Sunday, February 16, 2025, 5:40PM |  39°
MENU
Advertisement
Former Penn State fraternity member Brendan Young in a 2017 file photo.
2
MORE

The most serious charges dismissed against former Penn State fraternity members in pledge's death

David Swanson/Philadelphia Inquirer

The most serious charges dismissed against former Penn State fraternity members in pledge's death

A judge on Friday dismissed all involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges against former Penn State University fraternity brothers in the fourth preliminary hearing in the hazing death of PSU student Timothy Piazza.

Six of the seven former brothers entered the hearing already bound over for trial on a number of other charges. Former house manager Braxton Becker was the exception.

Mr. Piazza, a sophomore engineering student from Lebanon, N.J., died in February 2017 after a night of drinking and hazing. Authorities said he had consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol and suffered a series of falls that left him with a fractured skull and severe abdominal injuries.

Advertisement

In May, District Judge Steven Lachman dismissed the three charges stemming from the allegation that Mr. Becker intentionally deleted video from the fraternity’s basement. Jim and Evelyn Piazza’s attorney, Tom Kline, previously said Judge Lachman’s decision left the family “dismayed.”

Evelyn, center left, and Jim Piazza, whose son Timothy died in a hazing ritual just over two years ago at Penn State University, met with leaders of fraternities and sororities at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa., on Monday, Feb 18, 2019.
Bill Schackner
The Piazzas lost a son to fraternity hazing. Tonight, they tell an audience at IUP why it must stop

District Judge Carmine Prestia doubled down on Judge Lachman’s ruling and again dismissed all charges against Mr. Becker.

“The evidence is insufficient to point directly to the defendant as having been the person who initiated any erasure of data. The systems were known to have problems, some cameras were not working, and the LAN indication on the log indicates possible remote access to the devices,” Judge Prestia said.

Former fraternity President Brendan Young and pledgemaster Daniel Casey were the two highest-ranking members of the fraternity involved in the fourth overall preliminary hearing. The district judge dismissed the charges against the two. He let stand 30 hazing charges for each.

Advertisement

Michael Bonatucci, Nicholas Kubera, Jonah Neuman and Joshua Kurczewski each had one count of hazing bound over for trial. Their remaining charges were dismissed.

Earlier this month, former fraternity member Ryan Burke, 21, of Scranton, was sentenced to three months’ house arrest and two years’ probation after pleading guilty to hazing alcohol violations in connection with the death.

The former fraternity brothers are among the more than 20 members of the now-closed Beta Theta Pi to face criminal charges.

Judge Prestia dismissed the involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person charges, but bound them over for trial on 30 hazing charges each.

The Old Main building on the campus of Penn State University in a 2012 file photo.
Lauren Muthler
Penn State fraternity suspended due to alleged misconduct and a 'serious student injury'

Judge Prestia announced his ruling Friday after presiding over two days of testimony and reviewing information from hearings on Thursday.

First Published: August 24, 2018, 5:11 p.m.

RELATED
This Oct. 31, 2014, photo shows Timothy Piazza with his parents, Evelyn and James Piazza, during Hunterdon Central Regional High School football’s Senior Night in Flemington, N.J.   (Patrick Carns via AP)
Bill Schackner
Fraternity, Piazza family reach settlement in pledge's death
Comments Disabled For This Story
Partners
Advertisement
Citing the substance's risks, the FDA in late 2023 issued a public safety alert warning that consumers "should not purchase or use any Neptune’s Fix products, or any other product with tianeptine."
1
news
'Gas station heroin' arises as a new threat
2
news
Medicaid on the chopping block: Proposed cuts threaten coverage of vulnerable Pennsylvanians
Novo Asian Food Hall on Thursday May 23, 2024, Strip District.  (John Colombo/For the Post-Gazette)
3
news
Legal battle stirs the pot at Novo Asian Food Hall
Sarah Siplak, operations manager, assembles a donated car seat inside JFCS Pittsburgh on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Squirrel Hill.  Local
4
news
Federal funding freeze leaves Pittsburgh refugee aid groups scrambling
Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with Rickard Rakell #67 and Sidney Crosby #87 after scoring a goal in the first period during the game against the Edmonton Oilers at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 9, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
5
sports
From The Point: Putting every Penguins player into trade buckets ahead of NHL trade deadline
Former Penn State fraternity member Brendan Young in a 2017 file photo.  (David Swanson/Philadelphia Inquirer)
Former Beta Theta Pi fraternity member Michael Bonatucci leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., in this 2017 photo.  (Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times via AP)
David Swanson/Philadelphia Inquirer
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story