On Thursday, lawyerTheodore Simon saidduring the early morning hours before Piazza was found in the basement, he could be seen walking to a set of patio doors and closing them indicating the pledge wascoherent andfunctioning during this time, the Centre Daily Times reported. I don't think it's cool at all to launch a personal attack like that, in a sub reddit that is about changing view points. That night after the February event, Piazza drunkenly fell down the stairs and sustained the injuries that led to his death less than two days later. Newly recovered security camera footage from inside a Penn State fraternity house showed a pledge had been given at least 18 drinks in less than 90 minutes, investigators said Monday in announcing dozens of new charges related to the pledges death. Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller charged 10 new defendants, reinstated charges against two people whose cases had been dropped and added counts against five who had previously been charged for actions surrounding the Feb. 4 death of Beta Theta Pi pledge Tim Piazza. While this event is horribly tragic, I don't think it serves anyone to blame the other fraternity members and act like Timothy piazza had no involvement. The grand jury document referenced surveillance footage other than the recently recovered video. Piazza was brought to Mount Nittany Medical Center, but was quickly transported to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center because of the severity of his injuries. The bombshell revelation by State College police Detective David Scicchitano came during a hearing to determine if theres enough evidence to send the case to trial. A response like yours is why I feared posting this. WebTimothy Piazza, 19, from New Jersey died after falling down a flight of stairs during a hazing ritual at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. The footage, by all accounts, is disturbing. He said coercing someone to drink as much as his son did is egregiously reckless and, according to the police and the DA, is criminal.. Parks Miller said in a written statement that the basement video clearly depicts a continuation of the hazing activity previously captured upstairs, including giving pledges beer, wine and vodka. His brothers. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? PennLive.come reports State College Police Detective David Scicchitano was on the witness stand for nearly 10 hours during the hearing. Look at the definition of murder..I don't like over the top hyperbole and I think that's why this case has bothered me in terms of coverage. Sign up to receive breaking True Crime Daily news, exclusive stories and behind-the-scenes info. He was carried to a couch, where surveillance cameras captured the formation of a large and obvious bruise on his left abdomen. ABC News' Gregory Croft and Stephanie Gomulka contributed to this report. Upon arrival, Piazza was rushed into surgery, where he was discovered to have a ruptured spleen and class IV hemorrhagic shock. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. "America's Got Talent" Comedian Bringing The Laughs To Newtown, Senator Pushes Bills To Bring Justice To Childhood Sex Assault Victims, Jules Thin Crust Pizza Looking For The Next Menu-Worthy Pie, Comedy Star Dena Blizzard Fri. & Sat. Piazza appears lifeless for most of the video, rolling on the ground and holding his head in his hands. They aren't assholes. Would you sue or press charges? His parents saying he was perfect, and making it sound like he was kidnapped and tortured is misleading, and could lead to unfair punishments for a number of kids who made a horrible mistake. The Beta Theta Pi house was shut down shortly thereafter and remains empty. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. When he finally woke up and tried to roll off, they slammed him back down, slapped him in the face and poured beer on him. From trying to beat him awake, to abandoning him, to covering up the evidence, everything about this shows criminal negligence. It's a horrible idea for any crime, this one included. "As it relates to my client, we didn't hear a lot. Updated on: November 13, 2017 / 2:58 PM Edit: Btw, your comment completely justifies me using a throwaway. Piazza never obtained any of the drinks himself, Miller said. 16 students face judge in Penn State hazing death of Timothy Piazza, 'He looked like a corpse': Video shown of Penn State pledge after fatal injuries, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Piazza was carried to a couch where frat brothers poured beer on him, hit him, and eventually propped him on his side. Penn State's former Beta Theta Pi fraternity house now sits empty. We certainly didn't hear anything linking him to anything regarding Timothy Piazza's death," said Michael Engel, DiBileo's lawyer. WebVideo deleted from Penn State fraternity camera in Timothy Piazza case, police say Susan Miller USA TODAY 0:00 1:58 Video on a camera inside a Penn State fraternity house Gene J. Puskar/AP I cannot stress this enough. "Ems kept looking straight ahead," the report said. (Patrick Carns/Patrick Carns). Messages left for most other defendants or their lawyers were not immediately returned Monday. Piazza had consumed at least 18 drinks in less than an hour and a half, according to prosecutors. The video captured the night 14 pledges, including Piazza, were taken through a speed-drinking event called "the gauntlet." Fraternity members found him in the basement the next morning andcarried him back upstairs. He rolled off the couch again and curled his body, clutching his abdomen. He is then carried up, while unconscious, by a group of frat brothers who then proceed to "slam" him, slap him, pour water on him and even throw a shoe at him, according to accounts of the footage. "It's time to man up, fellas, and be held accountable for your actions," Piazza's father, James, told reporters, his voice cracking. "No parent wants to see what is apparently on this videotape.". Miller explained that the recovered surveillance footage shows frat brothers forcing Piazza to consume copious amounts of alcohol. No defendants have entered pleas at this time. In this state of intoxication he fell on the basement stairs of the house and was knocked unconscious. That little rant you went into wasn't cool at all. We've received your submission. Advertisement To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. There was no premeditation, no joy in his suffering, I see more evil in the dad who wants to take revenge on the men in the fraternity to be honest. College students drink. FULL STORY: Video surveillance from Pennsylvania State University fraternity house shown in court - WNEP. The 19-year-old staggered through the house, visibly in pain he fell head first several times. His brothers carried him, unconscious, to a couch and left him there. Time goes on and he falls off the couch and when he is found off the couch still unconscious he is thrown back on the couch, slapped around and punched him in the abdomen while completely unresponsive. I don't think they're acting like assholes. I guess that is what has really skewed my opinion of this whole thing. He had to have more than half his skull removed to relieve the massive pressure built up from all those head injuries. Doctors saidthesophomore from Lebanon, N.J.,suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries, including a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen. A court affidavit said one of the brothers, Braxton Becker, purposely deleted the basement footage two days after Piazza died but the FBI was able to recover it. The most serious offenses include involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, while others are charged with hazing or alcohol violations. This might not be as bad as consciously deciding to delay medical treatment, but this is still something the fraternity brothers should be culpable for. I know; I sound callous, and my view is wayyyy different than other peoples'. A judge presiding over the preliminary hearing, which began in June, will decide whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. Every drink consumed was provided to him by a fraternity brother: DA. He fell down drunk, which initially knocked him out so that much is his fault. One of the main revelations from the footage: Fraternity brothers gave Piazza at least 18 drinks in one hour and 22 minutes. I posted here because I realized my opinion on the incident is different then just about anyone elses. What these people chose to do was make it worse and try to hide the fact they were breaking campus rules at the cost of a fellow members well being. WebDr. He drank an incredibly high amount of alcohol and fell down the basement stairs and was unconscious. "She has asked that the case be reassigned to another judge, but she is working against the clock. I can only imagine the anguish of being a parent, and losing your child this way. After investigators determined the security footage was manually deleted, they then sent the tapes to the FBI, whose agents recovered the video, authorities said in a statement. They are acting like total jerks attacking these kids in public. "His eyes were closed. He's black out drunk and stumbling around, and he's just left alone? Ad Choices, Video surveillance from Pennsylvania State University fraternity house shown in court - WNEP. Dr. Harry Kamerow said he used video evidence and medical records to establish that Piazza's fall at 11:22 p.m. down the basement steps caused his fatal brain and spleen injuries. Speaking of which, downvotes don't change views! Alexandersen said fraternity brothers were "intensely" watching the video of Piazza writhe in pain on the floor in the hours after his fall. You know what, if somebody falls down a flight of stairs because they're blackout drunk, you should probably make sure that nothing bad happens to him. That video was shown in court on Monday. A sketch shows the preliminary hearing in the death of Penn State student Timothy Piazza resumes in Centre County Courthouse, Bellefonte, Penn., Aug. 10, 2017. Prosecutors filed charges against 12 members of Penn State's now-shuttered Beta Theta Pi chapter and added to the already-existing charges against five others. Brothers [in the fraternity] were coming up to him and giving him those drinks.". Piazzadied in ahospital Feb. 4, about 30 hours after a bid acceptance partyin which the former high school football player fell repeatedly. WebDetectives may have discovered crucial new evidence in the death of Penn State student Timothy Piazza. District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said fraternity brothers gave Piazza 18 drinks in under one hour and 22 minutes. I think they're acting like distraught parents struggling to cope with the death of their son even if it means distorting reality a bit and choosing to see his son in the best of lights and his frat brothers in the worst. Seems like they don't realize he chose to be involved in this group and event. Piazza died Feb. 4 at a hospital after consuming what authorities said was a dangerous amount of alcohol, as well as sustaining severe injuries to his head and abdomen. Stupid yes, but they just don't fit my idea of evil. i have to say, if this were just a random person from the general public, they seriously wouldnt be this invested to make a throwaway account to make someone change their simpleton mind and then it results in you fighting to hang onto every tooth and infected hang nail (points which are not at all logical, and seriously only are one a sociopathic, guilty person would be rationalizing) Youre throwing shit to a wall and hoping it sticks, desperate for a new defense to use in court since the basement footage has now been released. I can honestly say that would not be how my mind would work. Twenty-six people now face charges in the case. Sure. No other parents have acted like this when they have lost their child in similar fashion. Of the 17 fraternity members charged, five now face manslaughter charges. Advertisement The revelation came on Day 4 of the preliminary hearing for the fraternity brothers facing charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to furnishing alcohol to minors. The fraternity was supposed to be alcohol-free after a suspension in 2009. WebAccording to the grand jury presentment, around 9 p.m., the videos show Piazza and other pledges in a ritual called "the gauntlet," consuming large amounts of beer, vodka and Becker, 21, of Niskayuna, New York, was charged with evidence tampering, obstruction and hindering a prosecution. I'm not hanging on tooth and nail to anything, because I'm not invested in this on a personal level. Ed Gilmartin was there. As NPR's Bill Chappell reported at the time, charges were pressed against 18 members of the fraternity, including eight who were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Of course the fraternity should be punished. "When law enforcement initially evaluated the video footage, fraternity brothers led police to believe that the basement cameras had been inoperable on Bid Acceptance Night," Parks Miller's office said in a statement. PennLive.com reporter Christian Alexandersen was also at the hearing. I haven't liked the idolization of him, and how the parents have basically ripped on everyone that their son has ever known. And the frat basically did everything they could to ignore him, until they couldn't, at which point they tried to cover up what they did. Getting knock out drunk? In fact, on video, Tim Piazza does not obtain his own alcohol at any point rather, every drink consumed was provided to him by a fraternity brother, she said. According to reporters at the hearing, Scicchitano said the fraternity brothers were acting like "drill sergeants" and yelling at the pledges to drink. DiBileo and 15 other fraternity brothers spent over 10 hours in court listening to evidence. Parks Miller, whos leaving office at the end of the year, then refiled many of the charges. Piazza's death "was the direct result of traumatic brain injuries," according to the forensic pathologist on the case. It was estimated that he had .40% BAC and a lethal BAC is roughly .30%-.40%. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Press J to jump to the feed. Ok, so they are already violating the alcohol-free provision. Prosecutors filed charges against 12 members of Penn State's now-shuttered Beta Theta Pi chapter and added to the already-existing charges against five others. And you actually say that "people need to take responsibility for their actions" yet excuse these animals? First of all, these are not kids, they are adults. The testimony came on the fourth day of a preliminary hearing for 16 members of Beta Theta Pi facing charges that includeinvoluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault in the Feb. 4 death of engineering student Timothy Piazza, 19. The grand jury concluded that, after Piazza was taken to the hospital, there was an active attempt to conceal evidence of the hazing and underage drinking, from deleting text messages to admitting to discussing erasing surveillance video. If you see a comment that has broken one, it is more effective to report it than downvote it. In May, a grand jury revised that assessment, calling it "the direct result of encouraged reckless conduct." Excerpts from the footage havebeen compelling: Fraternity members are shown holding Piazza down, strapping him to a backpack to keep him from turning over and choking, pouring liquids on him and trying to get him to stand so they could dress him even whenhe appeared to be unconscious. Ten other students are facing related charges of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence and providing alcohol to minors, among other charges. I mean, based on your logic that would be completely selfish and out of line of you. The hearing, which is expected to enter a fifth day Friday, will determine whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. But, still, they pressured him into drinking too much. All of the footage from a basement camera prior to Feb. 6 had been deleted before authorities had a chance to obtain it. The grand jury that investigated Piazzas death, video footage and preliminary hearing testimony painted a disturbing picture of his final night inside the fraternity house. These were supposed to be his friends. However, I'd also like to argue that the fraternity is also legally and morally responsible for his initial intoxication. Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey, died from injuries he sustained as one of 14 pledges at a bid acceptance party that included a hazing ritual known as the gauntlet, requiring participants to drink wine, beer and vodka in rapid succession. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Three brothers picked him up and "slammed" him back onto the couch. Again, these are people who WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIM BEING IN THAT CONDITION who were more concerned about the possible consequences for themselves than saving the life of a badly injured pledge. Scicchitano testified in court that Piazza "looked like a corpse" the morning after the fall. Justin is an assistant managing editor at CBS News. WebPiazza staggered on his feet down the hallway and turned right into the Away Bar Room. The district attorney's office in Centre County, Pennsylvania, has announced new charges in the death of Tim Piazza. Authorities based the new charges on the Beta Theta Pi basement surveillance footage deleted by a fraternity member following the 19-year-old's death. "Brothers were coming up to him and giving him those drinks," she added. Security footage shows brothers slapping Piazza in the face, punching him in the stomach, and pouring beer on him, but he remained unconscious and unresponsive. He was estimated to have had a blood-alcohol level several times the legal limit for adult drivers. Piazza eventually staggered to the basement where he fell down a flight of stairs. This story has been shared 102,156 times. But the hazing was not the unconscionable part of what happened, and it wasn't what led to his death. He had ruptured spleen and was bleeding internally to the point that he was in class IV hemorrhagic shock (the worst level of shock caused by blood loss) by the time he made it to the hospital. And as tragic as the loss of this young man is, Joey Ems never should have been charged with a crime.. Two of the defendants waived their rights to a hearing. Reporters inside the Centre County Courthouse live tweeted the proceedings as the prosecution played the surveillance footage from the Beta Theta Pi fraternity party on Feb. 2, the night of Piazza's fatal injury. "State College Police sent the box to the FBI, whose agents were able to restore the video from the deleted hard drive," the district attorney's office said. Piazza, a 19-year-old engineering student from Lebanon, New Jersey, suffered a fractured skull, shattered spleen and other injuries, likely during a series of falls inside the house. Piazza's parents, Jim and Evelyn of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, left the courtroom before the prosecution began airing the footage, narrated by Scicchitano. I'm pissed at these guys, and I've got no skin in the game. Video on a camera insidea Penn State fraternity house was erasedtwo days after a pledge died followinga night of hazing and heavy drinking, a detective testified Thursday, according to media reports. 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