I find it hard to believe that kind of force was used because he "asked a girl to dance." There has to be underlying issues and events leading up to this beating. I am in no way condoning the beating, but would really like to know all the details before jumping to a conclusion. This could have been building for months.

This is unbelievably sad!!!
Hopefully since the Bush Administration has done nothing else for the past 8yrs, maybe they can come up with some kind of resolution to get this "demon" back to the states to face justice!! My prayers are with Mr Steinhauer and his family!!!

I wouldn't be surprised if this kid was able to reenter our Country with the way our borders are set up. This person shouldn't have anything to worry about since, by his mothers account and what I can gather from her response, he innocent. IF he is innocent then he shouldn't have any problems with proving his case. It's really a shame our country allows for this sort of thing whereas people from other countries can commit crimes and get away with it. Someone should have known he wasn't from here; in that, they could have prevented him from using his passport to leave. IF it looks like like a duck, walks like a duck chances are it's a duck/fugitive. Dude own up to this, it belongs to you – at least for the sake of the family.

I'm outraged that the mother of the suspect is defending her son. No wonder he had instigated this beating – he has no accountability in his life with the way he was raised. What arrogance he and his mother have because of his size and athletic ability that they think his actions were justified.

Steinhauer has been in the hospital for 2 months unable to feed himself or speak. Is that the type of "justice" Kocavecik's ok to deal out just because Steinhauer asked a girl to dance??? Kocavecik's mother needs to be kicked!

This is the justice system that we have, and it's the best we can do. This is why so many fugitives on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list are still at large, some of them for 15 years or more. This is also why Roman Polanski can never come back to the US. Unfortunately, if other countries don't work with our system, there is nothing we can do but read these stories and feel awful about the victims' circumstances.

Bring law enforcement pressure against the parents for aiding and abetting a suspect to a crime. The son then faces a choice of letting his mother suffer "injustice" for his alleged crime, or returning to the US to answer the charges against him.
The victim's family has legal recourse through the civil courts if the son fails to return.

I'm sorry, but why was his mother not arrested for aiding a fugitive of the law? At some point, we have to hold people responsible for their actions; maybe if he sees his mother taking the fall for his misdeeds, Mr. Kocavecik will return to the U.S. and avail himself of the justice system, just as he should have to being with.

Being married to a foreign national this more than anything irritates me. He is running from the law, the mother knows this and should be an accomplice as she assisted in it. Instead of being a coward the kid needs to come back and face the penalty rather than always looking over his shoulder.

Another vote against aliens. If their home countries do not have an extradition policy with the US, why are we letting them in the US? They're just about given carte blanche to do whatever whenever they like, knowing there is no retribution. Just because the guy can play ball is no reason to invite him to wreak havoc away from home.

"He's not running away from justice, he's running away from injustice." Yeah, right mommy.

Puhleeze...

I don't know why we allow Serbs into the country, particularly when there is no extradition treaty between the U.S. and Serbia. What has Serbia ever dones for us? Isn't Serbia the same country that carried out ethnic cleansing? Let's put a $1m bounty on this SOB's head. Maybe the Serbs will see to it that justice is served when money is waived in their faces.

When we want answers from terrorists, and need to take them into custody, we have means of dealing with countries with no extradition treaties. Can you imagine the terror going through the mind of this young man, as he emerges from his coma, his most recent clear memories being those of a young, healthy, vigorous man out on the town with friends, asking a pretty girl to dance, and the next thing he's aware of, he's in a hospital, unable to move on your own, unable to eat or drink on your own, with unimaginable injuries that will permanently disfigure you and hinder him for the rest of his fraction of a life??

I say we get a couple of those CIA spooks who are most certainly living undercover lives all over the world, and we throw a black bag over this guy's head. Let's see how he feels when, one minute, he's walking the streets of Serbia, free as a bird and believing he got away with a horrific crime, and the next minute finds himself in some 6×8 concrete cell with no windows, answering for his incalculable inhumanity.

Perhaps his parents should spend some time in jail for Aiding and Abetting a fugitive!!

Have they arrested the mother for helping him escape????

The thugs mother and the consulate staffer ARE here and are accessories after the fact.

Since we cannot get Kocavecik back to the United States why don't we help his mother out in her "quest for justice" and deport her for aiding and abetting...that way she won't have to suffer living in such an injust country?

Here's a thought...before we so greedily welcome someone into our country and culture for a sport or anything else, perhaps they should pass certain other requirements such as a class study of our laws and something stating they are mentally stabe. They should be required to sign an agreement stating they fully understand and agree to our laws! This guy could have easily killed as many people as he wished as well as violated as many laws as he wanted because we'll just let him out of jail and grant him free access right out of the country. Aren't we just a little too accommadating?????????

wow, this just proves how porous our borders are and how disjointed the world is when it comes to justice.

If the world were all on the same level, a criminal would be returned to the country where the crime was committed and people would know the countries laws and observe them, so they wouldn't violate them in the first place.

Perhaps if we don't have an extradition agreement with a country we should not let their citizens into the US. Everyone that comes here should be subject to the same laws citizens are and should not be able to just go home to be out of reach of punishment.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

1. arrest and charge the mother if she is in the US.
2. hire a bounty hunter – remember the Dog?
3. put some serious money over his head, dead or live.

This story disgusts me. Justice needs to be served and it appears the offernders should be charged with murder not assault.

I've always considered America to be tech savvy. So how can a man with a forfeited passport not set off alarms when he tries to board a flight?

Isn't there some database that his name should have been immediately entered into?

Part of the blame lies in the basketball programs [hell all athletic programs!!] that allow international thugs to come to the US to play!!
One would think there would be enough talent in the US/ Canada region to supply the teams!! If these third world types are allowed in, their passports should be seized at the very least!! There should be psyche profiles done on the visitors to expose 'closet' Nazis etc.

Where's our government in times like this? This must be one of the most senseless, brutal & savage beatings & yet the Serbian consulate is still open here in NY? The Suspects families, here or in their countries should be held accoutable & made to pay both criminally & financially to the poor victims family . An american is suffering & this horrific story is not getting the coverage it needs to. It sickens me

Why was this man allowed to leave the country? He was obviously a flight risk. This is another example of how our billions of dollars spent by Homeland Security are wasted. This government is the biggest sham of all.

Throw his mother in jail.

What about the mother can she not be charged with anything? seems as we have some law that would jail her? or is she not in the US?

Well only someone who is realy stupid would challenge such a big guy like Kovacevic in first place, maybe victim should stay home and drink hot chocolate instead hang around and look for trouble.

Why not have his mother stand in his absence? After all she aided him to flee did she not ?

Send his family back too, and send the message that the people who come here and commit crimes are not welcome.

God will give the justice.

Let's not employ or support his family – that young man did a very vile thing, and if his family can't see that then they don't belong in this country either.

A criminal is a criminal in any country. If a person will do this kind of crime here, they will do it in their country. No one is safe if this person remains free.......

He wants to run and have his mommy help him... then let his mommy rot in jail for his crime! What a coward!

I live in the town that this happened, and there have been quite a few articals in the paper about this. Apparently, Kovacevics father stated that he fled the US due to all the media attention! It wasn't just the mother who bailed him out. His bail was $100,000. Half was paid by his parents and half was paid by a Serbian Consulate from NYC. This consulate also obtained a passport for Kovacevic. Needless to say, this consulate ALSO was REMOVED from his position!! Thats what he gets for helping a criminal. As far as I know, Condoleeza Rice is speaking with Serbia about this.

Unfortunately, this is the same kind of thing Americans can do in other countries, and get away with impunity. It's not all just one-sided.

Number 1 – Bryan supposedly drunkenly pinched the girlfriends butt.
Number 2 – the Serb consulate provided the bail money
Number 3 – he was only released after he surrendered his passport and then the Serbian consulate issued him an emergency passport and then he fled back to Serbia
Number 4 – the mother went back to Serbia too so can't arrest her either.
Number 5 – two employees of the Serbian consulate have lost their jobs due to the "emergency" passport.

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty however his actions would lead people to believe he knew he was guilty and that he would be going to jail so his family pulled strings to get him out of the country.

Sometimes, it is not the story of atrocity or misfortune that makes me most sad, but the comments that I read regarding such. This is not a story of justice or injustice, a statement against immigration or foreign policy, or even of the bush administration. I see it as violence in a bar, most likely with a more complicated story than a mere dance request, without doubt, but still an unacceptably violent response. Please consider this before bashing immigrants, Serbia, athletes, the government, or our justice system, as this sort of generalized application of violence to a greater source both belittles the writer as well as the victim in this case.

On going negotiations! What? What a joke?
"No extradition Treaty" – NO ENTRY TO THE USA.

1. Hold the "mother" in jail until the son returns
2. Hold the person that issued the "new" passport injail until the son returns
3. Hold the consulate employee in jail until the son returns
4. Hold the international airline person that ok'd his entry to board the airline
5. WE NEED STRONG LAWS FOR ANYONE WHO DOES HARM TO OTHERS – A FEDERAL LAW – NOT JUST STATE TO STATE BUT A FEDERAL LAW.
6. This needs more air time – get Jesse Jackson off the air and put things like this on the headlines. That man doesn't deserve to be on the airwaves at all.

One: there is more to this story as others here suggest; this was not a simple "can I dance with you – oops sorry you have a boyfriend already" situation.

Two: the mother should be tried for obstructing justice – or something appropriate.

Three: we should not allow people into this country (or go to countries) where they cannot be returned here for trial.

Horrifying story. While there may be more to it – bad blood between the two students – there is no excuse for the savage action taken, and none at all for the mother's helping her son flee from justice. If the kid was innocent, though it sounds like there were many witnesses to his brutal act, he would be exonerated and free to continue his education here.

The two questions in my mind are, Why didn't some of the others in the bar step in and stop the fight, or at the very least stop a downed man from being kicked and badly injured? Beating on helpless people is cowardly in any country. Not aiding them is also. A group could have pulled him away and held him until help arrived no matter how large he was.

And, Aren't there any consequences for the Serbian Consulate if it indeed issued a second or false passport to this kid after the police took his away? Diplomats can not be allowed to operate outside of our laws. Giving them free passes on parking violations is courtesy enough, allowing them to help spirit out of our country any of their citizens suspected of serious crimes is quite another.

Bully for him. The American 'justice' system is a sorry joke....why would anyone face it if they didn't have to....

We don't really know the whole story. Find out the details before you reach a conclusion. This guy may be thug, or he may have saved this "pretty girl" from being raped or humiliated or harassed. Maybe the "victim" was told more than once to stay away, or he may truly be a total victim. You should all understand all the facts prior to and leading up to this beating. I don't know he whole story, neither do any of you. Let God judge. (and medically speaking, if he were rendered unconscious, he probably wont remember the beating if/when he awakes from he coma.)

I am very glad to see that CNN has picked up this story and I trully hope that someone like Anderson Cooper can keep up the pressure until we see some results. As a Binghamton University student I was angry when I learned a BU basketball player beat the crap out of a soon to be graduating senior at a bar downtown. Friends of mine at the bar that night described the fight as a gang assualt on the student who really did nothing more than ask another friend of Kovacevic's to dance. This kid was a recruit to BU as a freshmen and he was pretty much sidelined this season by the new coach. He is/was reckless and a danger. The day after the attack he was detained by campus police until Binghamton City Police arrested him at his dorm room. He is no longer allowed on campus, which doesn't really matter b/c he fled the country. At least BU campus is safer with him gone, I only wish he was behind jail...for life.

The zooorans of this world are the problem "Well only someone who is realy stupid would challenge such a big guy like Kovacevic in first place, maybe victim should stay home and drink hot chocolate instead hang around and look for trouble" CNN it appears this yahoo has a little more information than your report....wonder why

To Tom who finds it hard to believe. Are you of this planet? We live in a society where people will kill you for a parking space, for staring a little to long, for accidently bumping into them. Shall I go on?????

Where in the story does it say the mother is in the US? My assumption would be that she is in Serbia, and was contacted for comment by phone. If so, it's no more possible to arrest her than her murderous son.

The bigger question is why American universities are bringing in foreign ringers to play on their "student" sports teams when there are American kids competing for that scholarship and that chance. The NCAA should put an end to that, and now.

Read the linked article, Serbian officials are asking for evidence to charge this guy in Serbia, US/victims family refuses. If you were accused of some crime, wouldn't you try to stand trial back in US than be sent back to, say, Saudi Arabia? European countries generally have more humane prison conditions and focus on rehabilitation rather than vengeance or just keeping first-time offender locked away for 20 years. Taking responsibility for a bar fight can take other forms than boyfriend Bubba as a cellmate. Extradition treaties are politics, but otherwise wanting to be tried by laws of your own countries can be definitely demanding justice rather than escaping from it.

It is time the state department and the US goverment get tuff!! cot diplomatic relations and all aid,travel, imegration, and trade. We should get hom as well as all who helped him leave the country. this should be a federal crime inernational flight to avoid proscuation!!!!!

If the mother is in the US, I am sure she has already been arrested. Also, the passport was not forged, it was reissued by the serbian government. Nothing we can do about that.

I am inclined to agree that there is more to this story then just asking a girl to dance.

We are a country of immigrants however, and I do think we need to keep in mind that most of our forefathers came to this country from countries like Serbia, where they were oppressed. Unlike many immigrants, this walking steriod pill (I mean really, 6'9" and 280 lbs and people thought this was NORMAL?) came here legally. Then he beats the hell out of someone and goes back. Good riddance, and let him stay there. With the problems they have he will be dead in a year anyways.

Hey "zoran", maybe immigrants like you don't get it, but here in the U.S, you can "challenge" anyone and anything. It doesn't give anyone the right to harm you. Maybe in your country where men are allowed to brutalize and murder their wives and daughters because they're not man enough to get their lives in order properly, this is the law. But not here in the U.S. where we're more grown-up and evolved.

all a 6'9" 280 pd man needs to do is stand over someone and say
boo....that would do the trick to most people!! The beating was because Kovacevic is a bully and a time bomb ready to go off.
His mother should be arrested

Tom really needs to get out more.

I owned and ran bars/restaurants for years and this kind of insanity happens all the time...and believe me, it has nothing to do with things "building for months."

It's a bad thing, but the reality is that this happens all the time. Crime happens and it's committed by people that don't leave the country but they escape the law.

Not sure why the press thinks this is so unigue. They must not read the news.

the mother should be held as an accomplice , or used as bait to ensure this creep returns to face the music .

as for the few peeps who say that the victim shouldnt have picked a fight with big guy , i sincerely hope these people experience being the victim at one time in
thier life so they can finally come to terms with being hypocrates .

also , fkae passort allows criminal to leave states on a plane , that should at the very least prompt disciplinary action against the security people who let him on that plane , dont you think?

Even IF Brian had done something more than ask a girl to dance – let's say, he was being verbally assaultive....does that justify being beaten to within an inch of your life? That boy could just as easily be dead instead of in critical condition. I fail to think of anything that would justify Miladon's actions.

ARREST THE MOTHER!! (If she were an American, she would already be in jail. Who really is at the disadvantage?)

Why isn't the mother in jail, instead of spreading her lies on CNN? Appalling. Seriously, why hasn't this woman been arrested yet?

I hope, God willing, Brian Steinhauer recovers from his coma.
I believe that, in time, justice will eventually catch up to Miladin
Kovacevic.

I would be surprised if this is his first assault.

This beating was almost deadly.

The person who gave him a fake passport should go to prison for 25 years to set an example. The parents should be lured over to the States somehow and thrown in jail for helping him flee justice.

Tom is right. The media is giving us a naive account of what happened... Obviously there is more to it than just asking a girl to dance. If you look at the picture of the victim, he has a gold earing and a wife beater on. Of course, you can't judge someone solely on appearances, but it gives me a clue that perhaps there is more to it.

Hey, how about an eye for an eye. One of the victims family should go over there and show Miladin their displeasure and return here. The no extradition treaty works both ways doesn't it. If it was my relative I'd learn Serbian and hunt him down.

His mommy is back in Serbia-where they all live.

Look it is simple-as long as we allow countries like Serbia to maintain embassies here-this type of crap will go on. They are a lawless nation, and if our Department of State had any balls, they would expel a bunch of their diplomats and send them packing back to Serbia-and lock up the person at their Embassy who aided this scumbag in escaping.
Forget diplomatic immunity-lock him/her up-until they send the guy back.

But, the bureau and marshal's service will be watching him-and as soon as he travels outside Serbia-to a country where we have strong diplomatic ties-he will be grabbed, brought here-and he will rot in a maximum security prison forever.

ZORAN: "Well only someone who is realy stupid would challenge such a big guy like Kovacevic in first place, maybe victim should stay home and drink hot chocolate instead hang around and look for trouble."

Where was it reported that Steinhauer challenged Kovacevic?

It's not 100% clear in this short article, but those who are wondering how he left the country: he did surrender his passport as a condition of posting bond and obtaining pretrial release. However, the Serbian consulate issued him a new one. As for having a list of people who have surrendered their passports, I can't imagine this circumstance arises often. I suspect most arrestees who have surrendered their passports and obtain new ones to flee the country - well, I doubt many of them have the assistance of their home consulate and most probably use assumed names. In other words, while our border security system may have lots of problems, I don't see this as *their* failing.

As for Serbia's responsibility, they obviously did wrong by giving the young man a new passport. However, in the absence of an extradition treaty, I'm not sure they can legally send him back to the U.S. (and we're a nation of laws, so we can hardly urge another country to ignore their own laws). But it sounds to me like Serbia is actually anxious to cooperate with the US on this matter, they're just legally hamstrung. From other sources, I understand Serbia has offered to prosecute the man for this crime *in Serbia*, though getting witnesses there, etc., could pose a real problem.

It is a shame that our schools are recruting kids from other countries to play sports when there are many gifted kids right here in our country. We really need to set up new standards.

Charges should be filed against the mother.

Most here are directing their anger in the wrong direction. Their ire should be directed at our government . It is so inept that after spending billions on "Homeland Security" it doesn't have the wit to set up a procedure to stop the actual person instead of the passport fleeing the country.

I'd like to know under what circumstances the mother is here. Although the son hasn't been convicted of anything surely it's a crime to help someone charged with a crime to evade prosecution? If she isn't a citizen send her back to Serbia so she can be with her son.

Here's a message for the US administration: Most countries around the world don't think much of or like the US. Means they won't co-operate unless it's in their interest..

This country is going down hill. Too much weakness. When we can no longer punish criminals what hope is left. Here is a good way to make that scum bag come back. Put his mother in prison untill suspect turns himself in. If he does not return, just let her serve the time for him. If she assisted him in getting away then she is just as guilty.

I concur with the gentleman in the previous posting regarding the 'Bounty' on this guy. When we get him, and we will, we ought to bill the Serbian Consulate for the whole damned thing. When a young and promising life gets shot to hell, and made to drag through years of hope and hopelessness, because of an out-of-control freak from Serbia, 'We The People' DEMAND JUSTICE for this injured young man. Right now.

No college scholarships, no green cards, no work visas for those that come from a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. He'll get away with it and that is life. Most stories do not have happy endings and this is most definately one of those stories.

Mommy needs to either go to jail and/or the remaining family needs to be deported........they can all lick their wounds together in their own country.If we let people in then we need to be able to punish them when they commit these henious crimes.Seems like an obvious green light for this crap.Where is our common sense??? Good gaaaaaaaaaaaaaawd!
I don't feel safe here any more..........we are too stupid to be believed.

I am a Serbian Orthodox woman living in California. I am very disturbed that this young Serbian man is able to remain in his homeland without consequences for his actions. When are the young going to take responsibility for their actions ? Money can buy you a ticket anywhere to escape justice. He has no soul .

It's times like this when our president or any high official should intervene. Our national security system and borders are the least maintained in the world.But that's the way our system work,hopefully when weget this new president this will CHANGE. This guy's parents should have a heart and if not for nothing else come back to this country with their son to make him be responsible for what he has done.

He should answer for this crime, and defend himself if he can. Obey the law of the country you're in, or stay out of it! Such a shame that the embassy helped a fugitive!

@ Chris: yes that's the country alright.