Penn State fraternity brothers plead guilty in student’s 2017 hazing death

Two former Penn State University students and fraternity leaders pleaded guilty to their roles in the 2017 hazing death of Timothy Piazza, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Tuesday.

Brendan Young, 28, and Daniel Casey, 27, pleaded guilty this week to 14 counts of hazing and one count of reckless endangerment in connection to Piazza’s Feb. 4, 2017 death from injuries he suffered at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house days prior. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1. All the crimes are misdemeanors.

The prosecution against Young and Casey took longer than the other two dozen defendants and former fraternity brothers because they had challenged the admission of incriminating cell phone messages. Their guilty pleas came months before their criminal trials were to be scheduled and ends the criminal case over Piazza’s death.

Twenty-three former fraternity brothers previously pleaded guilty in the case so far to misdemeanors such as hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors. The former house manager was found guilty at trial.

Young, the fraternity’s former president, and Casey, the former vice president and pledge master, summoned Piazza and 13 other pledges to the State College house that night for a bid acceptance event, authorities said.

The Attorney General’s Office said Piazza, 19, was found unresponsive the following morning after consuming large amounts of alcohol during an initiation event called “obstacle course.” The events lasted approximately 90 minutes, during which time Piazza consumed 18 alcoholic drinks.

Piazza died two days later as a result of multiple alcohol-related falls. His injuries included traumatic brain swelling, a skull fracture and a lacerated spleen.

Young and Casey organized and participated in the initiation event, Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a Tuesday news release. She said the 14 counts of hazing represent each of the pledges who participated in the February 2017 initiation event.

“There should be no discussion of this case without recognizing the tragic loss of life and resulting devastation for Mr. Piazza’s family and friends,” Henry said. “Mr. Piazza was simply seeking to join a social organization for the benefits of community and shared experiences, as so many university students do. Most of those students go on to successful lives and careers — basic expectations following college which Mr. Piazza never had the opportunity to experience.”

Following an investigation Penn State revoked recognition of the Beta chapter and the national organization closed the on-campus fraternity house.

A wrongful death suit filed by Piazza’s parents against 28 fraternity members, including Young and Casey, is ongoing.

In 2018, then Gov. Tom Wolf signed the Timothy J. Piazza anti-hazing measure into law, elevating hazing activities that result in serious injury or death to a felony-level charge.

Prosecutors initially tried to file felony charges in the Piazza case but district judges repeatedly tossed the more serious charges, saying there was not enough evidence to support charges like involuntary manslaughter under the laws that existed in 2017.