In May of 2007, La Jolla’s tight-knit community was turned upside down by the tragic death of 24-year-old professional surfer Emery Kauanui. Eighteen years later, Seth Cravens, the man who delivered the fatal punch that led to Kauanui’s death, will soon be appearing at his first parole hearing. The hearing was initially scheduled for January 8th, 2025, but it was postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires.
On the evening of May 23rd, 2007, Kauanui went to a local bar, La Jolla’s Brewhouse, with Jennifer Grosso, his longtime girlfriend. 21-year-old Seth Cravens with four friends were also at the Brewhouse. Cravens, along with the others, were all graduates and football players at La Jolla High School. The group was known as the Bird Rock Bandits and had a reputation for causing problems in La Jolla. While dancing, Kauanui spilled a drink on Eric House, one of the Bandits, which sparked an argument. Kauanui was asked to leave. After hearing the plans to jump Kauanui, Grosso drove him back to his house, where he began to fight with House. Eventually, the others got involved while Henri Hendricks held Grosso back. Cravens punched Kauanui, and he fell backward, hitting his head. He died in the hospital five days later.
With Cravens’ hearing coming up, those who knew of the case while it occurred have mixed opinions regarding his possible release. Mr. Tom Atwell, who knew the members of the Bandits, said, “When they were together, they got into much trouble and did some really bad things together… they were also a group of really loyal friends, which is something that I think we lose sight of.” The tragedy greatly impacted La Jolla’s community. Reflecting on the impact, Coach Gary Frank said, “People were a bit more aware of what they were doing and how they were affecting people in terms of treating people a bit better.”
The rescheduled hearing has yet to be set. Though the date is unclear, CBS8 has estimated that another six months will pass before Cravens gets his chance at parole.