‘Affluenza’ Teen Ethan Couch Wanted For Violating Probation ‘Watch’

Anderson told CNN’s “AC360” he’s anxious Couch and his mother could have fled the United States.

Ethan Couch received probation two years ago following a drunk driving crash that killed four people.

Late Thursday afternoon, Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said U.S. Marshals and the Federal Bureau of Investigation officially joined the search to find Couch, KXAS 5 (NBC) reported. Not meeting with his probation officer and fleeing to points unknown, McConnell says, goes along with that. “We’re fairly confident that we’ll be able to find him”.

The FBI and US Marshals Service, which specializes in chasing fugitives, joined the search after authorities put Couch on the country’s most wanted list.

During the sentencing phase of his juvenile court trial, Couch’s attorneys relied on a defense expert who argued that Couch’s wealthy parents coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility, a condition the expert termed “affluenza”.

Prosecutors said they’re trying to determine whether Couch, 18, was one of the people drinking at a party in a video posted on social media earlier this month.

News of the defense quickly pissed a lot of people off. That outrage was amplified when Couch, who’d pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault while intoxicated, avoided prison and was sentenced to rehab and ten years of drug-and-alcohol-free probation. He was given 10 years’ probation, and he may have violated the terms.

His original crime occurred on June 15, 2013, when the then-16-year-old Couch got behind of the wheel of his pickup truck after a night of partying.

“My personal belief is when that video came out, he felt like he violated his probation, and I believe that was the trigger that caused him to up and run”. On December 11th, a warrant was issued for Couch’s arrest. He was sentenced to 10 years probation in a juvenile court for killing the four.

Anyone who has seen or talked with Ethan Couch or his mother or has any information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Marshals Service at 800-336-0102.

Three hours after the crash, tests showed that he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.24, three times the legal limit. Reuters reports that Couch and his mother took their belongings and passports when they left the home they shared, sparking fears he may have escaped the country.

A manhunt is underway for Couch after authorities say he missed an appointment last week with his probation officer.

‘He got way out ahead of this and got away before any of us knew he was missing’.

“Four people were hit and killed, and no one was held responsible”, Colleen Sheehey-Church, MADD’s national president, said in the statement.

Dr G Dick Miller, a psychologist employed by Couch’s defence, claimed that the teen’s privileged upbringing meant he had been shielded from the consequences of his actions.