11 local frat boys charged with killing pledge at Plattsburgh

hoosier · #1 04-30-2003, 08:42 PM

Fraternity Brothers Charged In Student Death
11 Psi Epsilon Chi Members Accused In Alleged Hazing Fatality

POSTED: 3:30 p.m. EDT April 30, 2003

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Plattsburgh City Police have charged 11 college students with killing their fraternity pledge.

11 Charged Members Of Psi Epsilon Chi
Police charged each of the 11 members of Psi Epsilon Chi fraternity in Plattsburgh with criminally negligent homicide, hazing, and several other charges.

Investigators said during 10 days of pledging, the fraternity members forced Walter "Dean" Jennings (pictured, right), 18, to drink excessive amounts of water through a funnel until he vomited. They said Jennings was forced to do this several times. Autopsy results revealed that Jennings died from "swelling of the brain" by water intoxication.

Jennings, who was from Gansevoort, N.Y., was taken to the hospital in Plattsburgh on March 12, 2003, where he was listed in critical condition. He died later that night at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.

Police have arrested eight members of the fraternity; two more are expected to turn themselves in to police tonight. Police in the Albany, N.Y., area are still searching for one person.

Psi Epsilon Chi is a fraternity no longer recognized by Plattsburgh State University. It lost its college charter in 1998.

The fraternity members who have been charged are:

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Adam L. Atkinson, 21, Hudson Falls, N.Y.
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John E. Bernius, 21, Ronkonkonma, N.Y.
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Christopher M. Colletti, 19 Maybrook, N.Y.
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William W. Farmer III, 20, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
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Alex W. Fischer, 21, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
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Gary R. Jones, 21, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
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William C. Katz, 24
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Jeffrey R. Meyer, 21, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
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Patrick J. Stasiukiewicz, 21, Mattituck, N.Y.
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Michael J. West, 20, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
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Adam Zastowny, 21, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

LeslieAGD · #2 05-01-2003, 06:36 PM

I just heard this on the news.
I have never heard of "water intoxication" before.

AlphaSigOU · #3 05-01-2003, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeslieAGD
I just heard this on the news.
I have never heard of "water intoxication" before.

Just a fancy ten-dollar medical term. The victim either was forced underwater or wound up taking a full-force drink with a hose, taking so much water water that it caused his brain to swell, eventually killing him.

doubleblue&gold · #4 05-01-2003, 11:36 PM

You have to drink a hell of a lot of water to have water intoxiction, but it is possible----and happens more than you think. If you drink that much water, it washes out your electrolytes and changes the fluid balances in the body. Besides the mental changes, you can wreck your kidneys.

Peaches-n-Cream · #5 05-02-2003, 12:20 AM

This is terrible.

squirrely girl · #6 05-02-2003, 12:27 AM

yah - water intoxication is completely possible - you hear 'bout it a couple times each summer in association with basic training deaths.

marissa

XOMichelle · #7 05-02-2003, 01:22 AM

Wow.

This is really awful. I feel for the boy's parents and friends. Who would have thought????

And that sucks for those boys. Can you imagine? Someting you though was harmless killing someone.

teke4life · #8 05-02-2003, 09:45 AM

harmless? perhaps you should reread the article. they were forcing him to drink water until he puked... several times. there are several known side effects to repeated vomiting. there is so many ways that could've turned out bad.

Optimist Prime · #9 05-02-2003, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by teke4life
harmless? perhaps you should reread the article. they were forcing him to drink water until he puked... several times. there are several known side effects to repeated vomiting. there is so many ways that could've turned out bad.

It turn out bad.

I know what you're saying though. I feel really bad for everyone involved. It would suck to be his pledge brothers. Because now they probably won't be initated, and I'm guessing many wouldn't want to join another frat. And if they did, would they all join the same one? That sucks.

MSSTCY1 · #10 05-02-2003, 06:59 PM

I just read an article about this from my hometown paper and almost cried. I went to High School with one of the guys that is being charged. I think the whole situation is horrible and I can't imagine what his family is going through b/c they are very well respected in the community.

Quote:

Originally posted by XOMichelle
And that sucks for those boys. Can you imagine? Someting you though was harmless killing someone.

While I don't agree that they completely thought it was harmless, one would think that they would have had a little more sence to stop when they obviously could tell that the kid was not taking well to what they were doing.

I know it's happened before, but I just cannot see how hazing can get this out of hand. I just don't get how people are unable to tell when enough is enough.

texas*princess · #11 05-03-2003, 12:46 AM

I just heard this on the news... this is so terrible

I honestly never knew "water intoxication" existed

edited to include: I found another article about this on msnbc.com, from the victim's pledge brother. The article makes it sound like there were only 2 men in the pledge class.

The article is disturbing because he mentions he thought the hazing was just something that always happened, and like many of us know, this is definatley something that should not happen

http://www.msnbc.com/local/wptz/a1601022.asp

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Report: Water Torture Final Event In Student Hazing

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y., 11:57 a.m. EDT May 2, 2003 - In addition to drinking excessive amounts of water, which police said killed a Plattsburgh State University student, other fraternity hazing rituals occurred in the days leading up to the death.

According to sources within the organization, fraternity pledges were forced to remain in a small room at high temperatures in a test called "The Bake." They also reportedly stared into a strobe light for an hour.
The event that allegedly killed Walter "Dean" Jennings (pictured, right) involved the consumption of massive amounts of water over a period of 10 days. On the night of his death, the sources said Jennings drank alcohol and then water, which fraternity members said would cleanse his system. Police said the water intoxication swelled Jennings' brain.

Eleven past and present members of Psi Epsilon Chi were charged with criminally negligent homicide, hazing, and several other charges.

"(It) seemed like something I wanted to do (because of the) brotherhood and unity," said Chris Han, Jennings' only pledge brother.

Han said he chose Psi Epsilon Chi because he thought the brothers seemed like genuinely good people and having a pledge brother like Jennings was a bonus.

"Honestly, I couldn't have picked anyone else I would have liked to pledge with," Han said. "He was there (and) had more heart than anyone. He had passion towards everything, especially this. This is what he wanted more than anything."

Han said the picture of what he thought brotherhood was all about changed once they started pledging.

"I wanted to leave, but I never thought of saying anything because I didn't picture it as a big deal. I pictured it as something everyone went through," Han said.

Han said he felt uneasy about drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and water, but figured it was all part of the program. He said Jennings did, too, until the last day of pledging.

"I remember (that) coming in, he looked a mess. An hour later I knew something was wrong," Han said.

Jennings died that day, but Han said he does not hold a grudge against the 11 brothers charged in Jennings' death.

"I know it was a mistake, not like they intentionally did that to hurt him or kill him," Han said.

Han was named a full brother soon after Dean died, but said that doesn't matter much now.

"I wish I didn't do it. Maybe Dean would still be alive," Han said.

Plattsburgh Mayor Dan Stewart has vowed to have the house removed. He said he would like the property sold, with the money becoming a memorial fund for Dean.

"Would I like to see this house gone forever?" Stewart said. "You're damn right I would. I want to be there the day that we take the letters off the house."

Plattsburgh State has set up a hazing hot line to report any problems within the Greek system: 564-5555

gammagirl43 · #12 05-03-2003, 11:39 PM

That is so sad.

KatieQ · #13 05-03-2003, 11:53 PM

I've heard about it with people who take Ecstacy. They become really thirsty and drink too much water and die of water intoxication. It can happen.

ShaunaF01 · #14 07-08-2003, 03:54 PM

As a greek at Plattsburgh State, I guess I can clarify a few things. Psi Epsilon Chi was an underground group that we've been tryin to get rid of for years now. Unfortantly, many people still associated the guys at the house with the greek community because they had letters on their house that they were able to have up because the corporation bought the house and the letters were up before the city decided to outlaw letters on buildings, so they were the only ones to have their letters up.

Yes there were only two pledges. Plattsburgh's greek system is very low, a pledge class of two is common, a pledge class of 10 is uncommon. It was widely known that Psi Epsilon Chi's pledge program was 10 days of pure hell. What was done, who knows. I can't say. The rumor has it, that they were made to funnel water because they were cleansing the alcohol out of his system.

I have two very good friends who are now being charged with negligent homicide, and although I know these guys didn't intentionally mean to kill Dean, something has to be done in order to stop it from happening again. Plattsburgh has other underground groups, and we pray that this doesn't happen again.

It really hit our greek community hard because we had to defend ourselves against accusations when they weren't even connected to us. The greek governance councils are working with the school to stop the other undergrounds and we hope to have this all taken care of soon.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me. I know a lot about this situation.

Nhfulmer · #15 07-09-2003, 04:47 PM

I had heard this story and it is horrible!!! It should also drive home to all members why hazing should be abolished. It may start with something little but each succeeding group attempts to add a little to it until it is out of control. Hazing really does nothing at all to enhance the Greek experience. Then there is the question of liability. If this had been a national GLO, the hit on their insurance would have driven their premium way up at the least. At the worst, they could have lost their insurance and the organization could have found itself bankrupt. Collegiate members need to take liability very seriously if they care about their fraternity or sorority.

I write this as a former advisor and officer of my sorority and the wife of a fraternity national officer. I know everyone likes to have fun but HAZING IS NOT FUN!!