggested that the 40-year-old Roberts would never have toppled backward and smacked his head on the sidewalk if not for Thach’s punch to the face. The report also states that Roberts’ use of the blood thinner Coumadin, brain swelling and excessive fluid in his brain contributed to his death a week after the bar punch.
“Since the above discussed sequence of events were precipitated by a blow to the head received in an altercation, the manner of death is homicide,” Campbell wrote.
Homicide is defined as the act of one person killing another and is not always considered illegal, according to USLaw.com.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Duc Thach, 33, of Fort Campbell, Ky., could not reached for comment Monday night.
An official finding on the punch was no shocker for Roberts’ friend and State Line Bar and Grille bartender Marcus Adkins, 32, who was at the Machiavelli’s wedding reception.
“I thought it was evident that night that the punch caused it,” he said. “It’s really not a surprise to me.”
A Sullivan County grand jury ruled against charging Thach on May 27, Bristol Tennessee Police Capt. Charlie Thomas told the Herald Courier .
When pressed Monday for the autopsy report, Thomas handed it over and suggested the results not be publicized because it would hurt Roberts’ family.
“We did everything in the investigation that we could do,” he said. “The facts are what they are, and those facts were presented to the grand jury.”
District Attorney H. Greeley Wells would not discuss the case when contacted at home Monday night, saying he would be more open today when at the office with the case file.
Roberts’ death sparked a frenzy of rage against Thach, the police and the media. Comments jammed the Herald Courier’s Web site since publication of Roberts’ death first appeared.
Readers questioned the police for not arresting Thach. Tempers roiled over publication of Roberts’ criminal history with alcohol. And Thach was dubbed a coward for punching Roberts and leaving the scene.
At the time, Thomas, the police captain, blasted reader suggestions of a police coverup to protect Thach simply because of his military status. “It’s good for us,” he said of Thach’s station at Fort Campbell, Ky. “We know where he is.”
From the outset, police said Roberts was the aggressor, and that Thach struck in self-defense.
Both Thach and Roberts were leaving a wedding party at Machiavelli’s Italian Restaurant on Fifth Street when the altercation began. Roberts reportedly cursed at Thach’s wife, shoved the husband and, after some heated words, drew his fist as if to throw a punch, police said, adding that’s when Thach struck the single blow.
Roberts lost consciousness after the fall, the autopsy states, had his heart resuscitated by paramedics and died about a week later at Bristol Regional Medical Center.
“No obvious cause of death other than the head trauma with its attendant complications can be found,” Dr. Campbell wrote in the autopsy report.
Still, the results do not comfort Adkins, Roberts’ friend.
“Sometimes, people are held accountable and sometimes they’re not. That’s our system,” he said. “My friend is gone and there’s nothing they can do to bring him back.”
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Reader Reactions
So, here we go. A vast right winged conspiracy to take Jef Roberts off the earth and allow the responsible party to walk free. The Grand JURY spoke. Like I said when this happened, it is a tragedy. A horrible tragedy that could have been avoided. Murder? No. Manslaughter? No. A civil case? Perhaps, but not a strong one. Folks, the grand jury, people just like you and I, decided no charges were warranted. If he had survived, there is a good possibility that Jef probably would have been charged for assault and battery. This is a case in point where we have proof positive that excessive drinking and drugs (even those prescribed) when used in combination with each other will result in bad things happening. I feel nothing but sorrow for all involved. Jef’s family, his steadfast and loyal friends, and yes, even for Mr Thach who now must live with what happened and his conscience for the rest of his life. No soldier I ever met, and I was one (combat arms) for nearly 9 years, ever wants to take a life of a person. It’s simply not in us, but hey, the protestors from the Vietnam era didn’t see it that way and Im sure there are some here who won’t either.
The dude is dead!! It’s plain his so called friends want a man punished because he defended himself and this drunk could not remain upright falling down stricking his head on the curb. The blow thrown by the defender was not the cause of death.
You same blood thirsty crowd want something you would not want applied to yourself. Had the same thing happened to you, should you be tried for murder for just defending yourself or greater yet, a family member.
You want justice,, you just witnessed it. Of course, the whole world is wrong and mob rule is? This crowd thought they could railroad a city into a scare tactic.
Get over it and get a life!!
I agree that this IS a tragedy, however Mr. Roberts may have bought this on himself. It stated that he had cursed Mr. Thachs wife, if Mr. Roberts was any kind of man he would not be cursing a woman. Second, he was drunk, this was another indication of ignorance for him and Mr. Thach. Obviously Mr. Thach threw the punch in defense of his wife, understandably! So, maybe Mr. Roberts should have used better judgement and laid off the alcohol, as others should as well. There are too many bars on State Street, its starting to become a haven for the alcoholics.
People never cease to amaze me. Look, I know some of you lost a friend and for that I am truly sorry. However the fact remains that Mr. Roberts was first, verbally assaulting Mr. Thach and his wife, but also shoved Mr. Thach. At this point Mr. Roberts has comitted battery which gives Mr. Thach the right to defend himself. He struck Roberts one time and left. Had he used an excessive amount of force and continued to beat Mr. Roberts then yes punishing him for murder would be crucial but he didn’t use more force than was necessary to stop the threat. The law doesn’t exist to just serve you people upset about the situation. It also exists to protect Mr. Thach from unjust punishment. He was perfectly within his rights of self-defense so get over yourselves.
I am floored once again, by the apparent disregard for Jef’s life that BHC seems to have. AND concerned that Thomas’ lack of professionalism has not been addressed. Extremely biased reporting and a lacking investigation have led to hurt feelings that may never be completely mended.
“No obvious cause of death other than the head trauma with its attendant complications can be found,” Dr. Campbell wrote in the autopsy report.
A professional statement regarding Jef’s cause of death, an objective one. Perhaps if local police and their respective departments cannot investigate altercations in an unbiased manner, then they are in no position to do so in the future.
This entire time after these increasingly snarky comments and uncalled for articles have started appearing in the bristol herald courier, which should be held responsible for so heavily swaying public opinion with disrespectful and wreckless reporting, I have thought they should be held accountable in some way. Even in reporting the eventual release of autopsy results the BHC could not hide the resentment for being called out for what it is, a little paper, with little to offer the residents of bristol in regards to news. The reporters have reported this new information like a resentful child.
I can only hope that there will be some Civil suit that follows, as Thach has officially been proven to have caused Jef’s death, by the autopsy report and not an incompotent Thomas.
And to Thomas, finally your inability to do your job disgusts me. I hope one day that I have the opportunity to discus with you in a civil/adult manner, why I feel you have betrayed me, caused me to think less of my home town and its news organizations, and your desire to hurt my friends, acquaintences and loved ones.
Keep rocking Jef. We miss you.
MissMandie…..WHAT JUSTICE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ? THE GRAND JURY RULED NOT TO CHARGE DUC DUE TO SELF DEFENSE..READ THE ARTICLE !! YES, THIS WAS A REAL TRAGEDY BUT IF HE WAS DEFENDING HIMSELF AND SOUNDS LIKE TO ME HE WAS THEN HE SHOULDN’T BE CHARGED ! LIKE ONE OF THE POST STATES “ALCOHOL IS THE ROOT OF EVEIL”, PEOPLE DO DUMB THINGS WHEN DRUNK THAT THEY NORMALLY WOULD NOT DO…
Well as bad a tradgedy as this is, it just goes to show that alcohol is a killer even when not in a vehicle. Not sure when people are gonna wake up and see that alcohol is an evil tool. I have tried it and honestly folks it tastes awful. How anyone can drink it and enjoy it is beyond me. The only reason to drink it is to get drunk. And getting drunk leads to big problems. I know the punch and fall caused this guy to die but the alcohol was what made him run his mouth when otherwise he wouldnt have. Yeah the guy that threw the punch was to blame but dont let the alcohol get off that easy either. We have alot of drunks around here and people who cant handle their alcohol and its a shame people will risk death just for a drink. Now this guy is dead because of a situation brought on by drinking and fighting.
So now Jef Died as a result of being over 300 lbs. and drunk!? What a load of crap. I’m glad the autopsy report confirmed what we all knew from the beginning, but it still seems as though this guy is gonna walk, considering a grand jury has already ruled on the matter. I don’t understand how he can not be charged in a homicide that was a result of him making a bad judgement call. And that’s really what it was. We know he had no intentions of killing Jef, but it is what it is and he needs to take responsibility. Ofcourse it’s never stated what Mr. Thach’s alcohol level was. Regardless, I really think Mr. Thomas and the BTPD have clearly taken a biased approach to the case by some of the comments and speculations that have been made.
It’s about damn time that there is some justice for this tragedy. We all lost a great friend. I for one hope to see Duc Thatch charged accordingly and given the proper sentence for what he did. It will not bring our friend back but I hope it will bring some peace to those people I have seen crushed by this senseless event.
Oh, where do I even start.
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