Charges Dismissed Against Four Teens In METALLICA-Related Fan Death

Canadian Press reports that all charges have been dismissed against four teenagers in the death of a man on an Edmonton, Alberta, Canada transit bus after a fight over the heavy metal band METALLICA.

The four were charged with manslaughter in the March 2006 death of Stefan Conley (photo),35, originally from Cookshire, Que.

Details of the conflict on the bus emerged during a preliminary hearing that defence lawyer Peter Royal had requested not be under the usual publication ban.

Royal said Conley initiated the confrontation by grabbing one of the youths, whose three friends came to his aid.

Two passengers initially told police Conley was swarmed, kicked and stomped by four rowdy teens after he told them to settle down, but that evidence was discredited when the witnesses admitted they didn't actually see the youths attacking the man.

A medical examiner testified that Conley had a blood alcohol level twice the legal driving limit and died from a rare injury — a pinhole tear in a tiny artery at the base of his brain

His death happened on a Route 74 bus near South Edmonton Common about 9 p.m. on March 2, 2006.

A dispute broke out between Conley and the four boys about the heavy metal band METALLICA and got increasingly heated, a teen witness told the court. Two other teen witnesses have also testified the fight began with a dispute over METALLICA.

One of the boys, whom a girl witness called "METALLICA guy" in a statement to cops, had a METALLICA tattoo on his arm, she said.

"The victim was saying he went to one of (METALLICA's) concerts and he was more of a fan (than the teens) because he was there when they were around, and now they don't tour."

Another passenger testified that one youth insulted Conley, who crossed the aisle and punched him, with the result that all four youths punched back. A further passenger said the teens stopped punching as soon as Conley let go of the youth he was attacking.