Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Lawyers for two former University of Rhode Island students accused in a civil case with causing the death of a Fairfield University student during a pub crawl in Newport said there is no evidence that their clients caused the death of the Connecticut student.

The parents of Francis J. Marx V are suing former URI students Loren Welsh, 26, of Neshanic Station, N.J., and Jarrad Rocheleau, 26, of Cumberland, for $5 million, claiming that the two scuffled with their son and caused his death.

Marx was a 21-year-old senior at Fairfield when he was killed on May 20, 2004, after either falling or being pushed under a bus carrying University of Rhode Island students on a pub crawl.

"There's no doubt that this case is a tragedy," Welsh's attorney, Mark Dolan, said during opening statements today in Superior Court. "There's no doubt that there's no evidence, no testimony that Loren Welsh pushed or caused Francis Marx to stumble, to take two steps back, and to fall into the street."

Earlier, a lawyer for the family told jurors Welsh had admitted causing Marx's death when she told police, "He punched me, I pushed him, and now he's dead."

Dolan told jurors that Marx, who was in Newport for a formal dance for Wheaton College students (his girlfriend attended the Massachusetts college), had been drinking in a hotel room and dance prior to the incident.

Neither Welsh nor Rocheleau has been criminally charged.

The trial will resume at 2 p.m.

Newport Police Officer Stephen Head is scheduled to testify.

-- Journal staff writers Amanda Milkovits and Maria Armental, with reports from Journal staff writer Talia Buford

 Tags  Fairfield University University of Rhode Island

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