Simone Biles' Brother Tevin Biles-Thomas Was Acquitted of Murder Charges
Jun. 16 2021, Published 1:52 p.m. ET
Olympic gymnast Simone Biles is best known for her unparalleled athletic prowess, but recently, her name has made headlines for a different reason. Simone's brother Tevin Biles-Thomas was recently acquitted for charges of a triple homicide after a fatal shooting that occurred on New Year's Eve in 2018.
Here's everything we know about Tevin Biles-Thomas and the trial.
Tevin Biles-Thomas was first arrested in 2019, but his retrial took place on June 15, 2021.
Tevin Biles-Thomas was arrested in 2019 on charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, and perjury. Cleveland police identified him as the shooter of a 2018 New Year's Eve party at an Airbnb.
A fight broke out at the Airbnb when a group of uninvited guests arrived. The altercation led to the deaths of three men during the dispute: Delvante Johnson, 19; Toshaun Banks, 21; and Devaughn Gibson, 23.
On May 25, 2021, a judge in Ohio initially declared a mistrial after jurors said that "they had read legal paperwork that inadvertently was included in evidence given to them to review," according to NBC Boston. The 12 jurors recognized the error on the third day of deliberations, noting that they had received copies of legal briefs arguing over whether Tevin Biles-Thomas acted in self-defense.
Tevin's retrial took place on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. Tevin maintained his innocence in the two years following the event, pleading not guilty to the charges against him. Joseph Patituce, one of Tevin’s defense attorneys, also noted that in addition to the stress of maintaining his innocence, Tevin also lost his cousin to the violence.
"I mean, it can't be forgotten that Tevin not only has suffered through two and a half years of defending himself, but he also lost a loved one, too," Joseph said per NBC. On June 15, 2021, Judge Joan Synenberg "granted a Rule 29 motion for judgment of acquittal by the defense for lack of evidence," CNN reports. Tevin's charges of voluntary manslaughter and felony assault charges have been dropped.
In 2019, Simone also gave a statement on Twitter, writing, "My heart aches for everyone involved, especially for the victims and their families. There is nothing I can say that will heal anyone's pain, but I do want to express my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy. I ask everyone to please respect my family's privacy as we deal with our pain."
Thankfully, it appears that a grim situation finally has an ending, and after nearly two and a half years of trials, Simone and her family can be at peace.
