Hazing Death of Timothy Piazza at Penn State Latest News: 'They Killed Him,' Father Jim Piazza Says
Timothy Piazza, 19 years old, died on Feb. 4 as a result of a hazing ritual conducted by the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in Penn State. His parents, Jim and Evelyn, are understandably outraged and in grief over what occurred.
Timothy, a sophomore, was reportedly forced to drink hazardous amounts of alcohol by Beta Theta Pi members, resulting in a shocking 0.40 blood-alcohol level. While under the influence, Timothy fell down the stairs twice, was thrown against the railing and hit the floor, which led to multiple injuries.
Members of the fraternity did not immediately contact 911 to seek help; rather, the boys carried Timothy to the couch, slapped him and even threw water on his face. By the time they called 911, 12 hours had already passed.
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Those 12 hours would prove to be critical as Timothy's doctor revealed to Jim that the young sophomore would have had a different fate if he had been rushed to the hospital sooner.
"It was horrific," Jim told TODAY. "And what happened throughout the night was just careless disregard for human life. They basically treated our son as roadkill and a rag doll."
"Nobody should consume that much alcohol,'' Evelyn added. "That's torture."
"They killed him," Jim concluded.
A video of the night was captured by security cameras inside the fraternity house, but Jim and Evelyn have yet to sit down and view it.
Eighteen members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity were charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault. Eight of them are looking at felony charges that may put them behind bars for 20 years.
"I have a lifetime of absence for my son. I would be good with 20 years," Jim told CBS News.
Penn State has already issued a statement regarding the incident, and the chapter of the fraternity has been disbanded. It is worth noting that the fraternity should not have even had alcohol since they were suspended eight years ago.
