FBI, U.S. Marshals join search for 'affluenza' teen

Jim Douglas and Todd Unger | WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth

FORT WORTH — The U.S. Marshal's Service and the FBI have joined the search for the Texas teen whose attorneys used an "affluenza" defense at his trial, and his mother.

Ethan Couch became notorious as a 16-year-old when a juvenile court judge gave him 10 years probation and treatment after Couch killed four people in a drunk driving crash.

Couch was behind the wheel of his family's white pickup truck in June 2013 when it plowed into a group of good Samaritans trying to help a stranded driver. Nearly a dozen others were injured in the crash.

His “affluenza” defense — that he had grown up with a sense of entitlement and developed poor judgment after being coddled by his wealthy parents — and lack of jail time triggered an emotional reaction across the country.

Ethan and Tonya Couch disappeared sometime in early December, about the time a video hit Twitter appearing to show him laughing at a beer pong party. Terms of his probation forbid use of alcohol.

Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said the FBI and U.S. Marshal's fugitive task force have an excellent record of finding people around the globe, and can work with foreign governments, if necessary.

"(They have the) ability to look at financial records, obtain telephone records, cellphone records ... passport lists, flight lists. They have the ability to do that, and do it quickly,” Anderson said late Thursday.

A warrant for Couch's arrest was issued Tuesday.

Sheriff's investigators have been searching for Couch, 18, locally, including talking to his father, Fred Couch. His father and mother did not reside together.

"We visited with his father today,” Anderson said. “We sat down and talked to him. He cooperated, to the extent that he could. He's adamant he hasn't heard from them in a couple weeks.”

Anderson said Wednesday that his department was "working every angle" it could. Authorities have speculated as to whether Couch has left the country.

Billy Woodrich, a former bounty hunter, said he would only be looking at one thing if he were tracking Couch: money.

"You gotta find the money. You find the end of the money, you find the kid. Bottom line," said Woodrich. "They are a wealthy family."

Just learned US Marshall & FBI are formally joining the search for Ethan Couch. We welcome their help. #EthanCouch pic.twitter.com/KU4XtiF9n5 — Dee Anderson (@SheriffAnderson) December 17, 2015

Woodrich said it is possible Couch and his mother are still in the Fort Worth area, however, he admits the theory that they fled south of the border could be right. He said if they used passports, or passed through another country's customs, that wouldn't take long for federal authorities to determine. If they planned to flee, though, he says it doesn't take much to avoid detection.

"They coulda driven down toward South Texas, then hopped a little 'bugsmasher' plane over the border, or knew somebody there," he said. "There are so many scenarios."

A hearing is scheduled for January to transfer Couch's case to adult court, which could expose him to the threat of prison for future violations. Couch turns 19 in April.

Anderson is hopeful that massive new resources and massive publicity will lead to Couch's arrest.

"So it's across the country now,” the sheriff said. “Not just here. So if they're still in the States, no matter where they are, hopefully we'll be able to smoke them out.”

In a statement earlier this week, Colleen Sheehey-Church, national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said, "As police continue searching for Ethan Couch, we ask everyone to be on the lookout. MADD's heart goes out to the loved ones coping with the lifetime loss and grief because of his action to drink underage and then get behind the wheel."

Anderson said it's important to find Couch for the families of the four people he killed and for Sergio Molina, the young man left paralyzed.

"He's going to have to look over his shoulder the rest of his life," Anderson said Wednesday. "Any time he gets anywhere we could apprehend him, we're going to find him. And we're going to keep looking and we're not going to stop."

Contributing: USA TODAY. Follow Jim Douglas on Twitter: @wfaajdouglas. Follow Todd Unger on Twitter: @ToddWFAA8

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