MANSFIELD — The son of Brandon Ewers’ live-in girlfriend is one of three Mansfield men now charged with involuntary manslaughter in his death.
Ewers, 42, of 192 Boston Ave., was allegedly assaulted on Feb. 4 and was pronounced brain dead the next morning at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. He was kept alive on life support while organ donations were made.
After his death, Ewers’ body was taken to Montgomery County for autopsy. Police said he had suffered head trauma.
On Tuesday evening, Mansfield police detectives arrested Henry Gassaway, 24, of 1615 Beal Road, Brandon Cole, 29, of 1648 Beal Road and Guy Mitchell, 26, of 471 Clearview Road.
Mansfield police Lt. Rob Skropits, head of the Major Crimes Unit, said the involuntary manslaughter charges were filed after consultation with the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the Ohio Revised Code, involuntary manslaughter occurs when someone “cause(s) the death of another … as a proximate result of the offender’s committing or attempting to commit a felony.”
Skropits said Ewers’ girlfriend, Amanda Cole, 49, also of 192 Boston Ave., was treated Feb. 4 at 9:35 p.m. at Avita Ontario Hospital, which contacted police and reported she had sustained suspicious injuries.
At the hospital, police met with Cole, who was confused and unable to advise officers how she was injured. Officers went to her Boston Avenue residence and found it was in disarray “with items thrown all over the living area.”
Ewers was taken to the OhioHealth emergency room Feb. 4 by a friend and it was found he had been assaulted around 10:14 p.m. in the 100 block of Oxford Avenue.
Skropits said he didn’t know if the assault on Ewers was in retribution for a possible domestic violence incident between Ewers and his girlfriend.
“(Amanda Cole) is unable to tell us what happened. She says she can’t remember anything. Obviously, we can’t ask Ewers,” Skropits said.
Gassaway is the son of Amanda Cole, according to Skropits. Brandon Cole is a relative and Mitchell is a family friend, he said. All three were placed in the Richland County Jail pending a court appearance.
Skropits said the arrests were made based upon witness statements, the suspects’ own statements and “detectives beating their feet on the ground.”
Skropits declined to say if the three men admitted participating in the assault on Ewers.
“We received enough probable cause to make the arrests,” he said.
