Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘One Punch Killer or Protective Brother?’ of A&E’s ‘Accused: Did I Do It?,’ the focus is on the tragic death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming in 2022 at a school in Akron, Ohio. Little did he know that his prank with Deshawn and Tyler Stafford near the basketball court would lead to a heated altercation and his eventual demise. The brothers were taken into custody a few days after the incident before a complicated and intense trial ensued.
Deshawn and Tyler Stafford Were Charged With Ethan Liming’s Murder
On the night of June 2, 2022, Deshawn and Tyler Stafford were playing basketball with their cousin Donovan Jones and an unidentified woman in the I Promise School premises at 400 West Market Street. When a group of teenage friends, including a 17-year-old boy named Ethan David Liming, pulled into the parking lot near the basketball court, the two groups got involved in a heated altercation after the teenagers reportedly shot them with their gel pellet guns. The fight led to the tragic death of Ethan, who was reportedly knocked unconscious by Deshawn, after which his head struck the concrete. A few minutes later, around 11:05 pm, he was pronounced dead by the authorities.
The Stafford brothers fled the scene after the incident. Despite the best efforts of the police, they somehow managed to stay out of custody but only until the morning of June 11. By then, the authorities had located them and their cousin, leading to their arrests at two different houses in Akron, Ohio. Each held on a $1 million bond, they were officially indicted by the grand jury of different charges — 20-year-old Deshawn was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and assault; Tyler was charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault; and Donovan was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault. On August 4, their bonds were also reduced to $25,000, $5,000, and $5,000 respectively.
Deshawn and Tyler Stafford Were Convicted of Lesser Charges
About more than a year after the tragedy, Deshawn and Tyler Stafford stood trial for the murder of 17-year-old Ethan Liming. Throughout the trial, the prosecution and defense presented a series of witnesses and evidence in front of the jury. The prosecutors claimed the Stafford brothers and their cousin, Donovan, fought with Ethan despite knowing that he was only pranking them with the pellet guns. They told the jury: “Their behavior caused the death of Ethan Liming. They were committing assault on Ethan. They were violently attacking him.” On the other hand, the defense argued that the brothers were not looking for any trouble and acted in self-defense.
During the closing arguments, the prosecutors admitted that shooting gel pellets at the defendants was a bad decision by Ethan and his friends but stated, “Most pranks are not bright ideas. It was a joke.” After two and a half days of deliberation, in late September 2023, the jury found Deshawn guilty of aggravated assault and assault and Tyler guilty of assault. As for the first-degree charge of involuntary manslaughter that both brothers had against them, the jury could not reach a verdict, and a mistrial was declared for that particular charge. A month later, on October 26, 2023, during the sentencing, Ethan’s family addressed the convicts.
His father, Bill Liming, said, “Every time I drive by the I Promise School I am filled with absolute heartache and fear. If only I could have been there to help my child that night. If only I could’ve held my son in my arms one more time, but you stole that opportunity away from me.” Meanwhile, his aunt, Kristi Lang, described how painful Ethan’s loss had been for the family. “You have shattered our family. We were once so close sharing weekly family meals, celebrating every birthday and holiday. Now we can barely get together because the loss of Ethan hurts so much and we have no words to comfort each other. We feel lost because he is absent and he will never join us again,” she said. Ultimately, Deshawn Stafford was sentenced to 18 months in prison and an additional six months in jail, while Tyler Stafford received a six-month jail sentence.
While Deshawn Leads a Quiet Life Today, Tyler Reportedly Got Involved in Another Crime
Tyler was released early in 2024, while Deshawn served the final six months of his sentence in a halfway house and then got released in December. Just a year after they were released, Tyler found himself in trouble with the law again, this time in Cleveland, where he had been living. On March 17, 2025, he allegedly beat someone with a firearm, after which there was an arrest warrant in his name. A couple of weeks later, the police spotted the accused, who fled from the officers in his car. While trying to get away from the authorities, he reportedly tossed a firearm out of the window. Soon enough, he lost control of the car and crashed his car into a property in the 1900 block of East 66th Street in Cleveland.
The crash caused a fire in the car, which was extinguished by the officers. As a result, Tyler and a couple of other passengers in the car were injured and rushed to the hospital immediately. Upon searching the vehicle, the police discovered a large amount of suspected drugs and cash. Although charges related to the chase and crash are yet to be filed, the authorities are looking into the case. As of April 1, 2025, Tyler was recovering at a local Cleveland hospital under a police protective order. According to reports, he is going to be booked following his discharge and recovery. In the meantime, Deshawn Stafford is leading a private life in Akron, Ohio, without any involvement in his brother’s recent crimes whatsoever.
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