Daniel Erving’s family publicly demanded homicide charges Monday, saying the tampering case against 19-year-old Lucas Roper falls far short of accountability for the 18-year-old’s April death at Lake Ray Hubbard.
Police say Roper admitted he and a 16-year-old hid evidence after Erving drowned—throwing away his clothes, deleting calls and texts from his phone, ordering the phone discarded and leaving without calling for help.
Four days passed before emergency crews recovered Erving’s body, and the family’s lawyer argued the suspects then returned to normal life, raising questions about whether the drowning was truly accidental.
Three months after interviewing the suspects, Dallas police arrested Roper on July 9 on a tampering charge; the family says the delayed response and shifting jurisdiction with Rowlett police undermined confidence in the investigation.
The family now wants the Dallas County District Attorney to present the case to a grand jury for homicide charges and says it will keep pressing for accountability from everyone involved.