No charges in Emerson student’s death
Family angry as grand jury declines to issue bill
The family of an Emerson College student who suffered a fatal brain injury in a Sept. 28 confrontation on an Allston street said Friday they were in “shock” that a grand jury opted to not indict anyone in connection with his death.
“We are angry. We are sad,” the victim’s family said on The Daniel J. Hollis Foundation Inc.’s Facebook page. “We ask for privacy for both our family and our friends as we navigate yet another crushing blow. “We are in shock.” In October, the Marine Corps said a Marine on leave was wanted in connection with the death of Hollis, a 19-year-old Emerson College student and Mendon native who suffered a fatal brain injury in a late-night confrontation in Allston.
Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins on Friday called the investigation into Hollis’ death “incredibly thorough and painstakingly detailed” but said a grand jury had decided not to indict anyone in connection with Hollis’ death.
“As we have said since the September 28, 2019, assault that ultimately claimed Mr. Hollis’ life, my office will continue to provide all of the resources and support that his loved ones may need as they process and grieve Daniel’s death,” Rollins said in a statement. “The grand jury has spoken, and we respect its findings, however difficult they are to hear.”
In their Facebook post, Hollis’ family said it has had to grapple with “a pain unlike any other.”
“For the last five months … all of our family and friends have had to process the loss of our Daniel,” they said. “As far too many people know, the loss of a child and someone so full of life is a pain unlike any other. Compounding our situation has been the fact that we did not know for certain what happened to Dan as he left his friend’s apartment in Alston (sic) in the early hours of Saturday, September 28th on his way to get food at the local McDonald’s with his friends.
“As an ongoing criminal investigation, we were not privy to the witness interviews, surveillance footage or medical reports the homicide squad of the Boston Police Department was collecting and the DA’s office was analyzing. We respected the investigation process and waited for the professionals to complete their work. We are very grateful to our investigation team and know how hard they worked to bring those responsible for Dan’s death to justice,” the family added.
“Sadly,” the family said, “the grand jury did not vote in favor of indictment regarding the individual(s) who were involved in the attack that caused irreparable brain damage and ultimately Dan’s death. We still do not have all of the answers to our questions of what took place that night but will be able to finally sit down with our investigative team and learn what they discovered in the near future.”