Three Men Plead Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in Beating Death of Steven Buchan

Three men have recently admitted to voluntary manslaughter after the fatal beating of a man outside a bar in San Joaquin County. Aaron Davis, Jason Blasingame, and Lloyd Strack each received a six-year sentence for felony manslaughter. The victim, Steven Buchan, was 45 years old. Buchan’s family has expressed their disappointment in the sentencing, questioning the investigation and whether six years is a sufficient punishment for such a violent crime. They described the incident as senseless and wondered how someone could end up dead just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The family also mentioned that Buchan did not regularly patronize the bar where the incident occurred.

Last November, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office appealed for assistance in locating Blasingame. It was revealed that on May 1, 2022, Buchan was brutally beaten and left to die outside a bar in Clements, a rural town in the county. Davis and Strack were already in custody at the time of the appeal, while Blasingame was still at large. The sheriff’s office disclosed that both Blasingame and Strack were members of the Hells Angels’ Stockton chapter.

One of Buchan’s family members questioned whether justice had been served in light of the sentencing. They plan to meet with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office to seek further information and clarification regarding the sentences handed down.

Voluntary manslaughter is a serious crime that involves the unlawful killing of another person without premeditation or malice aforethought. It is considered less severe than first or second-degree murder but still carries significant legal consequences. The guilty pleas of Davis, Blasingame, and Strack indicate their acceptance of responsibility for their actions leading to Buchan’s death. However, the victim’s family believes that the sentencing does not adequately reflect the gravity of the crime committed.