The camera caught him trying several times to struggle to his feet, falling over into the fetal position and eventually getting up and then stumbling head-first into a wall or door. The University is prepared to be a leader, but not a scapegoat.. Other lawyers joined in the joke, shocking the Piazzas. [28] Time magazine published the article "'Those Families Are Changed Forever.' Joking among themselves. Eighteen students are facing charges in connection with Timothy Piazza's death. [citation needed], The bill would create tiers for hazing. More than two hours later the video shows a group of men carrying him back to the couch around 9:30 a.m. His body is rigid as the men stand around, some with their hands on their hips. The Piazza family is planning on filing a lawsuit against the fraternity members and the university. [45], In 2020, the Villanova University School of Law analyzed a Penn State Football Hazing lawsuit in which a victim sued Head Coach James Franklin. Confrontations among defense lawyers and Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller grew increasingly contentious as the day went on, leading District Judge Allen Sinclair to admonish the parties. [48], Jim and Evelyn Piazza have gone on to speak to thousands of college students all throughout the United States in an effort to end hazing on campuses. The fraternity brothers didn't find him for another three hours -- and then waited 42 minutes to call 911. Another captures Piazza on his phone as he rolls around. (Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times via AP, File), Penn State's former Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. "Trying to raise to his feet in a praying position, and falling back down. Hours after Pennsylvania State University student Timothy Piazza fell down the stairs of his fraternity following what authorities called a hazing ritual gone awry . Upon arrival, Piazza was rushed into surgery, where he was discovered to have a ruptured spleen and class IV hemorrhagic shock. Ems lawyer claims the video shows him reaching for him but not punching him. In the video shown in court today, pledges, as part of the ritual, are brought into a basement room and instructed to sit on a bench. This Oct. 31, 2014 photo shows Timothy Piazza, center, with his parents Evelyn Piazza, left, and James Piazza, right, during Hunterdon Central Regional High School football's "Senior Night" at the high school's stadium in Flemington, N.J. He reportedly drank a large amount of alcohol during a hazing ritual that night. [36], The Grand Jury that recommended charges against the brothers also directed Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller to investigate Penn State University and their role and response to hazing. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The fraternity -- along with 18 of its members -- faces criminal charges. Those eight and another 10 fraternity members were charged with counts including hazing, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, and alcohol-related offenses. They dumped water on his face and slapped him in an apparent attempt to wake him, to no avail. On the night of February 2, 2017, while undergoing hazing activities for the fraternity, Piazza, on an essentially empty stomach, drank large amounts of alcohol in a short time as part of an obstacle course called "The Gauntlet", which required each pledge to drink from a bottle of vodka, drink a beer, and finally drink from a bag of wine. "These videotapes will undoubtedly show the various acts which are spelled out in the grand jury report," Kline said. The now-defunct Beta Theta Pi chapter and 26 fraternity members are facing charges in Piazzas death, ranging from involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault to furnishing alcohol to minors. Adobe Premiere Pro 2023 is an impressive application which allows you to easily and quickly create high-quality content for film, broadcast, web, and more. Selections from the grainy footage began with 19-year-old Tim Piazza joining other pledges as they went from station to station in a drinking gauntlet, and Piazza soon appeared to become shaky on his feet. Piazza at one point is seen stumbling and staggering. It cannot be fairly stated that the cause of Timothy Piazzas death was unique to Penn States culture. There is neither a factual nor a legal basis for the critiques and allegations in the Report that the University is somehow responsible for this tragic loss, the university said in its response. Penn State Hazing Death: Frat Brothers Texted That Pledge Looked 'Dead'. [26], The case was the headline of a number of magazine articles. The Beta Theta Pi fraternity -- which has since been barred from Penn State -- is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and hazing. A fraternity brother starts to drag him, the video appears to show, and then leaves him on the floor, throwing a blanket over him. This is somebody who's blood alcohol was three times the legal limit and apparently had some internal injuries," said Ems Jr.'s attorney, William J. Brennan. CNNs Eric Levenson contributed to this report. The. Subscribe to our channel for exclusive TODAY archival footage \u0026 our original web series. Nineteen-year-old Timothy Piazza died after several falls down the stairs at the Beta Theta Pi building. Prosecutors showed the video for the first time Monday in a preliminary hearing to determine if theres enough evidence to go to trial. Video surveillance taken from the fraternity that played during the hearing last month showed that between the falls, Piazza spent much of the night in . Prosecutors have filed a variety of charges, including involuntary manslaughter, hazing, and tampering with evidence. Ryan Foster, 21, of Bedford, Massachusetts: Evidence tampering. Today's preliminary hearing will determine whether the 18 brothers, as well as their fraternity, should stand trial. Most serious charges dismissed in Timothy Piazza hazing . Magazines, Digital Next he gets up again and walks into the side of the stairs railing, and falls down onto the stone floor, the video appears to show. Hazing resulting in serious bodily injury or death would be a third-degree felony, which could include fines of up to $15,000 and imprisonment up to seven years. Three brothers picked him up and placed him back on the couch. Video on a camera inside a Penn State fraternity house was erased two days after a pledge died following a night . Please enter valid email address to continue. He says the family hasn't decided whether they'll be in the courtroom when the surveillance videos are played. Piazza family attorney Tom Kline told ABC News today, "The video is horrific, it is gruesome, it is something that you couldnt imagine until youve seen it.". As Ems repositions Piazza on the couch, prosecutors say the video shows him punch Piazza in the abdomen, leaving a visible bruise on his side. Beta Theta Pi has since been barred from Penn State. The grand jury recommended that Penn State establish a pledges bill of rights, create a hazing hotline and enforce a mandatory and unequivocal punishment of expulsion for any student found to have participated in hazing. It later was revealed that Piazza took prescription anti-depressants, which contributed to his inebriation. Prosecutors in Pennsylvania are set to announce, May 5, 2017, the results of a grand jury investigation into the death of the Penn State student, Timothy Piazza, who fell down steps Feb. 4, during an alcohol-fueled pledge ceremony. [46], On September 1, 2017, defendant Joseph G. Ems appeared on ABC News with his lawyer. Toward the end of the hearing, defense lawyer Andy Shubin stood up during a break and said it was cruel and unusual punishment to make the attorneys stay in court for so long. [4] Additional charges were added later. Philly-Area College Presidents Are Leaving in Droves", "Judge: Penn State Can Buy Fraternity House Where Tim Piazza Was Fatally Hurt", Penn State frat pledge's skin had turned gray by morning after fall, prosecutor says, A Penn State student fell down the stairs at a fraternity and for nearly 12 hours, no one called police, Fraternity, 18 members charged in Penn State student's death, 18 Penn State Students Charged in Fraternity Death, The Hazing Triangle: Reconceiving the Crime of Fraternity Hazing, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Tim_Piazza&oldid=1141354175. He later tried once more to ascend the basement stairs and was missing until several of the fraternity brothers discovered him several hours later behind the bar in the basement, cold and breathing rapidly. Piazza was pronounced dead at the Hershey Medical Center the morning of Feb. 4, 2017. The videos were recorded by security cameras inside the Beta Theta Pi house on February 2, and have never been seen publicly. It was at this point that he was carried upstairs. The bill would also establish "organizational" and "institutional" hazing categories. Tim Piazza, a 19-year-old Penn State sophomore and pledge at Beta Theta Pi, died on Feb. 4, 2017 after he fell down the stairs during a pledge ceremony at the house on the night of Feb. 2. [49], Kordel Davis led a Hazing Prevention tour in the Fall of 2019 entitled "One Night a Pledge". He was a pledge of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at the university. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35, Pandemic-era food benefits end for millions of Americans as costs rise, Prosecutors may reveal key video in Penn State fraternity death. His parents Jim and Evelyn Piazza are second and third from left. Piazza died at a hospital Feb. 4 from traumatic brain injury and had suffered severe abdominal bleeding as well as a skull fracture and other injuries. The fraternity brother apparently leaves him on the ground. He reportedly drank a large amount of alcohol during a hazing ritual that night. At 10:48 a.m., a fraternity member called 911. More than two hours later, the video shows several members carrying him to a couch. Not worth it. Sixteen members of Penn State's Beta Theta Pi chapter are facing multiple charges in the death of Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old sophomore who died during an alcohol-fueled hazing ritual. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Tampering with evidence and endangerment charges have also been dismissed against three other students, Joseph Ems (ghost brother and leader of dangerous hazing events in the Fall of 2016),[16] Ryan McCann, and Lucas Rockwell. Eighteen members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, which has since been banned by Penn State, face a variety of charges, with some accused of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault and others of less serious offenses. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Yet, instead of calling 911, they talked among themselves and searched their phones for information, Scicchitano said. One defense attorney, Rocco Cipparone, said after court, "[The basement video] clearly exhibited a party, a social event, not a hazing event. Michael Bonatucci, 19, of Woodstock, Georgia: Aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, reckless endangerment, hazing, alcohol-related charges. About an hour later, while the video is in black and white in night-vision mode, it appears to show Piazza moving into the fetal position many times, also cradling his head a few times. Kordel Davis, a newly initiated fraternity chapter member, attempted to render aid to Piazza, encouraging fraternity members to dial 9-1-1 and get an ambulance to the house. He was shoved up against a wall and his attempts were ignored. About 40 minutes later, a 911 call is finally made, Scicchitano testified. Its still broken. One of them tries to pull his fingers apart. [12] On May 5, 2017, following a comprehensive grand jury investigation conducted by Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller, eighteen members of the fraternity were charged in connection with Piazza's death: eight were charged with involuntary manslaughter and the rest with other offenses, including hazing. As a pledge of the fraternity, Piazza was put through the gauntlet, in which he moved from station to station drinking alcohol. The grand jury report also called for a stronger state hazing law. Old Main on the Penn State main campus in State College, Pa., Oct. 28, 2015. Here is how the night of Feb. 2 and early morning hours of Feb. 3. The surveillance video shows Piazza chugging from a bottle of liquor early in the night and chugging a beer at another point. Jim Piazza held his head in his hands and sobbed as prosecutors showed pictures of his son in the hospital. It directed Penn State to strengthen their hazing policies. Photo: Patrick Carns via AP. Tim Piazza, a 19-year-old Penn State sophomore and pledge at Beta Theta Pi, died on Feb. 4, 2017 after he fell down the stairs during a pledge ceremony at the house on the night of Feb. 2. Brendan Young claimed that after the hazing incident, Piazza "looked fucking dead".[11]. Shortly before 4 a.m., after a fraternity member saw him on the floor and put a blanket over him, Piazza was alone in the floor of the fraternity house. The fraternity also is accused in the death. As the evening wears on the video jumps to Piazza lying in a fetal position on the ground, rolling around. Another adjusts a blanket on him. Piazza's fall down the stairs the night of Feb. 2 is not seen on video, but after the fall, four fraternity members were seen carrying him upstairs, and a large bruise was visible on his body, which prosecutors say was a spleen injury. Write to Katie Reilly at Katie.Reilly@time.com. [6], In 2005, Penn State alumnus Donald G. Abbey, a member of Joe Paterno's first ever Penn State Nittany Lions football scholarship class and Beta Theta Pi alumnus, donated $1.2 million to renovate the Beta Theta Pi house. [8] Throughout the renovation process, fraternity brothers smashed holes in the walls with baseball bats, leading Abbey to predict future damage to the property. Timothy Piazza, who died in 2017 after being hazed during Penn State Beta Theta Pi's fraternity initiation process, poses for his senior night photo in high school with his parents, Evelyn and Jim. Eighteen students have been charged with a variety of offenses, from involuntary manslaughter to alcohol-related offenses more than 1,000 counts in all. By that time, he had lost all color, and some of the fraternity members thought he may have died, Scicchitano said. The case attracted a significant amount of national media attention, and was regularly the main topic of many TV talk shows; including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning and on CNN. The Piazza case resulted in one of the largest hazing prosecutions in US history. Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Penn State. [9], The Penn State chapter of Beta Theta Pi was known to have a deep history of hazing. The 19-year-old student died in February 2017 after an. It did not go unnoticed by me, and more importantly, by the family, he said. After several minutes of debating on what the next step should be, the conclusion was made that Piazza's injuries were indeed serious and that he would require medical attention. There are new developments in connection with the case of the fraternity hazing ritual at Penn State that allegedly caused the tragic death of 19-year-old student Tim Piazza. Fraternity members tried to dress Piazza but couldn't because his body was too rigid, the detective said. Around 5 a.m., the cameras captured Piazza falling head-first into an iron railing. Braxton Becker (age 20), who had the charge of tampering with evidence dropped against him, was charged with it again (and later acquitted) after new footage suggested he deleted the footage that led to these new charges. Security footage shows them poking Piazza in the face, to determine if he was okay, but he remained unconscious and unresponsive. Last month the fraternity said it does not tolerate hazing or alcohol abuse, adding the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence. Jonah Neuman, 19, of Nashville, Tennessee: Aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, reckless endangerment, hazing, disorderly conduct, alcohol-related charges. Becker was also charged with (and acquitted of) obstructing administration of law and charged with (and convicted of) hindering apprehension. All Rights Reserved. [17][18] On November 1, 2017, Lars Kenyon claimed "the judge got it right" and Kenyon has to "[figure] some stuff out". Defense attorneys representing fraternity members have argued that Piazzas death was a tragic accident and have fought for the dismissal of the most serious charges. Death at a Penn State Fraternity Tim Piazza fought for his life for 12 hours before his Beta Theta Pi brothers called 911. (AP Photo/Chris Knight), May 5, 2017: District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller, left, announces findings of an investigation into the death of Penn State University fraternity pledge Tim Piazza. These videotapes will undoubtedly show the various acts which are spelled out in the Fall of 2019 ``! '' Kline said largest hazing prosecutions in US history a scapegoat.. lawyers. 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