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| (Photo by Anitra Wolf) Scott Adair, 29, of Crossett, Ark. entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter this week. Adair and two others were accused of first-degree murder in a Milford incident in April which resulted in the death of Matthew Begtrup, 25, of Sioux Falls. Sentencing is set for Oct. 20. |
Plea agreements have been reached for two of three men accused of murder in an April bar fight outside of Zippers in Milford.
Scott Thomas Adair, 29, of Crossett, Ark. entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter on Monday. In his plea, Adair admits to delivering unjustified hits that took the life of Matthew Thomas Begtrup, 25, of Sioux Falls.
Judge John Duffy accepted the plea at a hearing this week.
Sentencing for Adair is set for 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20. Voluntary manslaughter is a class C forcible felony with a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000 to $10,000.
John Allen Swan, 30, of Crossett, Ark., entered a guilty plea this week to willful injury of Philip Hassebroek, a friend of Begtrup, the deceased. The count was added to the trial information this week.
Sentencing for Swan is set for 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20. Willful injury is a class D felony, punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of $750 to $7,500.
Michael James Friedrichs, 30, of Forest City is the third defendant in the case. As of Tuesday afternoon, Friedrich's court file did not show a plea agreement. After a pretrial conference last week, Friedrichs was listed in the second standby position for a jury trial on Tuesday, Sept. 23, behind Swan and Adair.
Victim's parents file lawsuit
Although the cases of Swan and Adair may not see a jury trial, a lawsuit filed last week by the Estate of Matthew Begtrup demands a jury.
The estate, directed by Begtrup's mother Mary Fortin, filed a petition on Sept. 9 for negligence and intentional personal injury.
The petition names Swan, Adair and Friedrichs, along with Zippers, The Scoreboard, and Blattner Construction. The suit is requesting funds for punitive damages, medical expenses, funeral expenses, future earnings, and compensation of pain, distress and trauma.
This is my first time using this site and acctually commenting on what has been said. I knew Matt for over a year and he was a very close and dear friend to me. He was the first person to ever talk to me when I started my job where we both worked at. He was a very intelligent man and had a big heart. More than anything he loved working with kids like most news reports have stated. And anyone that knew Matt knew that he was an amazing man. On the morning that he was flown into the hospital, my roommate and I were the first ones from work there to see him in the ICU. Walking into that room we both did not expect what we were faced with. Seeing him for that last time brought some closer to my life, but to this day I have not completely dealt with his life being taken. Even though we were told a while later after being there for a while that he was gone, we still came back the next day just to be with him. I personally do not know these men, but the point is that Matt's life was taken, for no reason that can reasonably be explained. Matt was getting on the right track with his life and knowing him and being there at the hospital that day alot of us know more than many others do. As for Matt's mother, Mary, that woman has a VERY strong and caring heart. Matt was her only son and when he passed she lost alot without being able to say good-bye much like the rest of us. We all are left with questions unanswered, wishing there were things we could have said and done, yet to this day we feel still an emptiness. I would like to comment on fedupwithambulancechasers blog. Matt's mom has EVERY right to sue Zippers and all other parties expressed above. She lost alot and is left with many expenses, responsibilities and many pieces to pick up. If you knew the family I am sure you would feel the same. These men, whether drunk or not made choices that should all have severe consequences. These men as far as I am concerned should spend the rest of their lives in prison. Matt's life was cut short due to their drunken and irresponsible actions, and it's only fair that they pay for the consequences.
Okay - here we go AGAIN ... as a previous bartender/bouncer, I was responsible for knowing if a person had to much to drink when they came into the establishment I was working. If so, then I was responsible for kicking the person out of the establishment, cutting them off - making sure that they didn't have anymore to drink, if their buddy bought them one - it was immediately taken away and dumped - so that my employer(s) would not have to worry about suit being filed against them - not small town establishments - city establishments - I can't imagine that the laws aren't stiffer now than they were back then (10-15 years ago). Bar owners - it is time that you realize that you ARE responsible for the condition of your patrons!!
I, myself, feel the sentences and fines imposed on these men are ridiculously low!
So sick of alcoholics getting "off".
I would like to comment on the comment made about the bar owner and such NOT being responsible for this traumatic event. YES they should be held responsible, especially in this case. There IS a REASON and a NEED for security in bars and establishments such as Zippers in this case. I know for a FACT that the establishment DID know about the ongoing as it was happening and failed to respond and better yet did absolutely nothing about it. The only thing that is RIDICULOUS in this case is Zippers and their what they call "security". I think the family of Begtrup has every right to take action for damages from what happened for the failure of the establishment to provide a secure and "fun" enviroment for its patrons. For fedupwithambulancechasers to say he should not have DIED? EXCUSE ME last time i knew this was a MURDER CASE ....HE DID NOT DIE... HE WAS MURDERED. YOU ARE RIDICULOUS FEDUPWITHAMBULANCECHASERES!
I would like to comment on the comment made about the bar owner and such NOT being responsible for this traumatic event. YES they should be held responsible, especially in this case. There IS a REASON and a NEED for security in bars and establishments such as Zippers in this case. I know for a FACT that the establishment DID know about the ongoing as it was happening and failed to respond and better yet did absolutely nothing about it. The only thing that is RIDICULOUS in this case is Zippers and their what they call "security". I think the family of Begtrup has every right to take action for damages from what happened for the failure of the establishment to provide a secure and "fun" enviroment for its paitrons. For fedupwithambulancechasers to say he should not have DIED? EXCUSE ME last time i knew this was a MURDER CASE ....HE DID NOT DIE... HE WAS MURDERED. YOU ARE RIDICULOUS FEDUPWITHAMBULANCECHASERES!
I would like to comment on the comment made about the bar owner and such NOT being responsible for this traumatic event. YES they should be held responsible, especially in this case. There IS a REASON and a NEED for security in bars and establishments such as Zippers in this case. I know for a FACT that the establishment DID know about the ongoing as it was happening and failed to respond and better yet did absolutely nothing about it. The only thing that is RIDICULOUS in this case is Zippers and their what they call "security". I think the family of Begtrup has every right to take action for damages from what happened for the failure of the establishment to provide a secure and "fun" enviroment for its paitrons. For fedupwithambulancechasers to say he should not have DIED? EXCUSE ME last time i knew this was a MURDER CASE ....HE DID NOT DIE... HE WAS MURDERED. YOU ARE RIDICULOUS FEDUPWITHAMBULANCECHASERES!
What happened is an awful thing but to say that the lawsuits filed is ridiculous is even more awful. When you lose someone so close in your life you would do just about anything you thought would make you feel better and bring the people at fault to some justice! And how about instead of calling them ridiculous for filing a lawsuit how about you call the courts RIDICULOUS for giving a man who murder a good person a max. 10 year sentence and a max. 10,000 dollar fine. Thats a tragedy all its self. To think what the family thought about when they heard that's all he would get...I can't even imagine!
The murder is horrendous but the lawsuit filed is ridiculous. I am so tired of persons jumping on the bandwagon and filing suits such as these. the bars? the employer? This is not their doing. Where, in our society anymore, has a person's own accountabilty gone that everything that happens is always considered someone elses responsibilty or fault? Begtrup should not have died. It is awful. But the person(s) responsible for the death are the persons who struck the blows, not the bar(s) that served the alcohol to all involved.