Coroner probe raises questions

 

By BETH SMITH

Gleaner staff

831-8334 [email protected]

Friday, September 15, 2006

 

A report released Thursday by the Henderson County Coroner's Office conflicts with a school system review on the question of when the heat index reading was obtained on the morning 16-year-old Ryan Owens died after football practice.

 

The coroner's report indicates that a reading was not obtained from Owensboro Catholic football coach John Edge until after Owens had died.

 

Another variance between the coroner's 30-page report and Wilson's report involved an alleged profanity that Duffy Sr. used in talking to Owens shortly before practice ended.

 

In the coroner's report, Farris said one of the team members recalled seeing Owens get a bottle of water and heard "Coach Duffy Sr. tell him to put it up."

 

Wilson's report said Debbie Duffy, wife of Duffy Sr., saw Owens having problems earlier and directed someone to give him water. Debbie Duffy also told someone to pour water down Owens' back and to tell the coaches to watch him.

 

"That message got to (Assistant Coach David Hargiss) who gave Ryan more water and had him sit down. However, this directive was later overturned by Coach Duffy Sr., who hadn't been advised of the concern and instructions of his own wife and coach Hargiss."

 

Full link from The Gleaner

From the coroner report on page 22:

 

"During the course of the investigation, I invterviewed ___ who is a member of the H.C.H.S. football team. He stated Owens was cramping on Monday, he said Owens stretched all the time, even when he wasn't cramping. He said Owens was cramping Wed., and he told Owens to drink some wetter. He said they had contact drills on Wed., blocking drills, no tackling or taking to the ground. He said he saw him on the ground stretching during the time they were doing team "O". But I didn't talk to hom. ______ said Owens acted tired and was kinda pale. He said he saw Owens get a bottle of water and he and Coach Duffy tell him to put it up. He said Duffy called him a ---- and told him he hadn't done anything the whole practice. He also said it wasn't unusual for Duffy to use that type of language. _______ said he didn't see him when he fell, but was told by Coach Hargis when they got to the locker room to turn the shower on, so they could get Owens wet."

Does anybody really doubt Tom Duffy's coaching methods. He beats kids into submission with verbal and physical abuse. Many kids quit, but the ones left standing are brainwashed to his way of thinking. He has been abusive for years. It is no shock that this issue has occured in a program with his stamp on it. I won't even say what I would do if that was my child.:fight:

Oh My....

Duffy has always been a piece of work...Why do you think he was run out of Ft. Thomas?? Nothing surprises me when it comes to that guy......:irked:

It's very interesting how the same set of data can produce a different outcome:

 

Report says death wasn't coaches' fault

 

HENDERSON, Ky. — A report by an attorney hired by a school system in Western Kentucky said coaches were not to blame for the death of a high school football player in July.

 

"Nothing was done, or omitted, by the Henderson County football staff that impacted the unfortunate death of Ryan Owens," Owensboro attorney Bill Wilson said in a report released Tuesday.

The school board hired Wilson to draft the report.

Does anybody really doubt Tom Duffy's coaching methods. He beats kids into submission with verbal and physical abuse. Many kids quit, but the ones left standing are brainwashed to his way of thinking. He has been abusive for years. It is no shock that this issue has occured in a program with his stamp on it. I won't even say what I would do if that was my child.:fight:

Iv'e heard some war stories from friends that played for him when he was at Highlands. Some are funny, but most are not. Him leaving was kind of owning a boat. The best day of your life was buying a boat, the second best day was selling it. He was definately the wrong man for Ft Thomas

It's very interesting how the same set of data can produce a different outcome:

 

Report says death wasn't coaches' fault

 

HENDERSON, Ky. — A report by an attorney hired by a school system in Western Kentucky said coaches were not to blame for the death of a high school football player in July.

 

"Nothing was done, or omitted, by the Henderson County football staff that impacted the unfortunate death of Ryan Owens," Owensboro attorney Bill Wilson said in a report released Tuesday.

The school board hired Wilson to draft the report.

 

Kind of like hiring Brer Fox to check out the hen house.

It's funy how some people won't let this go and get on here and run people down under hidden identities. When the vultures are out they tend to feed. The circumstances are totally unfortunate, but it is not our job on a message board to continue chastizing?sp the Duffies.

 

It does take someone special to play for Coach Duffy and it sounds like people on here were not cut out to handle it. His record as a Coach speaks for itself. This was an unfortunate accident that noone wants to go through Coach Duffy and his family alike.

It's funy how some people won't let this go and get on here and run people down under hidden identities. When the vultures are out they tend to feed. The circumstances are totally unfortunate, but it is not our job on a message board to continue chastizing?sp the Duffies.

 

It does take someone special to play for Coach Duffy and it sounds like people on here were not cut out to handle it. His record as a Coach speaks for itself. This was an unfortunate accident that noone wants to go through Coach Duffy and his family alike.

It takes a coward to treat a child under his care like a peice of meat. I know many of his "players" that know he shouldn't be around kids, and are now sorry that they didn't say anything when they were younger. Yes, these were high impact starters on state championship teams.

It takes a coward to treat a child under his care like a peice of meat. I know many of his "players" that know he shouldn't be around kids, and are now sorry that they didn't say anything when they were younger. Yes, these were high impact starters on state championship teams.

My sources weren't subs either. And yes they were able to make the team. Maybe Tom couldn't cut Ft Thomas, and Highlands record speaks for itself. I'm sure 94 Camel and I won't be the only ones that have an issue with Tom Duffy. It's too bad it had to come to the expense of a child!!!!!!

I knew Tom and Debbie very well. After reading the article and what Debbie said she did and what was said about Tom's actions during that time sounded dead on Duffy.

Duffy has always been a piece of work...Why do you think he was run out of Ft. Thomas?? Nothing surprises me when it comes to that guy......:irked:

 

 

That says it all. You prove you can win in Ft. Thomas and they run you off? Red Flag Red Flag.

It's funy how some people won't let this go and get on here and run people down under hidden identities. When the vultures are out they tend to feed. The circumstances are totally unfortunate, but it is not our job on a message board to continue chastizing?sp the Duffies.

 

It does take someone special to play for Coach Duffy and it sounds like people on here were not cut out to handle it. His record as a Coach speaks for itself. This was an unfortunate accident that noone wants to go through Coach Duffy and his family alike.

 

 

Breaking new safety rules that may or may not have led to a kid dying? I don't think his question is in character, I think it's coming out to everyone who didn't already know. I have some very good friends who won state championships for him too.

It's very interesting how the same set of data can produce a different outcome:

 

Report says death wasn't coaches' fault

 

HENDERSON, Ky. — A report by an attorney hired by a school system in Western Kentucky said coaches were not to blame for the death of a high school football player in July.

 

"Nothing was done, or omitted, by the Henderson County football staff that impacted the unfortunate death of Ryan Owens," Owensboro attorney Bill Wilson said in a report released Tuesday.

The school board hired Wilson to draft the report.

 

 

The coroner or the school report? Which one would stand up in court, the one with no reasons for bias, or the schools report?