Former Fraternity Leader Sentenced to Jail in Arizona Hazing Death
A Northern Arizona University fraternity leader has received a two-month jail sentence for his role in the hazing death of a pledge.
A former fraternity leader at Northern Arizona University (NAU) has been sentenced to two months in jail for his involvement in a hazing incident that resulted in the death of a student. Carter Eslick, 20, pleaded guilty to a felony hazing charge in Coconino County Superior Court.
The incident on January 31 led to the death of Colin Daniel Martinez, who was a pledge at the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, where Eslick served as pledge master. Martinez died at an off-campus Delta Tau Delta house from alcohol poisoning, with an autopsy revealing a blood-alcohol content of 0.45% shortly after his death.
During the hazing ritual, Martinez was among four pledges who were instructed to drink two bottles of vodka with the intention of inducing vomiting. Witnesses reported attempting to monitor Martinez as he slept, adjusting his position multiple times due to concerns about alcohol poisoning.
Eslick addressed the court, with Martinez's parents present, stating, "I take full responsibility for the hand I played in that ritual." The sentencing occurs amidst a period marked by other fraternity-related incidents making headlines, including the deaths of two students at the University of Mississippi and allegations of a cocaine distribution ring within a Penn State fraternity.
One of the deceased Ole Miss students, Robert Strang, was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Authorities discovered packages of kratom, a substance sometimes referred to as "gas station heroin," at the sites of both deaths, though its role in either fatality was not immediately clear. Phi Delta Theta has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with these incidents.