The charges came more than two months after 18-year-old Daniel Erving’s body was discovered near the water.
 |
| Daniel Erving |
Erving was last seen leaving his home on Woodlands Trail in Dallas around 4:45 p.m. on April 13, 2026.
When he did not return, his family reported him missing, and tragically, three days later, on April 16, his body was discovered near the Paddle Point area of the lake.
The Rowlett Police Department also officially identified the remains as Erving and according to them, his death appeared to be a possible drowning.
However, few months later, the case took a different turn after detectives arrested Lucas Roper, 19, and a 17-year-old juvenile on July, 9, 2026 in connection to the case.
According to the arrest affidavit, Erving went to the lake that afternoon with Roper and the teenager, and all three jumped from a railroad bridge close to Miller Road.
Erving is believed to have gone under and never resurfaced, as reported by PEOPLE.
Investigators say that instead of calling 911 or trying to get help, the two other teens gathered Erving’s clothes and cell phone, threw them away, and then left the area in Erving’s own car.
The affidavit also states that Roper later admitted to deleting text messages he had exchanged with Erving. Both now face a single charge of tampering with physical evidence.
 |
| Lucas Roper |
“During the investigation, detectives identified evidence that two individuals who were present at the lake failed to report the incident and later discarded items belonging to Daniel,” Rowlett Police Department spokesperson Erika M. Brown told CBS News.
Based on those findings, investigators obtained arrest warrants for both suspects.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Erving died from an accidental drowning, Brown confirmed.
Even with that official cause, the victim’s family has publicly pushed back and is asking police to file murder charges against the teenagers.
Erving’s mother, Tameca Erving, questioned the actions of the two young men in an interview with CBS News. “A reasonable-minded person would know, if you are not guilty of a crime, why would you throw away his clothes and delete messages and not even call his mother?” she said.
The family’s attorney, Sean Daredia, stressed that Erving was no stranger to the water. “Daniel Irving was an honor roll student. He was a member of his swim team. He was a strong, healthy young athlete,” Daredia said.
“For these two suspects to say he drowned and they left. It doesn’t add up; something smells off to us,” he added.
Erving’s relatives continue to demand more transparency as the case moves forward, and they are urging prosecutors to consider far more serious charges than the evidence-tampering counts the teens currently face.
For more true crime stories and updates on high-profile cases, sign up for our free newsletter here. For our long true crime content, and exclusive true crime deep dives, subscribe to join our community on Patreon.
Comments
Post a Comment