Attorney questions why MSU football player hasn't been charged months after allegedly assaulting fellow student

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – A Jackson attorney is questioning why a Mississippi State University football player hasn't been arrested yet, months after he says the athlete seriously injured a fellow student outside a Starkville restaurant.

In May, Trace Howell was with friends at Two Brothers Smoked Meats when he reportedly received a sucker punch from Demonte Russell, a veteran defenseman for the Bulldogs football team.

Howell, a junior at the time, hit the concrete and was taken to the hospital. The Clinton native was later taken from Oktibbeha County to a trauma facility in Memphis for treatment.

He had a traumatic brain injury. He also had two brain hemorrhages, said Traces' attorney Jeff Reynolds. His head was split open [and] had to be stapled back together… in Memphis.

Fortunately, he is making good progress. [But] “He's not back to 100 percent yet. I don't know if he'll ever be 100 percent again,” Reynolds said. “But he's making progress.”

Meanwhile, he says Russell is still not facing any consequences for his actions, telling WLBT he has not been arrested or charged with anything, even though football season is less than two weeks away.

I can tell you from my experience in the criminal justice system here in Jackson… the suspect, football player or not, would be arrested that night, cuffed and taken to Raymond County Jail, and [would be] the next morning before a municipal judge, he said. He was not handcuffed at all.

According to HailState.comRussell, a 64, 284-pound lineman from Provine High School, was still listed on the team's roster as of Tuesday, Aug. 20. The team's first state game is a home game against Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 31.

Reynolds would not speculate on why Russell was not charged, saying the lineman went to the Starkville Police Department after the incident to speak with authorities.

Howell's attorney said he also apologized to Trace via social media.

I know you [werent] I was expecting this message but I sincerely wanted to reach out to you and apologize for my actions, Russell is said to have written. Things [werent] it was meant to be this way, i just wanted to talk and i reacted differently… That's not my character, and damn it, it's not who i am as a person… i accept the consequences that this foolish act brings.

It is unknown what led up to the incident and as far as Reynolds knew, Trace had not been drinking that night.

It was totally unprovoked. There was no word exchanged between the two men, he said. Trace didn't know him. That's what's so bizarre about it.

According to witness statements, Russell walked up to Trace from behind, turned him around and said something to his face.

It kind of contradicts what he actually said, but before Trace could really react, Russell threw his first punch. His first punch grazed Trace, but he came right back with a second punch, Reynolds said. It hit him, and it hit him the second time… Trace was unconscious when his head hit the concrete.

The Starkville police never formally interviewed any witnesses, who later gave sworn statements to Reynolds after Traces' father asked him to investigate.

All the affidavits, all of Traces' medical records showing his traumatic brain injury, the confession on social media… We sent all of that to the DA, he said. I don't know how much of the file Starkville PD is going to send him. He [the district attorney] told us that if he had any problems obtaining the file, he would subpoena the file.

Reynolds said the Traces family received conflicting stories when they contacted Starkville police to follow up. Reynolds has not yet received a response from MSU President Mark Keenum or Athletic Director Zac Selmon.

They haven't even acknowledged that they received my letter, he said. If Mr. Russell, God forbid, hurts someone else, another one of their students after they've been notified… they're really going to be in trouble.

MSU Public Affairs Director Sid Salter did not respond to two emailed requests for comment, nor did Starkville Police Chief Mark Ballard.

As for Trace, the 21-year-old is in his senior year and back at Mississippi State. The political science major plans to attend law school this fall and has already taken the LSAT, the law school’s entrance exam.

It’s unclear how his brain injury will affect those plans, though. You know it could take years to fully recover, Reynolds said. But he’s being monitored very closely. He’s been seeing his doctors regularly, so hopefully it won’t be much longer.

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