The state of Missouri will pay $9 million to the family of an Arizona State University junior who drowned in handcuffs while in the custody of a state trooper.

Brandon Ellingson, of Clive, Iowa, was on a police boat in handcuffs after he was arrested on the Lake of the Ozarks for boating while intoxicated on May 31, 2014.

The 20-year-old then 'either fell or jumped overboard' and drowned. His dead body was pulled from the lake the following morning.

Ellingson's family filed a lawsuit in federal court nearly two years ago, blaming Trooper Anthony Piercy, the state and the Missouri Highway Patrol for Brandon's death.

On Thursday, the state settled with his family in the civil suit, but Piercy is still facing manslaughter charges.

'The money isn't going to bring Brandon back, but at least that amount shows they are at fault,' Craig Ellingson, Brandon's father, told the Kansas Star after the settlement was announced on Thursday.

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The state of Missouri will pay $9 million to the family of Brandon Ellingson who drowned in handcuffs while in the custody of a state trooper

Trooper Anthony Piercy (pictured) is still facing manslaughter charges over the May 2014 death

'If they weren't at fault, they would have kept fighting us.'

While the family were pleased to have reached the settlement, they said they were still waiting to hear sincere remorse or condolence from the state or highway patrol.

'The silence is deafening,' Boles said. 'No apology, no 'Sorry for your loss.' '

Piercy was charged with involuntary manslaughter, a Class C felony, in December over the tragedy.

The trooper was transporting Brandon Ellingson for a breath test on May, 31, 2014, when the boat hit a wave and the student tumbled into the Lake of the Ozarks wearing an improperly secured life vest.

The vest slipped off, and Ellingson, of suburban Des Moines, drowned.

Piercy jumped into the lake to try to save Ellingson several minutes after he went into the water, but failed, according to the Kansas City Star.

Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper Anthony Piercy (pictured right) was charged with manslaughter in the May 2014 death of Ellingson (pictured left). He is waiting to appear in court to face the charges

Piercy (left), 44, was primarily a road patrol officer and said that he lacked the training to handle the situation of Ellingson falling overboard

The trooper, 45, primarily patrolled roads and said he lacked training to handle the situation.

One of Ellingson's friends who witnessed the incident said the life vest had been put over the the intoxicated man's head while he was handcuffed.

In a call that took place about an hour after the incident, Piercy admitted to a supervisor that he had made mistakes.

'I probably did a bunch of things wrong there…' he said on the call.

Before hanging up the phone, he said: 'Keep me posted on if I'm still going to be employed or what's going on.'

The college student's body was discovered the following day 70 feet below the water's surface.

Ellingson, who had been enjoying a lake weekend with friends when he was pulled over by Piercy for boating while intoxicated, had traces of cocaine in his system and a blood-alcohol content of .26 - more than three times the legal limit.

The drowning led to questions about a decision to merge the state's water and highway patrol. A legislative report found that the merger resulted in less training for troopers working on state waterways.

Craig Ellingson, Brandon's father, said the money won't bring his son (left) back, but it proves that he wasn't at fault

Piercy, who has been placed on leave without pay, is set for a hearing Monday in Morgan County.

His case is already on its third judge.

In September 2014, the jury in a Morgan County coroner's inquest found that Ellingson's death was an accident.

In that inquest, Piercy broke down as he told jurors he wasn't properly trained for what he encountered the day he stopped the 20-year-old man's boat.

It would take take more than a year as Ellingson's parents fought for the trooper to be held accountable in their son's death before Piercy was charged.

Brandon's mother, Sherry Ellingson, said that she hoped the loss of her son could expose inadequacies in the system.

'His death had to mean something. And it did.'

The lawsuit had alleged that Piercy's actions caused Ellingson's death, and also listed the state and patrol as responsible because of a lack of training for troopers after the 2011 merger of the Missouri Water Patrol into the Highway Patrol.

The Ellingsons said they were disappointed they would not get to face Piercy in civil court. For them, the lawsuit had never been about the money. It was about trying to get answers about their son's death.

'I think there has been a cover-up from the beginning,' Craig Ellingson told the Kansas City Star. 'They had everything. They knew what Piercy did to my son.'

Ellingson, a student at Arizona State University, had been enjoying a lake weekend with friends when he was pulled over by Piercy for boating while intoxicated

In a call that took place about an hour after Ellingson fell off the boat, Piercy admitted to a supervisor that he had made mistakes when handling Ellingson on the boat

Lawyers for the Ellingson said the settlement was 'justice for Brandon.'

'Nine million dollars is a sizable settlement indicating that there was clearly an undeniable liability on behalf of Tony Piercy and his actions,' Matt Boles told The Star.

'What the family has always wanted is for the state of Missouri to accept responsibility for what Tony Piercy did to Brandon — and (the state) wrote a check.'

A spokesman for the patrol released a statement following the settlement.

'The mission of the Missouri State Highway Patrol is to serve and protect all people, and any loss of life is a tragedy,' said Capt. John Hotz. 'With this case now settled through the court system, the patrol will have no additional comment on this matter.'

Ellingson was a high school football player who graduated from Valley West High School in West Des Moines, Iowa in 2012.

He was studying business at Arizona State University and planned to join a family firm after graduation.

'You know what, he was perfect. He was handsome, he was very very smart,' Gloria Ellingson said at the time of h is death. 'He could joke with you. He could be on any level. There wasn't anybody like him.'

The Ellingsons have seen changes to the local lake patrol since their son's death.