Fifteen former members of a Washington State University fraternity were charged on Wednesday for involvement in the 2019 alcohol poisoning death of a student.
The charges, filed by the Whitman County prosecutor, pertained to the death of 19-year-old WSU freshman Samuel Martinez of Bellevue, according to the Seattle Times. Martinez died of acute alcohol intoxication on Nov. 12, 2019, following a fraternity event the night before. At the time, the Whitman County coroner ruled it an accidental death.
Prosecuting Attorney Denis Tracy has charged the 15 men with supplying liquor to one or more pledges at the fraternity event that was part of an initiation process. Furnishing liquor to minors is considered a gross misdemeanor in the state and is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine, Tracy told a local CBS affiliate.
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On the night before Martinez died, he consumed a large portion of a half-gallon of rum and became unconscious. Medical aid was not called until 8:30 the next morning.
The 19-year-old’s family said it was disappointed none of the men will be charged with hazing due to the statute of limitations for the charge expiring. The family called the potential sentence of the men “insulting,” arguing their son’s incident constituted hazing, adding that it should be a felony in Washington.
In July 2020, Martinez’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university and the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity he pledged to join.
A trial is scheduled for August, Seattle attorney Rebecca Roe, who is representing the family, told the Seattle Times.
His parents are seeking an unspecified compensation for economic and noneconomic damages, including wrongful death, “pre-death pain and suffering,” fear of impending death, and lost earning capacity.
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The Washington Examiner contacted the Whitman County prosecuting attorney’s office but did not immediately receive a response.
