Fundraiser for Jacob Couch to be Fully Refunded After Unforeseen Complications
It’s been an incredibly challenging few months, but we’ve had to make a very tough decision regarding the fundraiser we launched for Jacob Couch. While we initially sought to do a good deed, the complexities that arose made this our only viable option. We’re pleased to share that the team at Gifts and Go agrees with our decision.
We first reported on the tragic incident involving Jacob Couch back in April. Based on all information available at the time, Jacob and his wife were sitting on a park bench in Arizona when he was brutally attacked with a hatchet by an assailant who allegedly tried to remove his head. Jacob was on life support after this unprovoked attack at a streetcar stop in downtown Tucson. The suspect has been charged, and evidence, including the hatchet and clothes worn during the incident, was found in his apartment, leaving little doubt about his guilt, though the motive remains unknown. Our initial understanding was that Jacob and his wife were mourning the loss of their child, and this spurred us to start a fundraiser to help.
The response from our community was overwhelming, and we successfully raised nearly $100,000 for what we believed was his family. However, over the past several months, we’ve encountered a deeply convoluted situation. We’ve been dealing with multiple individuals, some claiming to be family members but who weren’t, and others who all seemed to want to dictate how this money should be spent. Essentially, we uncovered a huge mess, with questions arising about whether Jacob and his partner were even married, and the paternity of some of the children. We even spoke to Jacob’s brother, Luke, who clearly loves his brother very much.
We tried tirelessly to unravel this situation, going to great lengths to protect the family and ensure the money reached the rightful recipients. We asked for a trust to be set up as a last-ditch effort to manage the funds appropriately. However, the situation escalated dramatically when we were contacted by a lawyer representing yet another person involved. We perceived this as a direct and veiled threat. After doing our own digging into the lawyer and the ongoing family dynamics, it became apparent that there was no reasonable or trustworthy beneficiary for these funds. Throughout this process, we were even accused of stealing the money, simply because we were trying to ensure the funds were handled correctly. It became incredibly difficult to determine who we could trust, especially when we felt we were being lied to by multiple individuals.
Given these insurmountable challenges, and our responsibility to our generous viewers who contributed the vast majority of these funds, we’ve made the difficult decision that 100% of the money will be refunded. Gifts and Go fully agrees with this conclusion and stands with us, as they also concluded that a clear beneficiary could not be identified. This was not an easy choice, especially considering we also had thousands of our own dollars in the account.
We are incredibly proud of our viewers and everyone who rallied to support this cause, including anonymous donors, MetaPCs, and many others. We are told that Gifts and Go will begin processing refunds this week, and the money should be returned to your original payment method.
The true tragedy here remains Jacob Couch’s unprovoked attack and the loss of his life. Our hearts go out to his family, particularly his biological daughter. While this situation has proven to be far more complicated than any other fundraiser we’ve ever organized, we want to assure you that this experience will not deter us from trying to do the right thing in the future. In fact, we hope it reinforces that both Gifts and Go and we are committed to looking out for both the intended beneficiaries and, crucially, those who so generously donate. We hope you understand our difficult decision, and we are grateful for your continued support.
