Raleigh couple found not guilty in underage drinking case

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — A Raleigh couple has been found not guilty of charges stemming from a party in which underage drinking led to a fatal wreck.

Local media outlets report a Wake County jury returned the verdict Friday in the case of Charles and Kimberley Matthews. The couple was accused of knowingly aiding and abetting underage drinking.

Jonathon Taylor was 18 years old when he was killed when his car left the road and hit a tree after attending the party on June 29, 2014. Authorities say his blood-alcohol level of 0.20 was more than twice the legal limit.

The couple’s son, Thomas Matthews, was sentenced to 18 months of unsupervised probation and the loss of his driver’s license for a year. He pleaded guilty on Monday to underage purchase of alcohol.

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