Executive Summary
- Destiny Garcia filed a wrongful death suit alleging Robert Hammac beat her father to death and staged the body on a porch.
- The lawsuit also names the bar owners and property manager for alleged failure to supervise and render aid.
- Hammac, arrested for second-degree murder in August 2024, claims self-defense and asserts the decedent was the aggressor.
Destiny Garcia has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Hancock County Circuit Court alleging that her father, Stanley Anthony Garcia, was beaten to death and left unattended outside a bar in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The civil complaint names Robert James Hammac, the now-defunct K&R’s Pub & Lounge, and property owners as defendants, seeking damages for the death of the 51-year-old following an altercation on U.S. 90.
According to court documents filed by Garcia’s attorney, David Baria, the plaintiff alleges that Hammac viciously assaulted her father and, rather than seeking medical aid, propped his unconscious body upright in a chair on the establishment’s porch. The lawsuit claims this action was an attempt to “disguise the violent nature of the assault and seriousness of his injuries.” The filing asserts that Stanley Garcia died before law enforcement arrived, although the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office reported that he was transported to a Louisiana hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The lawsuit further alleges negligence on the part of the property owner, Michael Cuevas Jr., and the bar’s co-owner, Kerry Jorge Hawes. The plaintiff contends they failed to adequately supervise the premises or contact emergency personnel. Cuevas has requested dismissal from the suit, citing improper service of legal paperwork.
Robert James Hammac, 53, was arrested in August 2024 on a second-degree murder charge related to the incident, though a grand jury has not yet issued an indictment. Hammac’s defense attorney, Donald Rafferty, denied the allegations of wrongdoing in a statement to the press. Rafferty characterized the murder charge as unfounded, asserting that Stanley Garcia was intoxicated and acted as the aggressor. “My client was sober,” Rafferty stated, claiming Hammac intervened after Garcia struck a woman during a dispute over a pool game.
Legal and Procedural Implications
This civil filing proceeds alongside an active criminal investigation, creating a complex legal landscape where evidence presented in the civil discovery phase could impact the potential grand jury proceedings. The conflicting narratives regarding the victim’s level of aggression and the timeline of medical intervention will likely be central to both the liability claims and the criminal defense strategy. Additionally, the inclusion of property owners underscores the stringent premises liability standards required of business operators in Mississippi. It is important to note that Robert James Hammac is presumed innocent of all criminal charges until proven guilty in a court of law.
