Eugene According to court documents, the autopsy report found that the accused victim’s medical history included schizophrenia, alcoholism, methamphetamine addiction, and delirium. As a result, the trial of Oregon defensive back Daylen Austin, which was originally slated to take place in two weeks, has been postponed for six months.
Bradley Cascagnette, the circuit judge for Lane County, granted a motion to move the trial from its initial date of February 19 to August 14. The state’s recent discovery of material that will require the defense to consult with expert witnesses, seek the production of evidence outside the state’s possession, and then produce reciprocal discovery to the state—all of which could not reasonably occur prior to the current trial date—is the reason for the delay, according to the motion filed by Austin’s attorney, Bryan Boender.
For his alleged actions in an April 15 incident in which police claim his vehicle struck and killed a 46-year-old man, Austin, 20, was indicted last month on a Class B felony charge of failing to discharge the duties of a driver when another person is hurt. He is charged with killing Frank William Seaman, who was recognized by the police as homeless, close to the intersection of Polk Street and West Fourth Avenue.
According to data from the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory, the alleged victim tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine, according to Boender. According to the postmortem report, the accused victim had a medical history of schizophrenia, alcoholism, methamphetamine usage, and delirium. State’s discovery did not include the medical documents that the state’s medical examiner used.
According to Austin’s lawyer, if the prosecutor’s plan changes, the defense will try to expedite the new trial date.
The Oregonian/OregonLive examined surveillance camera footage from the night of the incident in May. It indicated that 15 minutes before to their tragic meeting, a guy who suited Seaman’s description threw a baseball-sized item at a white SUV that matched Austin’s car description. According to police documents obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive, when police arrived on the scene, they discovered a hammer on the street close to Seaman. They also discovered a blue grocery bag containing other hand tools. According to one law enforcement account, Austin told police that Seaman was threatening him with a hammer after he allegedly jumped in front of his SUV.
For the first time since the April encounter, Austin revealed in a public statement on December 30 that it was always on the back of my mind, but he chose not to further.
In addition to his several convictions for driving while intoxicated, Seaman was found guilty of first-degree burglary in 2010. In 2022, he admitted to stealing from Safeway, Walmart, and a liquor store in Lincoln County. He was given a five-year probationary term. According to state and local court records, his criminal history began in 1995 and includes over 30 cases in seven different counties throughout the state, as well as 47 offenses in Eugene since December 2019.
According to Oregon sentencing recommendations, Austin would receive a sentence of 16–18 months in prison and three years of probation if found guilty, given the nature of the offense and his clean record.
With spring practice starting next month and preseason camp starting in early August, Austin is anticipated to challenge for the starting nickel position for Oregon next season.
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