Attorney Ben Crump has joined the family of Daniel Erving and is demanding a grand jury decision following the death of the 18-year-old in April.
By Sally Avila Edwards, Timia Cobb
Relatives of 18-year-old Daniel Erving, whose body was found in Dallas’ Lake Ray Hubbard three months ago, are demanding a “full and thorough” investigation.
The Erving family, legal counsel, and community advocates gathered for a news conferences Monday and Tuesday after Dallas police arrested two suspects in connection with the case. Erving’s mother, Tameka Irvin, was visibly emotional throughout the conference Monday, but had a clear message: “I want justice for my son.”
“Our family has gone through so much the past three months, waiting for the justice system to provide justice,” she said. “I want justice for Daniel.”
A 19-year-old suspect and a 16-year-old were arrested on July 9 on felony tampering with physical evidence charges in connection with the case. According to their affidavit, the 19-year-old picked up Erving and the 16-year-old to swim and fish on April 13. The 19-year-old suspect told police the three jumped into the lake at the railroad track bridge, where Erving drowned.
Erving was reported missing and found dead four days later on April 17, according to the affidavit.
Police interviewed the 19-year-old suspect after Erving’s body was found. According to the affidavit, the suspect said he and the 16-year-old fled the scene after jumping from the bridge with Erving. He said he and the 16-year-old then threw Erving’s clothes into the tree line near the bridge above the water and tossed Erving’s phone out of the window of the vehicle. The 19-year-old also told police he deleted all his messages with Erving, according to the affidavit.
Both the 19-year-old and the juvenile were arrested on July 9, about three months after the police interview.
Erving’s mother said police waiting months to present charges despite being told in April about the discarding of evidence immediately raised red flags.
“If you are not guilty of a crime, why would you throw away his clothes and delete messages, and not even call his mother?” she asked.
Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump echoed Irvin’s suspicions at a news conference Tuesday as he announced he would be joining the family’s legal defense alongside attorney Sean Daredia.
The family is requesting the Dallas County district attorney’s office present the evidence in Daniel’s death to a grand jury and pursue all charges, including murder not only tampering with evidence.
Claire Crouch, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said the office does not comment on pending cases and no further information could be provided at this time.
“We’re here demanding equal justice under the law, we want the whole truth,” Crump said. “But most importantly, we’re going to get justice, and I cannot say this enough, we don’t want partial justice.”
Crump is also representing the family of Nolan Wells who died on July 4 during a boat trip in the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Wells, 18, died under similar circumstances as Erving, Crump said Tuesday. Wells was on the boat with friends. His friends returned, but Wells did not. He was reported missing and his body was found two days later.
“We are going to fight to get to the truth of what happened to Daniel Erving, to what happened to Nolan Wells and all the other young Black boys who mysteriously ended up dead,” Crump said.
Erving’s mother said she had never met the young men her son was with and believe the suspects were not her son’s true friends.
“I believe they did it intentionally,” she said.
As of Tuesday, there is no attorney listed for the suspects. They could not be reached to comment on the allegations.
DPD spokesman Corbin Rubinson wrote the department conducted a “thorough investigation, including interviews, evidence collection, and coordination with the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office,” after the incident. But family members said that was not enough.
Daredia announced the Erving family has hired a private investigator to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. Erving’s sister said the case was treated with “no sense of urgency,” adding that her family has been in “complete agony” since the incident.
“We knew something was wrong because he would never leave his family worried about him — he would always come home, he would always answer our phone calls, he would always be there for us,” she said.
Irvin described Daniel as an “amazing son” with big dreams for the future. Erving, an honor-roll student and member of his high school swim team, planned to join the military after graduation.
Now, the Erving family is looking for justice for their son, brother, and grandson. Erving’s sister said her family is determined to seek the truth in the coming days, weeks, and months.
“He wanted to do so much with his life,” she said. “We will not stop until we get justice, because I know something else happened down there at the lake.”
Sally Avila Edwards is an intern for The Dallas Morning News. Avila Edwards covers the latest breaking and trending news about the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She graduated from Harvard with a degree in Government and English Literature. Originally from Central Texas, Avila Edwards previously reported for KXAN Austin and The Harvard Crimson.
Timia Cobb is a breaking news reporter for the Dallas Morning News as of June 2025. She previously worked with Syracuse.com |The Post-Standard and as a fellow with the Texas Tribune. She has a master’s degree in Magazine, News and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s in journalism from Texas State University.
