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The defense in the death of Johnny Gaudreau dropped a bombshell
Following Team USA winning men’s Olympic hockey gold, Johnny Gaudreau was honored once again. Yet, his case has now taken a turn in court.
The late Columbus Blue Jackets forward was killed on August 29, 2024, at age 31. According to The Columbus Dispatch, “the Gaudreau brothers were killed after a suspected drunk driver crashed into them on a rural road” where they were biking in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.
Sean Higgins, who is accused of killing Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, has been in jail since his case is ongoing. However, defense attorney Richard F. Klineburger argued on Feb. 24 that the charges should be thrown out as Higgins wasn’t legally drunk.
Klineburger claimed that the defense’s expert determined Higgins’ blood alcohol content (BAC) was 0.075, which is below the legal limit of 0.08. The prosecution claims it was 0.087, just above the limit.
“It seems that it was plasma that was tested, not whole blood,” Klineburger said. “Based upon our expert report, that brings the actual BAC reading down to .075.”
According to The New York Post, Higgins wants all the charges against him dismissed and prosecutors to get a new indictment from a grand jury.
“Klineburger said the alleged discrepancy may have “impacted the grand jury” on its decision to indict Higgins on all the counts in the case. Including first-degree aggravated manslaughter, reckless vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and tampering with physical evidence,” the article read.
Higgins’ latest claim comes just days after Team USA won Olympic gold and honored Johnny Gaudreau throughout the celebration.
If Higgins is convicted on all counts, the 45-year-old could face up to 70 years in prison.
Team USA Celebrates Johnny Gaudreau After Gold Medal
Gaudreau would have likely been on Team USA’s roster at the 2026 Olympics had he not been killed nearly two years ago.
So, after Team USA defeated Team Canada in overtime, Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin grabbed Gaudreau’s jersey and kids and brought them into the celebration. Gaudreau’s family was in attendance to watch the gold medal game.
“It felt like it was super special,” Werenski said on FOX & Friends on Feb. 24. “This is something John would have been at, and we wanted to make him proud. And to have his kids on the ice, to celebrate with us, it just felt right.
“Obviously, it was our lifelong dream. But it was also John’s, and we wanted to honor him the best that we could.”
Werenski, who played with Gaudreau in Columbus, said many players on Team USA idolized him. So, he’s had an impact on all their careers and Team USA’s win. Which is why they wanted his family involved.
“He really embraced what it meant to be a USA hockey player. A lot of us wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Werenski said. “A lot of guys that played for USA hockey really looked up to John. Felt like that was just the right thing to do was to have his kids on the ice, have his family there. And to have his jersey in our picture.”
‘Johnny Hockey’ represented Team USA three times, including winning gold at the world juniors in 2013.
Gaudreau’s Wife Honored by Celebrations
Gaudreau’s death took many in the NHL world by surprise, and many around the sport continue to honor him.
Meredith, Gaudreau’s wife, is grateful for everything the team did for her and her family.
“They didn’t have to do that,” Meredith told ABC News Live on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
“I was just very, very proud. I’m very thankful to them for including my kids in it and just honoring my husband the way they do,” she said. “It’s the classiest thing. They do all these really kind gestures and include our kids in everything, because I know that’s exactly what John would want.”
Gaudreau was a seven-time NHL All-Star.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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