Ex-fraternity Leader Pleads Guilty To Hazing After Pledge’s Death But Could Avoid Jail Time

A erstwhile leader of a fraternity successful Arizona has admitted to hazing aft a pledge died during a unreserved event.

Carter Eslick, 20, pleaded blameworthy connected Monday to a felony hazing complaint successful relationship pinch nan decease of 18-year-old Colin Daniel Martinez.

Martinez died of intoxicant poisoning while attending an off-campus unreserved arena for Northern Arizona University, wherever he was pledging to nan now-defunct Delta Tau Delta fraternity chapter.

He was recovered unresponsive connected Jan. 31 and an autopsy recovered his blood-alcohol level was 0.425%, much than 5 times nan ineligible limit.

Eslick and 3 different fraternity committee members were arrested aft Martinez’s decease but Eslick was nan only 1 who was indicted.

Under an statement pinch prosecutors, Eslick would service nary much than 4 years of probation. A judge will find nan magnitude and could besides enforce up to a twelvemonth successful jailhouse astatine a Sept. 30 sentencing hearing.

Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker said nan plea doesn't diminish nan “profound harm caused aliases nan sorrow of Colin's death.”

Colin Daniel Martinez’s hazing death

Eslick, who is nary longer a student astatine NAU, was serving arsenic nan fraternity's promise maestro astatine nan clip of Martinez’s death, responsible for welcoming caller members.

Martinez was among 4 men pledging to Delta Tau Delta who shared 2 bottles of vodka to guarantee they vomited, tribunal documents said. One promise told constabulary that he and 3 different pledges were brought to nan statement pinch pillowcases complete their heads and were ordered to play a drinking game, Arizona’s Family reported.

Eslick purchased nan intoxicant for nan unreserved arena and explained nan drinking crippled that led to Martinez’s death, authorities prosecutors said.

Witnesses reported adjusting Martinez's sleeping position and checking his beat and breathing to look for signs of intoxicant poisoning passim nan night, nan documents said.

Police were called to nan location astatine 9 a.m. nan adjacent greeting and recovered Martinez unresponsive. He was pronounced dormant astatine nan scene.

The assemblage suspended nan Delta Tau Delta fraternity aft Martinez's death, and nan nationalist statement closed nan NAU chapter.