'Party Game' Trial Starts for Woman Accused of Throwing Fatal Punch

The man who prosecutors said paid John Powell $5 to let a girl punch him in the face was scheduled to go on trial Monday, but instead pleaded guilty to lying to police about the events that led to the Romeoville man’s death.

Jimmy Mounts, 27, of Romeoville pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to two years of conditional discharge in the 2010 “party game” death of Powell.

The woman who threw the punch, 22-year-old Tiffany Startz of Joliet, will continue her bench trial Tuesday. She is charged with battery and reckless conduct, the same charges faced by Mounts.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Mounts will be required to perform 100 hours of community service, and faces a 120-day sentence in the Will County Jail if he violates the conditions of the agreement. He will also be required to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation.

Mounts is slated to appear before Judge Edward Burmila during a Nov. 30 compliance hearing.

‘No animosity’

Startz attorney Ira Goldstein told Burmila Monday that while the defense does not dispute the facts of the case—that Startz struck Powell after he agreed to the $5 dare—they deny that a crime took place.

Will County Coroner Pat O’Neil ruled the 25-year-old Powell’s death a homicide, finding that the Romeoville man died after the force of the punch caused his head to snap back, rupturing an artery and causing brain injury.

“What Tiffany Startz did was not reckless,” Goldstein told the judge, adding that the 5-foot-5, 142-pound Startz did not have any training as a fighter.

“She was not a trained boxer, not a trained karate person,” he said. “There was no animosity.”

‘There was nothing we could have done’

In sometimes emotional testimony, two witnesses for the prosecution offered their version of the events of Sept. 25, 2010, when Powell performed with his rap group “Krazy Killaz” at a house party in Crest Hill.

During the gathering, held in memory of a friend who had recently died, guests were in the garage when Mounts made the dare, witnesses said.

“He was going around the garage asking people,” witness Kristin Lowdermilk testified, saying Mounts told partygoers, “I’ll give you $5 to let this girl punch you in the face.”

According to witnesses, Powell accepted the bet.

“He stood up and put his arms behind his back,” party guest Alison Tomczak told the court, growing emotional as she demonstrated how Powell leaned forward and tilted his head to the right to take the punch. “The girl fully punched him in the face with full force.”

According to witnesses, Powell initially appeared to be fine. But moments later, he staggered and fell.

Though friends attempted to aid Powell, Tomczak added, “There was nothing we could have done.”

Both witnesses admitted to initially lying to police about what transpired before Powell’s death, but said they later went to police with the truth.

“I told them I was in the basement because (Mounts) said that anyone under 21 should go to the basement,” said Tomczak, who was 20 at the time of Powell’s death.

Powell’s mother, Theresa Guy, cried as Crest Hill Police Officer Timothy Kaplar described arriving on the scene to find Powell lying unresponsive in the garage.

Guy, who has frequently expressed her outrage over her son’s death and her wish for “justice for John,” told Patch this summer, “I want [Startz and Mounts] to go to jail.”

“He didn’t give permission to die,” Guy told The Chicago Sun-Times this week.

The trial will resume Tuesday, when Burmila is expected to review a minute-long cell phone video taken of Startz throwing the punch.