Five Texas university students are facing criminal charges in connection to the 2019 boating death of freshman Jack Elliott, who fell into a lake and disappeared during a day out.
Elliot, 19, who was a student at Texas Christian University, died after spending the day on the water wakeboarding and drinking with 11 other teenagers.
The teenager went over the bow of the 22-foot boat after dark and his body was found 10-days later at a depth of 100ft in Lake Travis, near Austin.
Throughout the legal proceedings that have followed the death, the teenagers on the boat have invoked the Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves, according to The OC Register.
Elliott’s parents, Amy and Brett Elliott, were allegedly told by officials that investigators had been given a number of different stories about what had happened on the water.
Two months after the October 2019 tragedy, Ben Echelson, a game warden for Texas Parks and Wildlife filed a report detailing what officials believe happened, according to The Register.
“Jack Elliott was pushed by Delaney Brennan from the front of a wakeboard boat … operated by Elle Weber under the supervision of Carson Neel,” the report stated.
“Jack Elliott was struck by the propeller multiple times and was killed … the alcohol on board was thrown overboard.
“False statements were given to the officers responding to the accident concerning the events preceding the push and the manner in which Jack Elliott fell into the water.”
In January 2020, the family, which is from Orange County, California, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against some of the teenagers, according to the Register.
It was settled privately in 2021 but a Travis Grand Jury has decided some of those involved will face a criminal trial. The teenagers were indicted late last year but the development has just come to light.
Delaney Brennan was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with evidence by aiding in the deletion of a cellphone video.
Carson Neel was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with physical evidence for allegedly getting rid of the alcohol overboard.
If convicted they could both face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
Joshua Evans was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of furnishing alcohol to a minor. Anthony Salazar was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of perjury. Elle Weber was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of giving false information to a police officer.
