15 y/o Nick Barnes dies alcohol poisoning Man charged w/Manslaughter -Washington

[Kathy]

15 year old Nick Barnes dies of alcohol poisoning. Party goers write on him after he passes out.  Man charged with Manslaughter for providing alcohol - Washington


Family: 'A stupid game cost a young man's life'



Nick Barnes, 15, died two days after a
drinking game left him unconscious.

Story Published: Oct 26, 2009 at 8:22 PM PDT

Story Updated: Oct 26, 2009 at 8:24 PM PDT
By Elisa Jaffe

ONALASKA, Wash. - A night of drinking games proved deadly for a 15-year-old high school student, and now his family wants to use their grief as a warning to others.

Nick Barnes, a popular 10th-grader at Onalaska High School, died Sept. 21 after attending a birthday party at a friend's house.

In his last text message to his mom, Nick promised no drinking at the birthday party. But after a chugging game, he was found passed out in this yard, with writing covering his nearly bare body.

"This was a stupid game that cost a young man's life," says his grandmother, Sue Patterson. "If you're the first (one) passed out, they decorate you and make you the party favor."

The 28-year-old owner of the party house dropped the Onalaska teen off at the hospital. But Nick never woke up.

His mother, Rachel Smith, says, "I'm still numb. I'm used to him coming home from school telling me how his day was and crawling in bed, and I don't have that anymore."

Nick's family wants their pain to make a point about the dangers of underage drinking.

"These kids are playing with a loaded gun and don't even know it," says his grandmother. "And the people allowing it need to understand the responsibility. A child is gone."

The prosecutor is waiting on results from the coroner before deciding if the adult who threw the party will face manslaughter charges.

"He could have done things different, a lot different," says Nick's mother.

In nick's memory, his family encourages contributions to this new community center for kids - a safe, sober alternative to drinking parties.

"I don't want this to ever happen to another family," says Rachel Smith.

Nick died before knowing his fellow sophomores had voted him prince of his homecoming court. They had to do a re-vote after his death, and crowned Nick's best friend.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/66246057.html

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[Kathy]

Man arrested in teen's alcohol poisoning death


Nick Barnes


Story Published: Oct 1, 2009 at 9:49 AM PDT

Story Updated: Oct 8, 2009 at 12:42 PM PDT
By KOMO Staff

CHEHALIS, Wash. - A 28-year-old Onalaska man has been arrested in connection with last week's death of a 15-year-old boy from alcohol poisoning, officials said.

James Willard Taylor, 28, was arrested Wednesday night at his place of work in Lacey and taken into custody by detectives of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.

Taylor was booked into the Lewis County Jail for investigation of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Nick Barnes, 15, of Onalaska.

Barnes died Sept. 21 at Mary Bridge Hospital from alcohol poisoning. His blood alcohol level was .38 - more than four times the legal limit for an adult driving under the influence.

An investigation found that Taylor provided alcohol at a party at his residence on Sept. 19, said a spokesman for the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.

The alcohol was given to numerous juveniles, including Barnes, the investigation found.

Barnes, a student at Onalaska High School, was found passed out in the front yard by other residents when they arrived home later.

Taylor then took Barnes to Providence Hospital, where the teen was found to unresponsive and not breathing. Medical staff began life-saving measures on Barnes, and Taylor left without speaking further to anyone at the hospital.

"This is horrible tragedy which could have been prevented had an adult been thinking about the consequences of their poor judgment and behavior," said Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield.

"There is good reason we have laws prohibiting minors from drinking alcohol. A teenager's brain is still developing and is very sensitive to alcohol's effects on judgment and decision-making," he said.

The news of Barnes' death hit the small community hard. Neighbors said Barnes and his mother had just moved from Seattle a few years ago. Barnes worked at the high school's friont office and played on the football team.

"He was just a good friend to all of the other kids," said principal Kevin Ryan. "That's what we want him to be remembered as."

Police officers are educators are both hoping the young members of the community learned a valuable lesson in Barnes' death.

"Absolutely. Teenagers make bad choices and we hope that others can learn from that," said Ryan.

"It is a dangerous drug that people continue to use and abuse. And this is the result of that and to have an adult be part of the equation even makes it more disturbing," said Mansfield.

Taylor has been released from jail for the time being. The prosecutor is awaiting final autopsy results before deciding on charges.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/63116352.html

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[davidrip11]

Nick Barnes was the homie. Knew him since old times, R.I.P man. We miss u nd I wont forget you. - David

[Kathy]

Onalaska man sentenced for boy's drinking death

ADAM PEARSON | The Chronicle • Published May 13, 2011


Tears flowed on both sides of the courtroom Wednesday as a 29-year-old Onalaska man was sentenced to nine months in the Lewis County Jail for charges connected to the Sept. 21, 2009, drinking death of a 15-year-old boy.
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Nickolas Barnes, a sophomore at Onalaska High School, died of alcohol poisoning after drinking vodka at an Onalaska party. His blood-alcohol level was 0.32, four times the legal limit for drivers.

Originally charged with manslaughter, James W. Taylor in February agreed to a plea deal for convictions of second-degree assault, seven counts of furnishing liquor to a minor and one count of failing to summon assistance for a person in danger.

“It’s not what we wanted,” Rachel Smith, Barnes’ mother, said after the proceeding in Lewis County Superior Court.

The assault conviction is a Class B felony; the others are misdemeanors.

Before the sentencing, Barnes’ grandmother Susan Patterson read a statement to the court.

“Mr. Taylor, today we come here to end one year, seven months and 20 days since Nick died, because you didn’t call 911,” Patterson said. “Nick was so drunk, he laid out in your yard with an alcohol level three times the legal limit.” Taylor responded before the sentencing.

“I’m sorry, Barnes family, for your loss and everything,” Taylor said. “If I could take his place, I would.”

Because he didn’t have a criminal history, Taylor faced a sentencing range of three to nine months. Judge Nelson Hunt sentenced him to the high end, saying he hoped it would deliver a message to discourage binge drinking and the injuries that can come with it.

Although about 15 people attended the proceeding in support of the victim and defendant, people on both sides of the court wept after the sentence was delivered.

Taylor received credit for three days served in jail; he’ll undergo a year of community custody upon his release.

On the night of the incident at Taylor’s home on state Route 508 in Onalaska, Taylor allegedly had come home with beer after work to a party that was under way. Although he lived at the house with four other adults, the only other adult at the party was younger than 21.

At 2 a.m., Barnes reportedly had been passed out for about an hour when the younger-than-21 adult allegedly checked on him and saw that he had bluish lips and foam coming out of his mouth. He was transported to Centralia Providence Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 4 a.m.

It later was learned that before Barnes had died, other partygoers had removed some of his clothing and scribbled on his face and skin with markers.

Taylor, a furniture store employee, is married and has five children.

“I pray every day that you will never know what it’s like to lose a child,” Patterson said.

Read more: http://www.theolympian.com/2011/05/12/1649582/onalaska-man-sentenced-for-boys.html#storylink=mirelated#ixzz1SCk6Sxls


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