Dallas police have arrested two individuals, identified as 19-year-old Lucas Roper and a juvenile suspect, on charges of tampering with physical evidence in connection with the drowning death of 18-year-old Daniel Erving. The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office previously ruled Erving's death an accidental drowning.
Investigators allege that Roper and the juvenile were present when Erving drowned at Lake Ray Hubbard earlier this year but failed to report the incident and subsequently discarded some of Erving's belongings. According to a statement from Dallas Police Department spokesperson Erika M. Brown, detectives conducted a thorough investigation involving interviews, evidence collection, and coordination with the medical examiner's office.
"The Medical Examiner determined Daniel Erving's cause of death was drowning, and the manner of death was ruled accidental," Brown stated.
Police reports indicate that Erving was reported missing by the Rowlett Police Department on April 13, having last been seen with Roper and the 17-year-old juvenile. The arrest affidavit details that the three allegedly jumped into the water from a railroad bridge. Erving drowned at this location.
Following Erving's death, the affidavit alleges that Roper and the juvenile left the scene in Roper's vehicle. Roper is accused of throwing Erving's clothing into a wooded area near the bridge, while the juvenile is alleged to have discarded Erving's cellphone from the vehicle at Roper's direction. Law enforcement later recovered the cellphone and some of the clothing after the juvenile led detectives to their locations.
During a voluntary interview with detectives, Roper reportedly admitted to panicking after Erving drowned and fleeing the scene with the juvenile. The affidavit further states that Roper admitted to deleting communications with Erving from his cellphone, anticipating an investigation and seeking to avoid trouble. Detectives confirmed these communications had been deleted from Roper's phone.
The charges against Roper and the juvenile stem from the alleged tampering with physical evidence by discarding Erving's clothing and deleting digital communications, as well as discarding the cellphone to prevent its use by investigators. Both suspects have been arrested, and their cases are proceeding through the criminal justice system. The investigation remains ongoing.