BY JANICE MORSE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Brian Gully, left, listens to his attorney, Craig Hedric.
(Gary Landers photo)
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HAMILTON -- Brian Gully intervened in an argument between a friend and a party-goer -- but the way he did it may have caused his friend's death, authorities allege.
After a preliminary hearing Thursday, Municipal Court Judge John G. Rosmarin found enough evidence to send Mr. Gully's case to a Butler County grand jury.
While Mr. Gully remains free on $5,000 bond, the grand jury will consider whether to indict him in the June 7 death of Jeffrey C. Vasquez, after a teen drinking party at their Hamilton apartment.
Mr. Gully, 19, a son of Union Township Administrator David Gully, had been a co-worker and roommate of Mr. Vasquez.
"It's a horrible tragedy, but my client was the peacemaker -- the witnesses said that," said Brian Gully's lawyer, Craig Hedric. "But he's sitting here charged with involuntary manslaughter because of it."
Butler County Coroner Dr. Richard P. Burkhardt ruled that Mr. Vasquez, 18, died from bleeding inside his skull, caused by "manhandling."
Party-goer Michael Beatty testified, "Brian threw him (Mr. Vasquez) to the ground . . . I remember his head striking the floor." And immediately after Mr. Vasquez fell, he complained of pain in his jaw, Mr. Beatty said.
"He was saying, "It hurts, it hurts,' over and over," Mr. Beatty said.
Then Mr. Vasquez reported he needed to throw up, Mr. Beatty said. Two friends helped Mr. Vasquez to the bathroom, where he vomited. Such nausea can signal a serious head injury, Dr. Burkhardt said, noting tests showed only a trace amount of alcohol in Mr. Vasquez's body.
Meanwhile, another witness, Jonathan Spangler, testified Mr. Gully did not "body-slam" the victim because, "He never picked him up." Mr. Spangler also said, "I know (Mr. Vasquez's) head didn't hit the ground."
But in a written statement for police, Mr. Spangler said Mr. Gully did body-slam the victim, and, "I did not see where Jeff's head hit."
While reading excerpts of that statement, Mr. Spangler made eye contact with Mr. Gully, his friend for the past year. Tears welled up in Mr. Spangler's eyes, his voice cracked and he said, "I can't read it."
During the morning of Mr. Vasquez's death, Mr. Spangler was trying to sleep and yelled at party-goers to shut up. That angered Mr. Vasquez, who challenged Mr. Spangler to fight.
Then came intervention from Mr. Gully -- and from at least one other person, who wasn't called to testify Thursday.
With a bowed head, Mr. Spangler explained why he left the party soon thereafter: "I didn't want any more trouble."
about the head injury suffered by Jeff Vasquez shortly before his death. Mr. Gully is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death.
