Family calls for grand jury review and additional charges after evidence tampering arrests
DALLAS (July 13, 2026) –– Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has joined the legal team representing the family of Daniel Erving, the 18-year-old honor roll student and high school swimmer who died at Lake Ray Hubbard on April 13. Attorney Crump will speak alongside Daniel’s family at a news conference Tuesday.
They will call on the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office to present the evidence in Daniel’s death to a grand jury and to pursue all charges the facts support.
Daniel went into the water at the lake near Rowlett with two other teenagers on April 13, and his body was recovered four days later. The medical examiner ruled the death an accidental drowning, a finding Daniel’s family and legal team dispute. On July 9, Dallas police arrested a 19-year-old on a charge of tampering with physical evidence, and a juvenile faces the same charge. According to an arrest affidavit, the two discarded Daniel’s clothing and cell phone, and one of them admitted to deleting his communications with Daniel.
Attorney Crump also represents the family of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old Ocean Springs, Mississippi, student-athlete found dead on Horn Island after a Fourth of July trip with friends. In both cases, a young man died by the water after an outing with peers, and a grieving family is asking investigators for transparency and a full accounting of their son’s final hours.
WHO:
The family of Daniel Erving
Attorney Ben Crump
Attorney Sean Daredia
WHEN:
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
11:30 a.m. CT
WHERE:
Uncommon Church
2621 Brigham Lane
Dallas, TX 75215
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MEDIA CONTACT:
[email protected]
ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com
