A friend of a Black teenager who drowned in Texas is providing new details regarding the circumstances of his death.
A friend of Daniel Erving and his family, who only wished to go by “Ian,” spoke with the Atlanta Black Star about what happened.
Erving disappeared on April 13 around 4:45 p.m. from his home on Woodlands Trail in the Dallas suburb of Rowlett. His family told police his behavior was “very out of character.”
Investigators said initially that 18-year-old Erving was fishing with two friends. But during a press conference on Thursday, his family claimed they thought he was visiting friends down the street.
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“Two boys murdered my son,” Erving’s mother cried during the news conference on Thursday.
According to the affidavit, Erving, Lucas Roper, 19, and a 16-year-old jumped into Lake Ray Hubbard from a bridge. Erving did not resurface.
The two other teenagers claimed Erving yelled for help from the water.
“There should’ve been no reason he couldn’t have gotten out of that water,” Ian said.
Swimming History
Ian, 20, explained to Atlanta Black Star he met Daniel three years ago through his friend “Dallas.” The three friends would hang out often, according to Ian.
“When I first officially found out the manner in which he passed, I didn’t really understand…less and less of the situation made sense,” Ian said. He said he did not know the two teenagers facing charges personally.
“He was very acclimated to the water; he knew what he was doing,” Ian said. He spoke about Daniel’s achievements from being a member of the swim team.
Ian said he knows what it feels like to almost drown. Once when he and friends went to the lake, he was helping someone tie their boat to a dock.
“By this time I was so exhausted….I could not speak, I could not scream,” Ian said. He questioned the companions’ claims that Erving yelled for help.
If someone is drowning, they generally cannot yell or call out for help because of the loss of airflow. Although Erving’s autopsy report shows that he drowned, his mother pointed out that nothing was blocking his airway, according to the autopsy. She also acknowledged that her son was on his school’s swim team.
Thankfully, people were around to rescue Ian from the water.
“The swim [Daniel] had to do is not nearly as long as the swim to that boat,” he said.
What Happened to the Evidence?
Roper admitted to driving off and ordering the other teenager to toss Erving’s phone. The 16-year-old told police Roper himself threw out Erving’s clothes.
The teenagers were charged with tampering with evidence.
According to Ian, surveillance video from a kayak rental place shows the three boys walk past the camera at one point. Minutes later, Roper and the 16-year-old returned. He noted the 16-year-old was limping.
The family said investigators gave them that description, but they have not seen the video. Investigators have yet to release it.
Atlanta Black Star previously reached out to the Rowlett Police Department and received the following statement:
“Because this is an active and ongoing investigation, we are unable to release information at this time, as doing so could compromise the integrity of the investigative process. For updates or questions regarding Daniel’s case, we respectfully refer all inquiries to the Dallas Police Department.
The Rowlett Police Department remains committed to fully cooperating with the Dallas Police Department until the investigation is complete.”
