A fatal accident. A new kind of defense. Public outrage. On June 15,
2013, a then 16-year-old Ethan Couch plowed into a small crowd of people, killing four
and injuring nine others. Keep watching to find out where the “Affluenza” teen is now.
Ethan Couch was born in April 1997 to Fred and Tonya Couch. By all accounts,
his parents had an abusive and tumultuous marriage. Fred later referred to the union
as a "mistake." Although they eventually divorced, this did little to quell hostility
between Fred and Tonya. A social worker later noted that there were looming issues,
including Ethan's codependent relationship with his mother and his father's lack of a regular and
consistent relationship with Ethan. According to the Chicago Tribune, the family, however,
was well off. In 1986, Fred founded Cleburne Metal Works, which reportedly made millions a year.
Even so, both Fred and Tonya faced several legal issues before their son's crash.
In 2003, Tonya received a charge for reckless driving and later lost her nursing license
because she didn't notify the Texas Board of Nursing of the said charge. As for Fred,
CBS News states that he was arrested for assaulting an employee in 1999
and was later accused of sexual misconduct by a coworker in 2009.
Regarding Couch's upbringing, D Magazine stated that social workers believed that
Tonya and Fred "adultified" Couch and "overly involved" him in their issues.
Moreover, another individual added that Tonya simply "couldn't say no" to her son.
Hours after the fatal accident, CNN reported that Ethan Couch's blood alcohol levels were
found to be three times the legal limit. The teen was subsequently charged with four counts
of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault and eventually pleaded
guilty. However, his well-to-do parents were able to hire a defense team that was about to
provide an argument on why Couch needed to be punished leniently for his crimes. His defense
contended that he was experiencing something referred to as "affluenza." In other words,
Couch's wealthy childhood led him to believe that there were no consequences for his actions.
According to The Guardian, the term "affluenza" goes back to the 1800s
and is essentially a catchall term that denotes the numerous issues,
psychological and otherwise, that affluent individuals experience because of their
enormous wealth. In Couch's case, Dr. G. Dick Miller, his psychologist, stated,
"[Fred and Tonya] taught him a system that's 180 degrees from rational. If you hurt someone,
say you're sorry. In that family, if you hurt someone, send some money."
Furthermore, Miller blamed the fact that his parents were unable to say "no" to him.
In the end, the judge bought the defense. Couch received no prison
time for taking four lives and hurting several others.
He was sentenced to 10 years of probation and sent to rehab in California.
Following Ethan Couch's sentencing, many were enraged and disapproved of
the so-called Affluenza defense. According to The Guardian, critics noted that he had
gotten off scot-free only because his parents had the money and power to provide him with
his freedom. As Marc Schindler from the Justice Policy Institute, put it,
"It's worse to be innocent and poor in this country than to be wealthy and guilty."
That being said, Couch was hit with various lawsuits from his victims and their families.
In 2015, it was reported that Luke McConnell, a 13-year-old victim at the scene, had reached
a settlement with Couch. In 2014, CNN reported that Couch had reached a $2 million settlement
regarding Sergio Molina. Molina, then a teen, who was riding in Couch's truck bed when he crashed.
He suffered a brain injury, and as a result, the former soccer player is now paralyzed. Molina's
family stated that his medical bills were in the millions and more than they could ever afford.
In 2016, according to People, Molina's brother, Alex Lemus, revealed that the Couchs had failed
to provide any funds . Lemus stated that they needed to pay and he just wanted some help.
His brother says he has quit his job to stay with Sergio all the time.
According to ABC News, Ethan Couch attended his court-ordered rehab in California and returned
to Texas to work at Cleburne Sheet Metal. However, in December 2015, he failed to check in with his
probation officers. It was later found that Couch, then 18, and his mother, Tonya, had fled to Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico. According to The Guardian, this decision was made after a short video
showed that Couch had violated his probation. He had attended a party where alcohol was being
served and thus had fled the country with his mother to avoid being jailed for the blunder.
Weeks later, the BBC reported that Couch and Tonya were found at a Mexican resort and arrested. Tonya
had allegedly withdrawn $30,000 and driven across the border. She had also told Couch's father,
Fred, that they were going to disappear. Ultimately, the mother and son were
discovered when authorities traced a phone call that had been made to Domino's Pizza.
In April 2016, Couch was sentenced to 720 days in jail for violating his probation. He was
released in April 2018 and was required to wear a patch that detects drug and alcohol ingestion.
In 2020, CNN wrote that Ethan Couch was arrested for violating his probation
when his patch detected THC. However, he was released shortly after when further
testing was unable to determine if the THC had resulted from CBD oil or actual
marijuana consumption. Couch's lawyer promptly released a statement that read,
"Ethan is committed to his sobriety."
His probation will come to an end in 2024. After their Mexican escapade, Tonya Couch
was charged with hindering apprehension of a known felon and money laundering.
As of 2022, according to an article from WFAA, Tonya's case has yet to go to trial,
and her legal team is attempting to get the money laundering charges dismissed.
She has reportedly made previous appeals, all of which have been thrown out. According to People,
Fred Couch was found guilty of impersonating a police officer back in 2016. Authorities
claim that Fred provided them with a fake ID and stated that he was a police officer.
The incident occured when officers responded to a disturbance call. Although he did not
receive jail time, he was sentenced to a year of probation. In 2022, RadarOnline reported
that REELZ had made a documentary about Couch titled "Affluenza Teen: The Friends Speak."