Arrest warrants have been issued for 10 individuals in connection with the death of 18-year-old Maxwell Gruver, a freshman Phi Delta Theta pledge who died after a night of heavy drinking.
The LSU Police Department is charging nine of the 10 individuals with hazing. A tenth individual also faces a charge of negligent homicide.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Matthew Alexander Naquin on charges of hazing and negligent homicide, while warrants were issued to the following on hazing charges: Zachary Castillo, Elliott Eaton, Patrick Forde, Sean Paul Gott, Zachary Hall, Ryan Isto, Hudson Kirkpatrick, Sean Pennison and Nicholas Taulli.
Gruver, from Roswell, Georgia, was pledging Phi Delta Theta Fraternity when he died last month in what police suspect is a possible hazing incident.
He was reportedly found unresponsive at the fraternity house and taken to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy report revealed Gruver had an highly-elevated blood alcohol level and traces of THC, the chemical found in marijuana, in his system.
LSU’s Phi Delta Theta chapter has since been shuttered. LSU President F. King Alexander has also formed the President’s Task Force on Greek Life to review the culture and environment of fraternities and sororities on campus as well as the overall governance and oversight of Greek organizations. Gov. John Bel Edwards also has asked the presidents of the state’s four universities system to inventory their policies on hazing and drug abuse, report their findings and send their recommendations to him by Oct. 29.
