Student found dead at OU Sigma Chi House

hoosier · #16 10-08-2004, 01:03 AM

Updated: October 7, 2004 8:56 AM

An OU student has been arrested in connection with the death of a fraternity pledge.

Cody Barrington, 21, is accused of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

The victim in this case was 19-year-old Blake Hammontree, who was found dead last week inside the Sigma Chi house on the OU campus.

Barrington pled not guilty Tuesday to charges of providing alcohol to a minor. Barrington's attorney believes the student is being pinned as a scapegoat and said his client is not to blame.

Police say Hammontree drank himself to death. And now comes the first of what the Cleveland County district attorney said will be several arrests.

Barrington is accused of providing alcohol to a pledge member.

"One thing that we can agree on is that, both sides agree, that my client did not purchase any alcoholic beverage for Mr. Hammontree," said his attorney, who believes none of the members of the Sigma Chi fraternity acted in a criminal manner.

Barrington is an honor roll student with a 3.9 grade point average. Welch believes there is little evidence connecting his client to a bottle of cinnamon schnapps. Police contend Barrington purchased that bottle for a pledge.

"They received information from a Jordan Mitchell that my client allegedly purchased liquor for Mr. Mitchell," the attorney said. "At this time, we dispute that allegation from being true."

Barrington's attorney also feels his client is being made the scapegoat for Hammontree's death.

And, he said, the university has done little to curb underage drinking on campus.

"We all know underage drinking takes place on college campuses," he said. "I don't know what efforts the University of Oklahoma has made to make sure that doesn't happen, prior to this incident. But what I don't want to see is my client being prosecuted or made a scapegoat because of this incident."

Barrington's next court date is November 9 when both sides will meet for a preliminary hearing conference.

OU president David Boren suspended the fraternity and ordered all the fraternity's members out of the house as the investigation into Hammontree's death continuies.