Two former University of Missouri fraternity members were charged for their roles in a hazing incident that left a student blind and unable to walk or communicate.
Ryan Delanty and Thomas Shultz, former members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, were indicted Friday (June 17) by a Boone County grand jury, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune. They were charged with felony hazing charges of life endangerment and misdemeanor charges of supplying liquor to a minor or intoxicated person. Shultz, the fraternity’s vice president and treasurer, is facing an additional charge of felony tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution. Bond has been set at $50,000 for each and arrest warrants have been issued for both.
The hazing incident occurred on October 19 at a “pledge dad reveal night” at the fraternity house. Delanty was made the “pledge dad” of Danny Santulli. The 19-year-old victim was forced to drink an entire bottle of Tito’s vodka. Surveillance video showed Santulli drinking the vodka from a tube connected to a funnel that was put in his mouth by a member of the fraternity. He didn’t resist, the Tribune reported.
He passed out and became unresponsive due to alcohol poisoning after drinking three-fourths of the bottle. His BAC was 0.486 — six times the legal limit, according to CBS News.
Later that night, fraternity members took Santulli to a local hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest upon arrival.
“He has massive brain damage. He’s blind. He’s unable to walk or communicate,” family attorney David Bianchi said. His condition hasn’t improved since the day of the incident.
Phi Gamma Delta has since been removed from the University of Missouri and 13 fraternity members have been sanctioned, according to the Tribune.
A petition making the rounds calling for felony charges has nearly 35,000 signatures at the time of this publication.
