SALT LAKE CITY — Two men who got into a fight with their schizophrenic uncle who ended up dying in a hospital two hours later were ordered Thursday to stand trial.
Brian Robert Drown, 33, and Andrew Albert Brundle, 26, are charged with homicide by assault, a third-degree felony, in the death of Douglas Brundle, 51.
The charges stem from a Sept. 7, 2009, fight involving the trio outside a Rose Park home near 1300 North and 1200 West that Douglas Brundle shared with his mother.
Pamela Ulmer, of the Utah Medical Examiner's Office, testified at a preliminary hearing Thursday that Douglas Brundle died of blunt force injuries to the head. She was questioned repeatedly by defense attorneys about whether Brundle might have died from an aneurism, but Ulmer said her examination of Brundle's brain showed none of the signs that would signal an aneurism.
Ulmer also was questioned about reports that Douglas Brundle might have struck himself and caused some of his own injuries.
"It's very unlikely that any injuries would be due to him striking himself without an implement," she said.
Salt Lake police detective Mike Hamideh testified that Brian Drown told him he and Andrew Brundle were at the house to get Douglas Brundle to sign some Social Security disability papers, but Douglas Brundle became agitated and walked out of the house.
Douglas Brundle stated he was going to kick the vehicle of Annedrea Vincent Edrington, Andrew Brundle's girlfriend, who was sitting in a car parked in the street outside the house, Hamideh said Drown told him. Brundle charged toward the car, Drown moved between Brundle and the vehicle, and Drown got the older man in a headlock and they went to the ground, according to Hamideh.
Drown told the detective that Brundle tried unsuccessfully to bite him, so Drown punched him twice, possibly three times, with his fist.
Andrew Brundle said he believed that Douglas Brundle could be persuaded to sign the papers, but the older man said something about "getting a knife," which worried Andrew Brundle, Hamideh said.
Andrew Brundle was recorded during a jailhouse phone call telling one relative he kicked Douglas Brundle once because Andrew Brundle was angry that his uncle tried to kick the woman in her car, Hamideh said. Another recorded call shows Andrew Brundle said he hit his uncle once and hit the man once.
Andrew Brundle also said his uncle had threatened to kill the two younger men and also threatened to hurt the woman.
Orlando Williams, a neighbor, said while he was cleaning his carport, he heard sounds and came around a wall to see what appeared to be a "schoolyard fight" but nothing serious. Williams said he saw Andrew Brundle kick a man who was on the ground but said it was not a "vicious" kick.
Later, Williams heard more shouting and went to the neighbor's yard where a man was lying on the ground. A different neighbor gave the man mouth to mouth resuscitation.
A search warrant in the case contained a text message from Andrew Brundle to Drown that said, "Call ur mom tell her we are on our way to grandmas i'm just going to beat him into a coma."
Andrew Brundle told the detective that he may have made "hateful statements" in some text messages after the fight.
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