Simone Biles' Brother Acquitted Of All Murder Charges In Connection To Triple-Homicide, Courtroom Erupts In Chaos: Report
It was a tense day in the courtroom after Simone Biles' brother, Tevin Biles-Thomas, was reportedly acquitted of all murder charges in connection to a 2018 New Year's Eve shooting in Ohio.
On Tuesday, June 15, the judge granted the request of Biles-Thomas' attorney, Joseph Patituce, to acquit his client due to a lack of evidence, according to a report.
The Olympian's brother, who pleaded not guilty, was on trial in Cleveland facing charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault following the death of his 23-year-old cousin, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old from the shooting.
While announcing the ruling, the judge pointed out multiple inaccuracies with the witness descriptions such as the shooter's clothing amongst other issues, it was reported.
According to Biles-Thomas' attorney, the 26-year-old — who was arrested on August 29, 2019 — didn't fire a single shot during the shooting, TMZ reported.
After the judge declared him not guilty, a mother of one of the victims reportedly sprung towards Biles-Thomas, shouting: "You have to be f**king kidding me. I’m going to kill you." The woman was apparently held back by security and won't face charges.
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Patituce reportedly addressed the confrontation in the courtroom, saying, "We get it, she’s angry. She was led to believe Mr. Biles was guilty, when he wasn’t, and she reacted like a mother. We don’t fault her for that."
Biles-Thomas' lawyer added: "She lost a son and we understand, and we respect the fact that she has suffered horribly, her family has suffered horribly, just like the other families — including Mr. Biles."
He noted that his client — who was a soldier in the U.S. Army — also lost someone close to him and had to grieve the loss of his family member while on trial. "I mean, Mr. Biles’ own cousin was murdered in this case and he had to sit there and stand trial with the accusation that he was responsible, murdered his own cousin, which simply wasn’t true," Patituce insisted, per the outlet.
Biles, an Olympic gold medalist, was reportedly separated from her brother during childhood. However, she addressed her older brother's arrest in 2019, saying: "My heart aches for everyone involved, especially for the victims and their families," according to the outlet.
"There is nothing that I can say that will heal anyone's pain," she candidly added, "but I do want to express my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy."
