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DA’s Office Will Not Pursue Criminal Charges Regarding Drowning of Intoxicated ASU Student Tyler Blalock

Tyler Blalock - Courtesy ASU
Tyler Blalock – Courtesy ASU

By Jesse Wood

Dec. 19, 2012. District Attorney Jerry Wilson said criminal charges will not stem from the late-September drowning of ASU student Tyler Blalock.

After alcohol was determined to be a factor in Blalock’s death, N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement performed its own investigation and turned its findings over to Wilson.  

Wilson said that Blalock, 19, was believed to have purchased alcohol from Walmart, TApp Room and Klondike Café the night before he was found lying face down in Kraut Creek on the campus of ASU.

The TApp Room and Klondike Café are directly across the street from where his body was found in ASU’s Durham Park.   

After reviewing the Dram Shop Laws, which regard liability of establishments serving alcohol, and other details in the N.C. ALE report, which wasn’t made public, Wilson decided not to pursue the case any further.  

“It was obviously just a tragic accident when he fell,” Wilson said, adding that he talked to Blalock’s mother and said that she “understood the situation, she understood what happened.”

At 7:55 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, a passerby discovered Blalock’s body. No signs of a struggle or injuries were found other than a cut on Blalock’s forehead. Medical examiners estimated that his death occurred about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Officers found a wallet in Blalock’s pants containing two IDs with conflicting information. One was Blalock’s ASU ID and the other was a N.C. driver’s license bearing a strong resemblance to Blalock. Wilson would not release the name on the ID that wasn’t Blalock’s.

Investigators interviewed several of Blalock’s friends to trace his whereabouts and activities leading up to his death. Blalock had attended a party off campus around 8 p.m. on Friday and was “somewhat intoxicated.” Later, he purchased beer at a local store and returned to the party.

Around 11:30 p.m., he left the party with friends for a nearby bar. Witnesses reported to University Police that Blalock appeared very intoxicated.

Witnesses told police that Blalock left the bar at approximately 2 a.m. and was last seen walking toward campus just before he apparently slipped on rocks, hit his head and fell into the water.

In the area that he fell, a memorial for Blalock has been created with photos and flowers. Look at the pictures below. 

 

Blalock 1

Blalock 2

Blalock 3 Blalock 4