Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 16 May 2017
Father: Pledge who died after hazing treated like ‘roadkill’

By STEVE PEOPLES I’m imagining more hor-
Associated Press rors so it’s really hard to fall
NEW YORK (AP) — A fra- asleep,” she said.
ternity pledge who was Jim Piazza said the frater-
ordered to guzzle alcohol nity brothers “tortured”
during a hazing ritual and their son. “They held him
twice fell down a flight of captive and tortured him.
stairs before his death was They treated him like road-
treated like “roadkill,” his kill,” he said. “Knowing that
father said Monday, days your son suffered the way
after criminal charges were he did over such a long
filed against 18 of his Penn period of time and died a
State fraternity brothers. very slow and very painful
Jim Piazza, the father of death, frankly, it’s haunt-
19-year-old engineering ing.”
student Timothy Piazza, A grand jury report said
said the Beta Theta Pi fra- security camera footage
ternity members were to captured events inside
blame for his son’s Febru- the house that night, in-
ary death. cluding pledges being or-
“They planned this night dered to guzzle alcohol
out,” Piazza said. “They after the ceremony. Piazza
had all the intent to feed appeared to become ine-
these young men lethal Timothy Piazza’s family--his brother Michael Piazza, far left, mother Evelyn, second from right, his briated and fell face-first
doses of alcohol — to bring father James Piazza, far right, and his girlfriend Kaitlyn Tempalsky, second from left, pose following down a flight of basement
an interview on Monday May 15, 2017, in New York. Timothy Piazza, 19, died in February after he
them to alcohol poisoning was put through a hazing ritual at his fraternity house at Penn State University and forced to drink steps. Fraternity brothers
levels. This was premedi- dangerous amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time. made half-hearted and
tated. They killed our son.” (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) even counterproductive
The family of the college efforts to help him, and
sophomore from Lebanon, when one member strongly
New Jersey, told The Asso- ny that carries a sentence lege, Pennsylvania, and he back to June. advocated for summoning
ciated Press it’s consider- of 10 to 20 years in prison died two days later. Piazza’s mother, Evelyn help he was shoved into a
ing a lawsuit but is focused upon conviction. Piazza’s parents said they Piazza, said her grief has wall and told to leave, the
now on the criminal case Timothy Piazza consumed would likely attend the worsened the more she’s report said. Piazza appar-
against his fraternity broth- what prosecutors said was court proceedings. A pre- learned about what hap- ently fell down the steps
ers, eight of whom face a life-threatening amount liminary hearing that had pened to him. again early the next morn-
the most serious charge of of alcohol during a hazing been scheduled for this “My mind used to go to ing but was not discovered
aggravated assault, a felo- ritual on Feb. 2 in State Col- week has been pushed dark places before. Now until about 10 a.m. q
4 plead guilty to manslaughter

in fraternity hazing death

MICHAEL RUBINKAM Wong, had been charged
Associated Press with third-degree mur-
STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) — der, but pleaded guilty to
Four men facing the most felony manslaughter and
serious charges in a brutal hindering apprehension
fraternity hazing ritual that charges. They face 22 to 36
resulted in the 2013 death months in prison when they
of a New York City college are sentenced in Decem-
student pleaded guilty ber.
Monday to voluntary man- The former fraternity broth-
slaughter. ers, now in their mid- to late
Fraternity members at Pi 20s, were stoic in court and
Delta Psi admitted they said nothing to reporters.
physically abused Chun Their lawyers didn’t com-
“Michael” Deng, a Ba- ment.
ruch College student, then Police have said frater-
tried to cover it up as the nity members blindfolded
19-year-old lay dying in Deng, forced him to wear
their rented house in Penn- a heavy backpack and
sylvania’s Pocono Moun- then repeatedly tackled
tains, about 100 miles west him during the hazing ritual,
of New York. known as glass ceiling.
Defense attorneys had Deng cursed and hit Lam
called Deng’s death a fra- at one point during the
ternity prank gone horribly ritual, Monroe County As-
awry. sistant District Attorney Kim
The four defendants, Ken- Metzger told the judge.
ny Kwan, Charles Lai, Ray- She said Kwan was the last
mond Lam and Sheldon brother to tackle Deng.q