# *SF soldier dies after bar fight over Jimmy Buffett song in Steamboat*



## BLACK LION (Jul 1, 2009)

http://rockymountainnews.com/news/2...ht-over-jukebox-selection-steamb/?partner=RSS 

There is antisocial behavior and asocial behavior. 

There is avoidable violence and un-avoidable violence.


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## arnisador (Jul 1, 2009)

I'll be interested to learn the fuller story when they get more details.


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## BLACK LION (Jul 1, 2009)

They are unclear as to what "injuries" he sustained.  I will do some recon.


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## BLACK LION (Jul 1, 2009)

_"A soldier who died after a bar fight in Steamboat Springs, Colo., was a Special Forces member who was wounded in Afghanistan and also served in Iraq, family members say._
_Sgt. 1st Class Richard Lopez of Fort Bragg, N.C., was found unconscious outside a bar early Friday and died on Monday after he was airlifted to a Denver hospital, police said._
_Authorities said Lopez, 37, and two friends got in an argument with two other bar patrons after Lopez and his friends played a Jimmy Buffett song on the jukebox. Family members told The Denver Post the song was Margaritaville._
_Police Capt. Joel Rae said Tuesday the death is being investigated as a homicide. He said no arrests have been made but that two men have been identified as suspects and are in contact with police through their attorney._
_The suspects names havent been released._
_Gloria Bovadilla, Lopezs aunt, told The Post that Lopez was shot and seriously wounded while serving in Afghanistan. She said he also served in Iraq._
_Fort Bragg officials did not immediately confirm that but said they planned to release Lopezs service record later._
_Police identified Lopezs friends and companions that night as brothers Wes Mottlau, a soldier, and Timothy Mottlau, a sailor._
_Shannon Boahn, Lopezs ex-wife, said the Mottlaus told her they and the other bar patrons were razzing each other over their jukebox selections  Buffett for Lopez and the Mottlau brothers, Kanye West for the other patrons._
_The other men continued to razz Lopez and the Mottlaus after they left the bar, she told the Rocky Mountain News. The Mottlaus told him to ignore it, But I guess Richard was responding back to the insults, she said._
_Boahn said Lopez apparently slipped on ice and may have been knocked unconscious by the fall. It wasnt clear if a fight was in progress at the time._
_Rae declined to comment on Boahns account._
_Boahn said she and Lopez were married for eight years and were on good terms. She said Lopez and the Mottlau brothers had spent a week in Steamboat Springs while on leave, and that the jukebox argument broke out on their last night there."  _

An apparent "slip and fall" on the ice, indicating head trauma....   been happening allot lately.


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## JadecloudAlchemist (Jul 1, 2009)

Dying over Jimmy Buffett song....DYING OVER JIMMY BUFFETT...it's not KISS it's not LED ZEPPELIN it's JIMMY BUFFETT!!! 

Man even God and Satan are shaking their heads at this one.


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## JadecloudAlchemist (Jul 1, 2009)

And another thing if you are going to die to Jimmy Buffett at least at the very least die to one of upbeat songs like Fins or Volcano or Cheeseburger paradise man it would be terrible to die to the song Vampires,Mummies and the Holy ghost.

My mom made me listen to Jimmy Buffett,Kenny Loggins and Frankie Valli you can tell I had a scared childhood.


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## astrobiologist (Jul 3, 2009)

If I had to die to a Buffett song it would most assuredly be A Pirate Looks at Forty.  Good tune.


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## wade (Jul 3, 2009)

An American war veteran has died and some of you think this is a joke, shame on you. Sorry, I forgot to add my name "Wade" when I put the negative remarks against you.


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## JadecloudAlchemist (Jul 4, 2009)

> An American war veteran has died and some of you think this is a joke, shame on you. Sorry, I forgot to add my name "Wade" when I put the negative remarks against you


 
No problem Wade. And no Shame on me Shame on the guy who died over a Jimmy Buffett song!!

Oh ya I gave you a Positive Rep Wade cause your negative rep rocked!!


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## Carol (Jul 4, 2009)

The shame is on Eduardo and David Capote, that beat a serviceman to death.


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## wade (Jul 4, 2009)

I do get a little defensive about this. I'm a Viet Nam vet, my wife was in the Army in the 4th Psyop Gp, at JFK Center, Ft. Bragg. All 3 of my kids have served in Iraq, 2 in an amored unit, 1/64 2 BCT 3ID and the baby, who is in Special Ops just came back from his 4th deployment. When I hear about things like this it really upsets me. Go figure, eh?


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## Carol (Jul 4, 2009)

I'm an aunt of an 18 year old Spec4 (ARNG) that went to Basic at Fort Bragg.  I feel ya.


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## BLACK LION (Jul 6, 2009)

This is who should upset you.


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## still learning (Jul 8, 2009)

Hello, A 1st class Sarge of a Special Forces unit...got involved with a fight and die.......STUPIED of him to get into one fight in the first place..

MAN EGO"s always bigger than the brain!

Sarge's suppose to know better...to walk away in this case!   Looks like he had lots of medals...and a brave man....

EGO's---one thing that can cause alot of deaths...to everyone...

Special forces train Sarge...in training?  ....one needs to learn to fight like on the streets...to become a street fighter...anyone can learn self-defense....BUT STREET FIGHTS IS FOR REAL!!!

You may get anger about my comments...I am more mad for this Sarge to lose his life because of his EGO....

THIS WAS PREVENTABLE...AND SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPEN....A soldiers fault.....

Aloha,   ...just my toughts  ( 4 years of High School ROTC..and 6 years in the National Guard...)


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## Bruno@MT (Jul 9, 2009)

Was it even a fight? If they beat the man to death that is one thing, but if it was a verbal confrontation and he slipped on an ice patch and landed badly, that is quite another.


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## Carol (Jul 9, 2009)

Yes it was a fight. 

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2009/mar/23/charges_released_men_suspected_soldiers_death/

If dying from a slip and fall on the ice was a matter of "oops, that wasn't supposed to happen", I'd wager that the population of the northern US and Canada would be a lot lower than it is.  Either that or we'd be wearing some seroius ice cleats come wintertime.


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## Nomad (Jul 9, 2009)

Carol Kaur said:


> Yes it was a fight.
> 
> http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2009/mar/23/charges_released_men_suspected_soldiers_death/
> 
> If dying from a slip and fall on the ice was a matter of "oops, that wasn't supposed to happen", I'd wager that the population of the northern US and Canada would be a lot lower than it is. Either that or we'd be wearing some seroius ice cleats come wintertime.


 
Sad story of avoidable violence ending badly.  I'm surprised the brothers aren't being charged with manslaughter, at least (only assault charges).


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## BLACK LION (Jul 9, 2009)

They are being charged with felonies.

After a shouting match one of the attackers ran up to the Victim and hit him in the face 2x and he fell to the ground as a result and struck his head....  the mortal injury was "gravitational" as the earth was the impact tool.


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## Carol (Jul 9, 2009)

I suspect the icy conditions is why the brothers are not being charged with one of the manslaughter degrees.  Probably a good call by the DA.

But wow, if there is anything to be taken away from this its the importance of swallowing your pride and walking away, especially if you've been having a drink with friends.  Let the jerks get your goat, don't let them get your health/life.  Your real friends will still be there for you.


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## BLACK LION (Jul 9, 2009)

Violence is most often avoidable... and most of the time it is as simple as closing the mouth and keeping it moving....


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## bowser666 (Jul 9, 2009)

This is the crap that happens when you mix poor upbringing, alcohol, and ego, nothing good ever comes of it.  Nothing wrong with walking away.  So sad...................


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## Carol (Jul 9, 2009)

bowser666 said:


> This is the crap that happens when you mix poor upbringing, alcohol, and ego, nothing good ever comes of it.  Nothing wrong with walking away.  So sad...................



For the Capotes, yes.   



> The witnesses interviewed by police stated that the Capotes instigated the fight, and all seemed to agree that neither Lopez nor the Mottlaus fought back.



But I don't think that is a comment attributable to Sgt. First Class Lopez.




> *Decorated history*
> 
> Lopez, a recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at North Carolinas Fort Bragg. His previous tours included Fort Campbell, Ky.; South Korea; Gainesville, Fla.; Iraq; and Afghanistan, according to a news release from the United States Army Special Operations Command News Service.
> 
> ...




http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2009/jan/07/lopez_died_head_injury/


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## arnisador (Jul 9, 2009)

Carol Kaur said:


> I suspect the icy conditions is why the brothers are not being charged with one of the manslaughter degrees.  Probably a good call by the DA.



At this point those charges could still be upgraded if new evidence is uncovered, can't they?


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## Carol (Jul 9, 2009)

arnisador said:


> At this point those charges could still be upgraded if new evidence is uncovered, can't they?



I believe so.  I think with the case as it currently stands, there is not enough evidence to support the higher charges, much to the dismay of the Lopez family.

One of the articles I read mentions that Colorado law has very specific requirements/indicators (I forget the proper legal term for the circumtances) that must be met in order for a crime to be classified as a homicide or as a muder, and that this incident did not meet requirements.  

Another article said that there was no snow or ice on the ground when Sgt. First Class Lopez was visiting..............


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## BLACK LION (Jul 10, 2009)

Good eye Carol as I read conflicting reports... ice was mentioned as well as pavement or sidewalk...


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## celtic_crippler (Jul 10, 2009)

BLACK LION said:


> Violence is most often avoidable... and most of the time it is as simple as closing the mouth and keeping it moving....


 
True.

Old Irish Saying: _It's often a man's mouth broke his nose._


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## Guardian (Jul 16, 2009)

This is a sad event for sure.  It doesn't matter the how's, who's or where's so much as it didn't have to happen.  This country has lost another good military member over stupidity.


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