On Wednesday, the Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney announced that no charges would be filed against Tyreek Hill or his child’s mother, Crystal Espinal, arising out of reported child abuse. However, the District Attorney did say that he believed a crime was committed and prosecutors could not establish beyond a reasonable doubt which individual was responsible.
That still leaves Hill’s status in a large gray area between the criminal investigation where there will be no charges, the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) investigation and ongoing involvement in maintaining the safety of the child, and what the NFL will decide to do. The legal standards for the DCF are not the same as for a criminal case, and Roger Goodell has also shown that a lack of criminal proceedings is not a barrier to league punishment (see Ezekiel Elliott suspension).
Hill and his attorney came out with statements on Thursday to address the situation.
Statement from Tyreek Hill through his attorneys regarding the investigation:
“I love and support my family above anything. My son’s health and happiness is my number one priority.” pic.twitter.com/jDcAVG6Wy7
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 25, 2019
Statement from Tyreek Hill through his attorneys regarding the investigation:
“I love and support my family above anything. My son’s health and happiness is my number one priority.” pic.twitter.com/jDcAVG6Wy7
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 25, 2019
Hill is maintaining his innocence, and his attorneys are also claiming that he has cooperated with the investigation. This will be a factor that Goodell will consider, as one of the implications from the District Attorney’s statements yesterday was that somebody hurt the child but the potential suspects are not talking about who did it, thus making a conviction of anyone highly unlikely.
