EP. 216 - PENNSYLVANIA: Hazed To Death: The Murder of Timothy Piazza

Summary

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Murder in America EP. 216 - PENNSYLVANIA: Hazed to Death: The Murder of Timothy Piazza

Podcast: Murder In America (Bloody FM)
Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: Courtney Shannon & Colin Browen

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Overview

This episode takes an in-depth look at the tragic hazing death of Timothy Piazza at Penn State’s Beta Theta Pi fraternity in 2017. Courtney and Colin analyze the deep-rooted culture of hazing within Greek life, patterns of institutional cover-up, and the devastating impact on Timothy, his family, and national policies. This story is not just about one case, but about the broader issue of hazing and the dangerous rites of passage perpetuated in college fraternities and sororities. The episode aims both to narrate and to warn.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Culture of Greek Life and Hazing

[02:04 – 15:30]

• Setting the Stage: The episode begins by capturing the hopeful excitement students feel entering college and the allure of Greek life, described as communities promising lifelong friends and opportunity, but carrying a disturbing dark side.
• Penn State Context: Penn State is presented as a top-tier institution with a storied football tradition and powerful alumni community, but also marked by controversies—the Sandusky scandal and Greek life abuses.
  • “According to local legend... People were thriving here, so they ended up nicknaming the area Happy Valley, something that still sticks today.” — Courtney [05:30]
• Beta Theta Pi’s Reputation: Once considered polished and high-achieving, with a stunning mansion renovated by billionaire alumnus Donald Abbey—but years of unchecked partying turned it into a notorious 'animal house.'
• Hazing Rituals: The hosts outline extreme hazing practices: forced eating of revolting foods, drinking to dangerous levels, beatings, sexual humiliations, and the infamous "elephant walk."
  • “Men have been forced to eat their own vomit, urine, or even semen. Sometimes they are waterboarded, shot by BB guns, sleep deprived, some get beat with paddles...” — Colin [14:15]
• Alcohol Abuse Central to Hazing: Accounts of pledges being forced to finish bottles of liquor as a group, regardless of physical danger.

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2. Timothy Piazza: Who He Was

[18:27 – 24:26]

• Background: Tim grew up in New Jersey, a compassionate and bright “gentle giant” with ambitions in engineering and charity work.
  • “He had this bright red hair... eventually he grew to embrace it. He would even joke that one day... he wouldn’t have a salt and pepper beard. His would be a salt and paprika.” — Colin [18:27]
• Motivation for Joining: After a year focused on studies, Tim sought the community and connections Greek life advertised—particularly drawn to Beta Theta Pi’s supposedly non-hazing reputation.
  • “The one thing he felt he lacked was a good community of friends.” — Courtney [22:20]

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3. The Night of the Incident: February 2–3, 2017

[26:13 – 39:54]

• Preparation and Tone: The fraternity spent $2,000 on alcohol to “welcome” pledges. Their group message makes clear the expectation: “Hello, pledge. Are you ready to get fucked up? Get ready for a long semester.” — [26:45]
• Tim’s Reluctance and Vulnerability: Despite not being a heavy drinker and being on medication, Tim joined in, feeling the pressure.
  • “I feel really terrible that I didn’t get to talk to you today... I’ll be getting pretty fucked up by then. I’ll call you when I’m on my way back... I love you.” — Tim (voicemail to his girlfriend) [27:12]
• “The Gauntlet”: A series of hazing rituals requiring pledges to consume vast quantities of vodka, beer, boxed wine, and more in rapid succession.
  • Tim consumed 18 drinks in 82 minutes; estimated BAC: 0.36 [30:48]
• The Fall: Severely impaired, Tim attempted to leave, but mistakenly opened the basement door and fell down a 15-foot staircase, sustaining catastrophic injuries [30:48–33:19].
• Member Response: Rather than calling 911, fraternity members tried to ‘wake him up’ by slapping, hitting, even throwing beer on him—some voiced concern but were bullied into silence.
  • “Tim Piazza might actually be a problem. He fell 15ft down a flight of steps. Air first going to need help.” — Greg Rizzo (group text) [33:19]
  • “We are not calling the police.” — Jonah Newman, forcibly silencing concerns [34:08]

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4. The Aftermath — Neglect and Cover-up

[40:00 – 46:41]

• Hours of Suffering: Surveillance shows Tim repeatedly trying and failing to get up, falling again, being ignored or mocked, until he fell a second time into the basement, only to be found hours later barely alive [40:00–45:35].
• Efforts to Hide Evidence: Even after discovering Tim gravely injured, fraternity members clean up, Google symptoms, and delay calling for help.
  • “Make sure the pledges clean the basement and get rid of any evidence of alcohol.” — Daniel Casey (text) [49:06]
• Finally, A Call for Help: Only once it was clear Tim was near death did they call 911, omitting mention of hazing or the fall [45:57].

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5. Family, Hospital, and Realization

[46:41 – 53:17]

• Family’s Horror: Tim’s brother and parents rush to the hospital. The extent of his injuries is overwhelming (“...looked like he had been hit by an 18 wheeler.” – Tim’s father) [49:43].
• Too Late: Tim is declared to have a nonrecoverable brain injury; family gets to say goodbye. Doctors confirm that earlier help would have very likely saved his life [53:17].

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6. Institutional and Community Response

[53:17 – 61:49]

• Funeral and Grief: Over 2,500 attend Tim’s funeral, but his fraternity brothers are told not to attend or speak to the family. No Penn State officials attend, furthering family pain.
  • “Here, since no one had the time to come to the services, I thought you’d want to see this.” – James Piazza to Penn State President Eric Barron [55:34]
• Denial and Loyalty to Fraternity: Members hold meetings to keep the story secret, prioritizing the fraternity’s survival over truth and justice [54:31].
• Investigation: Penn State bans Beta Theta Pi. Police and FBI uncover deleted surveillance footage showing the full extent of the hazing and neglect [61:49].

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7. Charges, Legal Battles & Attempts at Justice

[64:06 – 76:40]

• Criminal Charges: 18 members charged (involuntary manslaughter, assault, hazing, etc.); house manager charged for deleting footage; most serious charges are soon dropped by courts [64:06–75:01].
  • “This wasn’t boys being boys. This was murder of our son. They tortured him for 12 hours.” — Piazza Family [65:28]
• Light Sentences and Family Anguish: Most defendants received reduced charges; only two serve brief jail time in 2024—seven years after Tim’s death. The justice process is frustrating and dissatisfying for the family [93:08].

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8. The Broader Hazing Problem at Penn State

[76:40 – 91:19]

• Pattern of Abuse: Numerous other hazing deaths and abuses at Penn State—students forced to eat filth, endure beating, sexual humiliation, and extreme violence.
  • “The only words that should come out of your mouth are, ‘Yes, sir.’ You all are too comfortable. You are fucking slaves.” — Kappa Delta Rho member (hazing text) [79:54]
• Whistleblowers and Suffering: Stories—like that of James Vivenzio—who suffered PTSD and suicide ideation due to the abuse; little institutional action [79:54–83:01].
• Beta Theta Pi’s History: Despite a previous shutdown, the fraternity quickly resumed illegal practices, reinforcing the idea of an entrenched and persistent culture [85:38–87:32].

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9. National Impact and Reform

[96:19 – 102:28]

• The Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law (2018): Pennsylvania mandates stricter penalties, university policies, and immunity for hazing whistleblowers.
  • “Pennsylvania will now have one of the strongest anti-hazing laws in the country.” — Tim’s family [96:56]
• National Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires all colleges to report and educate about hazing, as a direct response to Piazza and other national cases [98:37–99:28].
• Continued Tragedies and Advocacy: Other high-profile hazing injuries (like Danny Santulli) are mentioned, with families stating that more transparency might have prevented their suffering.
• Families and Survivors Speak: Tim’s family and others campaign nationwide to educate students, share stories, and push for substantive change in campus culture [101:01].

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hazing Culture:
  “You are all fucked... You do whatever you want whenever you want. Who the fuck are you to question brothers and say no? ...You are fucking slaves.” — Kappa Delta Rho member [79:54]

• On Tim’s Care and Regret:
  "If Tim had been brought in sooner, could the outcome have been different? The doctor responded, yes.” — Family at hospital [53:17]

• On Fraternity Silence:
  “Think about Beta.” — Fraternity member when Cordell suggests telling the truth to Piazza’s family [54:31]

• Family’s Anguish in Court:
  “I think proof comes, you know, through action, not through words. So let's see what their actions are going forward... But I still question whether there's remorse.” — Tim’s father [94:54]

• On Hazing’s Cycle:
  “A tradition should never be a dangerous right of passage. Hazing is a cycle of abuse where the abused later becomes the abuser.” — Evelyn Piazza [101:08]

• Evelyn Piazza’s Address to Students:
  “Be smart, be aware. Be safe. If you can help someone, help them. Don’t think about it. Just help them.” [58:52]

• Host Colin’s Personal Experience:
  “I was also subjected to some absolutely disturbing, violent, disgusting hazing... I have horror stories for days that I won’t bore you guys with... My fraternity actually got shut down... due to a hazing investigation.” — Colin [102:28]

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Timeline of Critical Segments

• Culture of Hazing & Penn State’s Greek Life: [04:42 – 15:30]
• Introduction and Background of Timothy Piazza: [18:27 – 24:26]
• The Night of "The Gauntlet" and Tim’s Injuries: [26:13 – 39:54]
• Fraternity’s Neglect, Attempts to Cover Up: [40:00 – 46:41]
• Hospital, Family Response, and Death: [46:41 – 53:17]
• Funeral, Institutional Response: [53:17 – 61:49]
• Police Investigation, Deleted Surveillance, Legal Charges: [61:49 – 75:01]
• Patterns of Hazing at Penn State: [76:40 – 91:19]
• Aftermath, Legal Reform, Anti-Hazing Laws: [96:19 – 102:28]
• Host’s Personal Hazing Story/Call to Action: [102:28 – episode end]

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Conclusion & Takeaways

• This episode delivers a harrowing account of Timothy Piazza’s death and exposes the persistent, deadly cycle of fraternity hazing, institutional complicity, and the slow path toward justice and change.
• State and national reforms have followed, notably the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law and the Stop Campus Hazing Act, thanks in large part to family advocacy.
• The hosts make an impassioned plea for vigilance, empathy, and the urgent need to end hazing, highlighting it as a responsibility shared by students, universities, and society at large.

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If you or someone you know is experiencing or witnessing hazing, contact the National Anti-Hazing Hotline: 1-88-NOT-HAZE. All calls are anonymous and confidential.

Transcript

[Colin Brown]

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[Sponsor Segment Narrator]

Today's episode is sponsored by I Know what yout Did Last Summer. Get it now on Digital when five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they're forced to confront a horrifying truth. Someone knows what they did last summer and is hell bent on revenge. As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this happened before, so they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport massacre of 1997 for help. Starring Madeline Cline Chase Sue Wonders Jonah Howard King. With Freddie Prinze Jr. And Jennifer Love Hewitt I Know what yout Did Last Summer is a perfect summer slasher, says Jordan Crucciolo of npr. Your summer is not over yet. Don't miss a killer movie night at home.

[Colin Brown]

Warning the following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.

[Courtney Brown]

Trigger Warnings the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder and offenses against children.

[Colin Brown]

This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.

[Courtney Brown]

Here in America, many teenagers have dreams of graduating and going off to college. While in high school, you apply to all of your favorite universities, hoping with everything in you that you'll get accepted. Then that letter comes in. Congratulations. You did it. We are so excited to welcome you this upcoming fall. You spend that summer going to orientation, picking out your classes, and buying all of the stuff for your dorm. When that day finally comes for you to move in, you say goodbye to your parents and you watch them drive away. It's here where you realize that for the first time in your life, you're all on your own. You're full of excitement and fear all at the same time. And there's so much to look forward to. College football, meeting new friends, and for some people. Greek life sororities and fraternities have been around for hundreds of years. They're basically exclusive clubs, and to be a part of it, you have to be handpicked by its members. Joining a fraternity is supposed to give you lifelong friends, the community, and it can give you connections for a better future. But as you probably know, there's a dark side to Greek life. In order to be initiated into some of these groups, its members will put you through hell just to see how bad you want it. And today's episode is about just that. This is the story of Timothy Piazza. I'm Courtney Brown.

[Colin Brown]

And I'm Colin Browen.

[Courtney Brown]

And you're listening to Murder in America.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

SAM.

[Colin Brown]

Penn State is a highly respected public research university in Pennsylvania. Each year, over 50,000 people from all over the world come here to enroll in their undergraduate and graduate programs. In 2025, U.S. news & World Report reported that it was ranked number 63 in national universities. And people love it for a reason. Penn State also has one of the largest campuses in the United States. And not only is it beautiful with surrounding hills and mountains, but there's an energy on campus that makes you excited. According to local legend, during the Great Depression, the area around Penn State didn't suffer like the rest of the country. People were thriving here, so they ended up nicknaming the area Happy Valley, something that still sticks today.

[Courtney Brown]

The students of Penn State have a lot of pride in their school, especially when it comes to sports. Their colors are blue and white and their mascot is the Nittany Lions. On Saturdays during their home football games, there's a collective effervescence as the crowd cheers in the stad. Many people who graduate from Penn State are proud to be a part of such an amazing university. And there are incredible things and people who have come from this college. But like any school, Penn State has had its fair share of controversy.

[Colin Brown]

For decades, a man named Jerry Sandusky worked as Penn State's assistant coach and defensive coordinator. He won assistant coach of the year in 1986 and 1999. And Jerry was highly respected in his community. In the 1970s, he even founded a non profit for Pennsylvania's underprivileged and at risk youth. But in 2011, while he was working at Penn State, he would be arrested on 52 counts of child sexual abuse. As it Turns out, from 1994 to 2009, Jerry was sexually abusing the young boys at his non profit. And in 2012, he was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. And disturbingly, it's believed that Penn State knew about his crimes and they did nothing. For example, in the year 2000, James Calhoun, a janitor at Penn State, witnessed Sandusky showering with a young boy in the lash building showers. James reported the incident to his supervisor, but it was not reported to law enforcement. The following year, in 2001, another man named Mike Mcquary saw Sandusky showering again, this time with a 10 year old boy and having anal sex with the child. Mike then reported what he saw to head coach Joe Paterno. And from there, Penn State's athletic director, Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz learned about the incident. But once again, law enforcement was not contacted. Instead, they simply banned Sandusky from bringing children to Penn State's campus. So as you can see, the administration was well aware of what was going on. But it seemed as if they knew that this story would be damaging to their reputation, so they kept it quiet. But luckily, eventually, Sandusky's crimes would be exposed. Now, the head coach, Joe Paterno, was fired after this incident, but he passed away before any legal action could be taken. Both Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky were highly respected. Everybody in town loved them. It was a huge shock to everyone that such a beloved man was really a monstrous pedophile. A couple of years before the scandal, Jerry Sandusky himself even wrote a book that was disturbingly titled Touched. He named his book Touched due to all the lives he claimed to have touched throughout the years. But of course, knowing his crimes, the title now has a very different, very ominous meaning.

[Courtney Brown]

This scandal was a huge stain on Penn State's reputation. And soon enough, another crime would mark the university. But before we get into that, it's important we discuss Penn State's Greek life. Now, every year, about 15 to 18% of undergraduate students join sororities or fraternities. It's a way for the students to get involved, make lifelong friends, and of course, party. But the fraternity we will be talking about today is called Beta Theta PI. This frat has been at Penn State since 1888, making it the second oldest fraternity on campus. Over the years, they aimed to bring in the smartest men they can find. In fact, they actually had the highest GPAs out of all of the fraternities. And in 1999, they created a motto for men of principle. Their website says they are obligated to help others in the honorable labors and aspirations of life. They are devoted to continually cultivating their minds, including high standards of academic achievement. They Develop absolute faith and confidence in one another by being true to themselves and others. They preserve their character by doing what is morally right and demanding the same from their brothers. And finally, they choose to act responsibly, Weighing the consequences of their actions on themselves and those around them. But as you'll see over the years, they seem to have forgotten those last two.

[Colin Brown]

At Penn State, the Beta brothers seemed to be a very upstanding fraternity. In 2004, Penn State alumni Donald Abbey, who was once a member of Beta Theta PI, decided to visit his former frat house and decided it needed a little makeover. At the time, Donald was a billionaire real estate developer in California. So he spent $8.5 million renovating the entire house. It had heated bathroom floors, copper ceilings, hand carved mahogany tables, and leather furnishings. Donald even installed a new electrical system, Windows, doors, trim, and biometric fingerprint scanners at the entrances. And for years, this frat house maintained its luxury. In addition, members of Beta Theta PI were considered to be very polished. And like we mentioned, they were the smart guys on campus.

[Courtney Brown]

But over time, after years of new members coming through and the dozens of dozens of parties that were held there, the beautiful mansion started to lose its charm. The men would come home after a drunken night on the town, and they would vandalize the house. There were broken windows, holes in the drywall. It was reported that there were frequent plumbing issues due to people flushing random things down the toilets. And after big parties, the house would be completely trashed, with hundreds of beer cans scattering the floors and piles of vomit all around. It seemed as though the members of Beta Theta PI weren't really concerned with the upkeep of the house. It got so bad, people on campus even started referring to it as the animal house. Now, when Donald Abbey came back to the fraternity and saw the state it was in, he was furious. He invested $8.5 million into the home, only for the members to completely destroy it. So in response, he actually installed 14 security cameras throughout the house. I guess he wanted to see who was responsible for trashing it. But surprisingly, the cameras didn't seem to deter anyone. The members continued to binge drink, party, and destroyed the home. But it seemed as if it was the most destructive towards the beginning of the semester. Now, within Greek life is something called rush week. It's where all of the people who are wanting to join a sorority or fraternity go around to the different houses and they essentially interact with the members to see which group they want to be a part of. It's like a recruitment of sorts. Now, you may want to be a part of one fraternity, but you're not going to get in unless they want you back. It's a very cutthroat process, but people love it. Once you find your sorority or fraternity, it doesn't end there. Historically, especially within fraternities, the members will target the newcomers, who they call pledges after getting your bid, or they invite you into their group. The pledges have to prove themselves to the older members. Typically, the pledges have to dress up every day in jeans, boots and a collared shirt. If you wake up late and you're caught wearing a T shirt on campus, you're dropped from the fraternity. If you get a call at 2am or one of the brothers needs a ride home from a party, you get up and get them. If you don't, you're dropped. Or maybe you're studying for an exam and a member calls you saying he really wants a cheeseburger. You have to stop what you're doing and get it for them or you're dropped. The pledges are also forced to clean the members bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. Some are forced to do the members homework. It's a very strict set of rules that the newcomers have to follow. And all of the things I just mentioned are pretty tame compared to the other things pledges have had to face.

[Colin Brown]

There's this thing within Greek life called Hell Week. It's where the pledges are put through an intense week of hell to prove just how badly they want to be in the fraternity. Sometimes these pledges will be kidnapped from their rooms. They'll have blankets thrown over their head. They'll be forced into a vehicle and then brought to a different location. Once at this other location, some will be forced to eat certain things. There are stories of people having to eat whole onions, raw meat. Or the group will mix together a pot of the nastiest things they can think of. And the person isn't allowed to leave the room until it's completely gone. Men have been forced to eat their own vomit, urine or even semen. Sometimes they are waterboarded, shot by BB guns. Sleep deprived. Some get beat with paddles, others branded with a hot iron. During parts of these rituals, they will force the pledges into silence for hours. If one of them speaks, the entire group is punished. We found this other ritual that's extremely disturbing called the Elephant Walk. It's where the pledges have to stand naked in a single file line and they have to hold onto the penis of the person behind them. Or in some Instances, the men are required to place a finger into the anus of the man in front of them while they walk around in a line or a circle.

[Courtney Brown]

But the most common hazing of all is the amount of alcohol these pledges are forced to consume. There are stories where members of a frat will lock the pledges into a room with multiple bottles of liquor, and they aren't allowed to leave until the bottles are empty. Sometimes, after a long night of drinking, the members will make the pledges wake up and force them to participate in strenuous physical activity like running laps or doing 100 push ups. And it doesn't matter how hungover you are or if you're throwing up everywhere, you have to do what they say. This hell week is strictly in place to prove to the members that you're willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of their fraternity. And if you can survive the weak, then you get initiated into the group. Those pledges become members, and then they will repeat the cycle to the next group of pledges that come through the next semester. Now, in 2008, 73% of students involved in sororities or fraternities reported some sort of hazing to join. And sadly, there have been a lot of people over the years who have died from this hazing. Now, when it comes to the Beta Theta PI house, one would think that with 14 cameras installed, they would be better behaved. But of course, that wasn't the case, and eventually they would get into some trouble. In January of 2009, the chapter was placed on probation due to alcohol violations during rush week. Then by the following month, the school completely shut down the entire frat due to a long list of issues, including minors in possession, public urination, vandalism, and assault. But about a year and a half later, in the fall of 2010, the Beta Theta PI fraternity reopened. However, they had to follow a set of rules if they were going to be given a second chance. There was to be no drinking and no hazing. And of course, the members agreed to this. They promised Penn State that they would be a 100% hazing free pledge program and an alcohol free recruitment. And in the years that followed, they stood by this promise. However, it's safe to say that they didn't actually live by it. Now, by 2017, the beta theta PI fraternity continued to be one of the best on campus. They even won two Chapter of Excellence awards. And every year when rush week started, students were drawn to Beta Theta PI not only because it was a respectable organization, but also due to their non hazing pledge. Finally, there was a frat where you can enjoy the benefits of the group without having to go through the hell of getting there. Which is exactly what caught the eye of Timothy Piazza.

[Colin Brown]

Timothy John Piazza was born on September 25, 1997 in Edison, New Jersey. His parents, James and Evelyn, said that growing up, Tim was friendly, funny, kind and incredibly smart. He had this bright red hair, but as a toddler he was adamant that it wasn't red, it was brown. However, that changed over time and as he got older, there was no more denying that Timothy was a redhead and eventually he grew to embrace it. He would even joke that one day when he grew older, he wouldn't have a salt and pepper beard. His would be a salt and paprika. He had a pretty good sense of humor now. As he got older, Tim grew to be 6 foot 1 and 200 pounds, which worked in his favor when he started playing football and track. But according to his loved ones, he was a gentle giant, always caring for those around him. In high school, Tim participated in the school's Teen Prevention Education program where he would talk with people about drug awareness. He also volunteered with the Hunterdon Outreach program that taught special needs students how to play baseball, basketball and football. Then every year during the holidays, he would volunteer with Hopeful Holidays and Reddington's Holiday Gifts program, which helps give Christmas presents to kids in need.

[Courtney Brown]

One of Tim's biggest role models was his older brother, Mike. The two were only 18 months apart, so they always had a special bond. Growing up, they did everything together, sports, video games and jet skiing at their family's beach house. Mike's favorite video game character was Mario and Tim's was Luigi. During Halloween, if Mike wanted to be Batman, Tim was going to be Robin. So naturally, in the fall of 2014, when Mike went off to college at Penn State, their parents weren't surprised that Tim wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps. But he didn't just want to go there because of his older brother. Sure, that was a plus, but he also loved how respected the school was when he went to visit. He was drawn to the charming, picturesque town, the tight knit community, and the special happy feeling you get when walking through campus. So when it came to applying to colleges, there was no question about it. Tim wanted to go to Penn State and luckily, with his good grades in volunteer work, he was accepted. The summer after high school graduation was so exciting for Tim. He was really looking forward to this new chapter in a brand new city and for a lot of people that can be really scary, especially when you don't know a lot of people there. But with his older brother at Penn State, Tim knew that Mike could show him the ropes and introduce him to people. And their parents were really happy about this as well. They knew that the brothers would have each other to lean on. So in the fall of 2015, Tim Piazza packed up his life, and he made the move to University Park, Pennsylvania.

[Colin Brown]

Now, when he first got there, he didn't want to join Greek life right away. Instead, he put all of his focus into his studies. Penn State has an excellent engineering program, and Tim decided to major in mechanical engineering. His goal was to eventually design prosthetics for children and soldiers. Evelyn Piazza said he wanted to develop prosthetics. He really had his heart set on that. We're not sure how he got interested in that work. He must have seen something on the Internet with a 3D printer, like a prosthetic limb. And he took engineering classes in high school and loved the 3D printer. So I'm guessing he thought that was so cool that you can do that and help somebody. And he really liked helping people. In addition, he also joined an organization called Ayuda, or a Yuda, which raised money for children with cancer. So, as you can tell, Tim had a really bright future ahead of him.

[Courtney Brown]

By the time freshman year ended, Tim was doing really well for himself. He and his high school girlfriend, Caitlin, even stayed together, despite their long distance. But the one thing he felt he lacked was a good community of friends. Sometimes in college, it's hard to make friends, which is why so many people choose to join a sorority or fraternity. It essentially forces you to go out and meet people, and of the hundreds of people you meet, you're bound to find someone you like now. In addition, Penn State is known to be a pretty big party school. According to a 2021 Newsweek article, it was ranked 11 out of the top 25 party schools in America. One student said, the atmosphere at Penn State is awesome. It's very much work hard, play hard, end quote. But if you're not in a sorority or fraternity, you don't really get to experience those parties, especially if you're a male. A lot of times, the fraternities will have parties where all these girls are welcomed, but if you're a guy, they're not letting you in. So if you're just a regular college student, you don't really get to experience that.

[Colin Brown]

Tim thought that maybe Greek life would help him find his lifelong friends, that joining a fraternity would give him the full college experience. That Christmas of 2016, he sat down with his parents and talked with them about joining. They would later say that they weren't too excited about the idea. They thought it might distract him from his studies, and he was already halfway done with school, so why bother? But they also knew that he was an adult now, and he could make his own decisions. And it seemed as if Tim was set on joining a fraternity. Now, his parents would later say that the one thing that brought them comfort was that during his freshman orientation, there were parents that were worried about Greek life. But the school administrators reassured everyone that hazing was not permitted at Penn State. However, little did they know hazing was running rampant at Penn State, just beneath the visible surface.

[Courtney Brown]

So with that, in the first week of January 2017, Tim geared up for rush, going to all of the different events that the fraternities and sororities hosted. He had a busy week ahead of him. There were nearly 40 fraternities on campus, and he had to figure out which one suited him best. But his eyes were set on Beta Theta PI, one of the best fraternities on campus. Now, when Tim met up with the Beta Theta PI members, they were really impressed by him. Not only did Tim have good grades and a strong work ethic, but he was really easy to talk to. And by the end of that week, they decided to give him a bid. The members would later tell tem that he was actually in the top 10 picks of all of the young men they had met that week. And luckily for Tim, they had been his first choice as well. He felt the values of the fraternity aligned with his own. After all, they claimed to be the men of principle. In addition, a lot of the members were engineering and biology majors just like him. So it seemed like the perfect fit.

[Colin Brown]

Over that next month, Tim started the spring semester, and he immersed himself further into his new fraternity. He got to know a lot of its members, and it's safe to say that he had to participate in the pledge activities that we mentioned earlier. Dressing up for class and running different errands for the older members. But it wouldn't take him long to realize that their non hazing pledge was all a lie. In reality, most of the fraternities operated under a veil of secrecy, and all of its members lived by this unwritten rule. What happens here stays here. Which brings us to Thursday, February 2, 2017.

[Courtney Brown]

That night, Beta Theta PI opened their mansion to all of their new pledges. There were 14 of them, including Tim. And this was about to be a long night. Earlier that week, the members spent $2,000 on all different kinds of alcohol, including vodka, boxes of wine, four Locos, and several cases of beer, all for this very night. So that morning, one of the Beta Theta PI members named Cordell Davis sent out a group text to all of the pledges.

[Colin Brown]

Hello, pledge. Are you ready to get fucked up? Get ready for a long semester. Be outside the kitchen doors behind the house at 9. O7. Dress code as shirt, tie and jacket.

[Courtney Brown]

When Tim received this text, he was busy doing homework. Even though it was still pretty early in the semester, he had a lot on his plate. He hadn't even had the chance to call his girlfriend Katelyn that day. So after finishing up his homework, he left her a voicemail.

[Colin Brown]

I feel really terrible that I didn't get to talk to you today. I don't know how long I'll be there. I'll be getting pretty fucked up by then. I'll call you when I'm on my way back. Otherwise, if I don't talk to you tonight, I love you.

[Courtney Brown]

According to the people who knew Tim, he wasn't really a heavy drinker. In addition, he had also been on some medication that he wasn't supposed to drink alcohol with. In fact, Goodrx said that drinking on an antidepressant can, quote, worsen side effects and raise the risks of serious health issues such as liver damage or blackouts. The risk goes up with large amounts or chronic uses of alcohol. End quote. But as we've mentioned, binge drinking is kind of the culture within Greek life. And even though Tim joined to find friendship and connection, I'm sure he felt like he had to do this to be accepted into the group. And in a sense, he did have to do this. It was sort of a rite of passage to become a member. So from there, he left his dorm and he headed to the Beta Theta PI house. Now, like we mentioned, there were 14 cameras installed throughout the house. But that wouldn't deter them from the horrors that came next. When tem and the 13 other pledges arrived, they were all lined up in a single file line and led into the living room. In there was the entire Beta fraternity. For a while, the members put on a little show for the pledges, singing songs and performing skits. Then, shortly after, they started the first hazing ritual called running the gauntlet. Now, the pledge master's name was Daniel Casey, and he was the member in charge of the pledges. And while they were all lined up, Daniel pulled out a handle of vodka. He told the pledges that they were to pass the bottle down the line, each drinking from it. So they did as they were told. Once the bottle reached the end of the line, there was still a lot of vodka left. So Daniel instructed them to keep passing it down until it was empty. Every last drop had to be gone, he told them. Finally, after a few minutes, the 14 pledges had finished the bottle of vodka. But this was only the beginning.

[Colin Brown]

From here, the pledges were led upstairs. In front of them was a closed door, and one at a time, each of the pledges were called into the room. When Tim was called inside, he was instructed to chug from another bottle of vodka. Then he had to run down the hallway to the second location, where members Nicholas Koubara, Michael Bonaticci, and Jonah Newman handed him a can of Natural Light beer. Shotgun it, they said. Shotgunning a beer is where you poke a hole in the side of the can so that when you open the top, the liquid pours out or comes out quickly. And Tim had to chug this beer all at once. But as he did so, the members didn't think he was going fast enough. Faster, they chanted. Once Tim finally finished, he was told to spin around a bunch of times and run to the third location at the top of the staircase. So, drunk and dizzy, Tim did as he was told. Near the stairs, he was met by member Gary Dibilio, who was holding up a bag of boxed wine. Tim had to slap the bag as he chugged from it, but they weren't finished yet. The final location was in the basement. Here, the pledges were required to play a game of beer pong. If they failed to make a shot into their opponent's solo cup, they had to chug an entire cup of beer.

[Courtney Brown]

Now, this ritual in total lasted about an hour, and by the end of it, most of the pledges were extremely drunk. The president of the fraternity, Brendan Young, was seen laughing at how inebriated everyone was. Video surveillance showed that 10 piazza could barely even walk on his own. Member Lars Kenyon had to assist him into the great room. By 10:40pm Tim had consumed 18 drinks in just 82 minutes. It's estimated that his blood alcohol content was.36, which is dangerously high. But once in the great room, Tim was seen staggering over to the couch, but the members encouraged him to move around from there. Tim got up and walked around a little bit. Then he went back to the great room and hunched over the couch. For a few minutes, he just laid there. But then it appears as if Tim decided that he was Going to go home. Video shows him walking to the front door, but he couldn't seem to get it unlocked. So he turns around and walks to another door. In the background, the fraternity members are still drinking and enjoying their night. At one point you can even see somebody drunkenly stumble down a few steps into the great room. So clearly everyone is very drunk. By 10:45pm 10, Piazza is still stumbling around, seemingly trying to find a door so he could leave. And eventually he finds one, but it wouldn't lead him out of the house. It was the door to the basement. Tim was able to open the door with ease. It's believed that with how drunk he was, he didn't realize where he was. Maybe he thought he was about to walk on solid ground, so he stepped forward. Except instead of it being a flat surface, it was a steep set of stairs. At that moment, Tim plummeted down them. His fall sent a loud boom throughout the house. Member Luke Visor was seen pointing in the direction of the basement. And from there he, Greg Rizzo and Jonah Newman rushed over. When they looked at the bottom of the staircase, they saw Tim face down, not moving. Immediately, Greg Rizzo sent a text in their group message.

[Colin Brown]

Tim Piazza might actually be a problem. He fell 15ft down a flight of steps. Air first going to need help.

[Courtney Brown]

Moments later, video showed members carrying Tim back up the stairs to the great room. By this point, he is completely unconscious. His coat and tie were gone. His white shirt was pulled up, exposing a large bruise on his abdomen. And little did they know that bruise wasn't just a superficial wound. Sadly, as 10 fell down the stairs, he had lacerated his spleen. As the members stood around him, he was internally bleeding into his abdominal cavity. This is a life threatening injury, but with quick medical intervention, it can be treated. However, that's not at all how this night would play out. After throwing Tim onto the couch, Greg performed something called a sternum rub where he kind of shook Tem's chest trying to wake him up. Sadly, Tem didn't budge. He was out cold. But instead of calling for help, the members continued messing with him. One threw a cup of beer in his face. Another threw a shoe at him. One guy held his arm up in the air. It was clearly dead weight. And then he dropped it, it falling hard back onto Tem's chest. And instead of being concerned, many of the members were laughing at him. However, there were some who wanted to help, for lack of a better word. One member named Ryan Foster rolled Tim over on his side. He did that so if he vomited, he wouldn't choke on it. But in Tim's unconsciousness, he couldn't even lay on his side. Every time they tried, the weight of his body would just roll him back over. At one point, Ryan had to catch him so he wouldn't fall off the couch. So at this point, member Jonah Newman came up with a solution to this problem. To make sure Tim didn't fall off the couch or choke on his own vomit, he secured a backpack full of books onto Tim's back. The weight of those books kept him propped up on his side. And then from there, the members left him on the couch to continue on with their night of fun. Later that night, member Cordell Davis walked into the room to grab something, and that's when he noticed Tim on the couch. Immediately, his intuition told him that there was something wrong here. He saw the large bruise on Tim's abdomen, and as he walked closer, he noticed that Tim was, quote, thrashing and making weird movements, end quote. Cordell asked some other members what was going on, and they informed him that Tim fell down the basement stairs. Cordell was horrified. He told them that they needed to call an ambulance. What if Tim got a concussion in the fall? He asked. But his brothers immediately shut that down. When Cordell pushed further, one member, Jonah Newman, actually slammed him up against the wall and told him, we are not calling the police. He reminded him how much trouble they could get in if the school learned about their hazing rituals. So it seems as though this fraternity mattered more than the safety of this pledge that they barely knew. Cordell said that he wanted to do the right thing, but no one was on his side. In fact, after getting slammed against the wall, Jonah Newman told him to leave. But from there, Cordell actually went to the vice president, a man named Ed Gilmartin. He wanted to get his opinion on the situation. Surveillance footage showed Cordell speaking with Ed, and he pointed in the direction of Tim on the couch. But sadly, Ed agreed with the other guys. He even told Cordell that Tim would be fine because some of their members were kinesiology and biology majors. As if these undergrad students could save Tim's life. So, shortly after this feeling like he was backed into a corner, Cordell left the house. And for the rest of the night, other members periodically went to check on Tim in the great room. But it's clear that no one was truly concerned. Daniel Casey slapped him in the face three times. At some point, two other members started wrestling in the great room, and during it, they actually fell right onto Tim's abdomen where he was already internally bleeding. Shortly after they fell on him, Tim's body started to twitch and moments later he vomited. It's here where a member named Joseph Ems walked over to him and hit him on his abdomen with an opening.

[Colin Brown]

This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Just a quick question for you guys listening out there. Who do you go to in order to solve your life's problems? The group Chat do you overshare with strangers like I do? Do you text your friends? Your mom? Your dad? Who do you reach out to? I know for a fact that I have trauma dumped not only on friends and family many times, but also on random strangers, even people that I see every day at the coffee shop. Sometimes I catch myself over sharing. I know Courtney makes fun of me for doing it all the time, but I do have to say that there's a major difference between sharing your problems with a trusted friend or family member. A Therapist Therapists are clinically trained and licensed, and let me tell you from personal experience, they can help you see things and issues in your life from a whole new perspective in a completely different light. And that's because they're trained to do so. And they know exactly what to say, how to analyze, and what to tell you to help you really get to the root of your problems. And if you want to start therapy, BetterHelp is a great place to start. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences. Something that I love is if you aren't happy with your match, you can switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of Expertise. Find the one with BetterHelp our listeners get 10% off their first [e-mail] MIA that's betterhelp.com MIA and now let's get back to our story.

[Courtney Brown]

Hand Once again, Tim did not wake up.

[Colin Brown]

Around 3am Tim rolled off the couch with the backpack still attached to his body, and for the first time in hours, he seemed to be somewhat conscious. He was even able to take the backpack off and stand up. But from the video surveillance, it's clear at this point that he's still heavily intoxicated. When Tim stands to his head, his body sways back and forth. When he goes to take a step, he stumbles backwards, hitting his head on the hardwood floor. From there, he lays motionless. Eventually, one of his fraternity brothers enters the room and attempts to shake him awake, but he doesn't move. By 3.46am, Tim is seen on surveillance camera curled up on the floor in the fetal position. Minutes later, he wakes up and once again tries to stand up. He's able to get onto his knees, but it's clear he's in a lot of pain. He even places his head into his hands before falling face first onto the hardwood floor. He stays in that position for about an hour before trying to stand up again. This time he's able to stagger towards the front door, but as he gets closer, he falls against an iron railing with his head hitting the stone floor. From there, he tries to stand, but he's unable to. By this point, all of the people inside of the house are asleep, so no one's around to help him. And even if they were awake, I'm not sure they would have helped. But finally, at 5.08am, Tim tries to stand up again. It was his last attempt to make it to the front door, but again he falls down. It's horrifying to think about what was going on in his mind at that point. He was severely injured, alcohol still coursing through his body, and he likely knew that he needed to get help. Maybe that's why he was trying to leave the house. But his body just wouldn't let him. And in that moment, all he could do was lay on his side in the fetal position, clutching his abdomen. He would end up laying there for hours all alone, slowly dying inside the Beta Theta PI Mansion around 6am Beta's.

[Courtney Brown]

Live in advisor and Penn State football trainer, 58 year old Tim Bream was seen stepping over Tim's unconscious body near the front door, which tells me that this is something he's used to seeing at the house. But Tim was still alive by this point. In fact, about 40 minutes later, he was able to walk back over to the couch. Another pledge named Kwobe Quano actually saw him groaning and thrashing around. Tim was in so much pain, he rolled off the couch and was cradling his head in his hands. Kobe said it was, quote, as if he had a really bad headache, end quote. But this seemed to be pretty comical to Kobe because he pulled out his phone and took a video of Tim and in distress, he then sent the video out on Snapchat before leaving the house. From there, Tim continued to writhe in Pain on the floor. Then at 7:18am he stood up again, likely trying to get help. Except this time he walked to the basement door. Horrifically, for the second time, Tim plummeted down the 15 foot staircase. And this time around, he wouldn't be found for hours. Around 10am, two of the beta brothers, Kyle Pecky and Daniel Erickson were up and getting ready for class. And when they walked into the great room, they noticed that Tempiazza's shoes were still there, but he was nowhere to be found. Now they figured that he had to be somewhere within the home if his shoes were still there. So they went room to room looking for him, eventually venturing down into the basement. Now, Tim was not lying at the base of the stairs, but he was down there when they found him. He was on his back with his arms tight beside his body, his fingers curled into fists. They said that his face was swollen and bloody and his eyes were half open, but he was still alive, although he was cold to the touch. Quickly, the two men carried Tim back up the stairs and brought him into the great room. They said his breathing was shallow and labored as they propped him up on the couch. Now it seemed as if Tim was in shock due to his internal bleeding, but still, somehow no one called the police. For the next 40 minutes, members of the fraternity paced around debating on what they were going to do. They knew they broke a lot of rules the night before and calling 911 would not only jeopardize their beloved fraternity, but it could also affect their standing within the school. So instead of calling for help right away, they immediately went into damage control, covering for themselves while Tim slowly died right in front of them. Several members grabbed trash bags and began cleaning up evidence. Some wiped the blood from Tim's face, others tried to put his clothes back on. They would later recall that this was difficult due to his body being so stiff, but in a state of panic, one member even went to Google to try and figure out what to do.

[Colin Brown]

Cold extremities in drunk person Binge drinking alcohol Bruising or discoloration. Cold feet and cold hands. True or false, a person with a concussion should be kept awake falling asleep after head injury.

[Courtney Brown]

Around 10:45am the members looked over at Tim and saw that his body was completely still. His skin was cold to the touch and started to discolor. One member yelled out that quote, he looks fucking dead and that's because he nearly was. And only then did they call 911.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

911. What is the address of your emergency.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

220 North Bear Street.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

And what's going on today?

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

We have a friend who is unconscious. He hasn't moved. Cold extremity. Probably need an ambulance.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Okay. How old is he?

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

He is 19. Yeah, 19 years old.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Was there any alcohol or anything involved, you know?

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

Yes, there is.

[Colin Brown]

The voice you just heard was of Ryan McCann. And during that call to 91 1, he never mentioned anything about Tim falling down the stairs. However, when paramedics arrived, it was clear that he had significant injuries. They then quickly rushed him to the Mount Nittany Medical Center.

[Courtney Brown]

Now, around this time, Tim's brother Mike was already concerned about his whereabouts. Apparently, when Tim's roommate Alex woke up to see he wasn't home, he was worried. Alex even called Mike to see if he knew where Tim was, but he hadn't seen him either. They both tried calling Tim's phone several times, and when he didn't answer, Mike decided to call a nearby hospital. And that's when he learned that his little brother was in the emergency room. Mike immediately rushed over to the hospital and luckily the doctors allowed him into the room to see his little brother. But the image of Tim in that hospital bed would stick with him forever. There were bruises and cuts all over his body. He was stiff, cold, bloody and swollen. Mike felt helpless. But he leaned down and kissed Tim's forehead, telling him that everything was going to be all right. It was a promise that he wasn't sure he would be able to keep. But something else that stuck out to Mike during this time was that Tim came to the hospital alone. He didn't understand why his fraternity brothers weren't there with him. However, he couldn't give much thought to that right now, because soon after, a doctor came in and told him that because Tim's injuries were so severe, they were going to airlift him to a different hospital. Penn State's Hershey Medical Center.

[Colin Brown]

Over in Redington Township, New Jersey. Tim's parents, James and Evelyn, received a call that their son was being rushed into emergency surgery. They weren't given much information on what happened. The doctor just kept repeating that Tim was a very sick boy. So immediately they started the agonizing two hour drive to the hospital.

[Courtney Brown]

Meanwhile, over at the Beta Theta PI house, the fraternity members were panicking, especially the president, Brendan Young. But it's not that he was overly worried about Tim. He was more worried about himself. He even texted his girlfriend.

[Colin Brown]

I don't think you fully comprehend the situation. He looked fucking dead. At the end of the day, I'm accountable for it. All I will be the one going to court, paying for an attorney, and maybe going to jail.

[Courtney Brown]

Pledge master Daniel Casey was also worried that morning. He texted the president of the frat, Brendan, and said, make sure the pledges.

[Colin Brown]

Clean the basement and get rid of any evidence of alcohol.

[Courtney Brown]

He also texted another member of the fraternity, Lars Kenyon, and he told him to delete the group chat from the night before.

[Colin Brown]

And that group, me, so there's no evidence on Tim's phone.

[Courtney Brown]

He then sent a text to his girlfriend saying, we are fucked.

[Colin Brown]

Like beyond fucked up.

[Courtney Brown]

The Beta Theta PI members were clearly spiraling, and that morning, many of them vowed to keep their mouths shut about what happened. One text message read, make sure the.

[Colin Brown]

Pledges keep quiet about last night and the situation.

[Courtney Brown]

Back at the hospital, doctors were working tirelessly to save Tim's life, but it wasn't looking good. His injuries included a subdural hematoma, a fractured skull, ruptured spleen, and significant bleeding in the brain. The raptured spleen was very concerning to them because they could tell that the injury happened hours and hours ago. Tim had a ton of internal bleeding that had pooled in his abdomen. The doctors even described it as, quote, old dark blood. Now, Tim did make it through surgery and afterwards his family was allowed to see him. But just like with Mike, they couldn't believe the amount of damage to his body. He was covered in bandages, but there were still obvious bruises, cuts and lacerations. His father James, said that it looked like he had been hit by an 18 wheeler and he was connected to all of these machines that were essentially keeping him alive. Soon enough, a doctor came in and told them that there was so much swelling in Tim's brain they had to remove parts of his skull. And sadly, even then, his brain continued to swell. But the next words that came out of the doctor's mouth changed everything for their family.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

The doctors came out and, you know, they basically sat us down and they said he had a non recoverable brain injury. So we knew at that point he wasn't going to make it. We were hoping that there would be something different, an outcome. They let us go in and see him. You know, we talked to him a little bit, we held his hand, a tear came to his eye and I said to the doctor, can he hear us? And the doctor said, maybe we relieved a lot of pressure, maybe. But frankly, I don't know if I want to know if he heard us or not, because if he heard us, then he knew he was going to die. And there was nothing they could do no.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

The damage was too severe. The bleeding had been too long.

[Courtney Brown]

On the morning of February 4, 2017, Tim Piazza was pronounced dead at 1:23am Toxicology reports revealed his blood alcohol content was between 0.27 and 0.36, more than four times the legal limit. Now. Right after Tim passed away, his mother Evelyn received text messages from Tim's fraternity brothers. They told her that they were on their way to the hospital, but she told them that it was too late. Tim was already dead, but his family had no idea the true extent of what happened to him. The reality was their 19 year old son had died after a brutal night of hazing. His fraternity knew that he fell down the stairs the night before. They knew he wasn't waking up and that he had visible injuries. But even so, after all of the warning signs, no one called for help for over 12 hours. Tim was slowly dying, surrounded by people who claimed to be his brothers. And by the time they took action, it was too late. Tragically, Tim's father James would later ask one of the doctors at the hospital a heartbreaking question. If Tim had been brought in sooner, could the outcome have been different? The doctor responded, yes, it's very likely that if Tim got the help he needed even hours before, it could have made all the difference.

[Colin Brown]

Clearly, there was still a lot they didn't know about Tim's death. They had a lot of questions in the backs of their minds, but for now, his family was focused on grieving and planning his funeral. When word spread around Tim's hometown and Penn State about his death, the community was devastated. A campus wide email was sent out to Penn State students and staff informing them that a student had passed away due to a fall. At the Beta Theta PI fraternity house. On social media, students wrote messages saying, the hearts of Penn Staters everywhere are heavy this weekend after the loss of a member of the PSU community. Rest easy, Tim. Beta Theta PI fraternity members wrote messages like, RIP my man Tim. Such a shame. But there were a lot of whispers around town that Tim's death was connected to hazing. Even though Penn State's Greek life had a no hazing policy, almost everyone knew that no one really followed that rule. So is that how Tim lost his life? It seemed as if the university was asking those same questions. Penn State even sent out an email telling everyone that they were conducting a full investigation into what happened. And as you can imagine, when the Beta Theta PI fraternity members learned of this, they were terrified.

[Courtney Brown]

Like we mentioned earlier, there was one member of the fraternity who wanted to call the police that night. It was Cordell Davis. He later admitted that shortly after they learned Tim died, all of the fraternity members met up for lunch to discuss what they were going to do. Cordell said he suggested telling Tim's family what really happened, but immediately they shut that down. One even slammed his fist down on the table and said, think about Beta. Once again, they were putting their fraternity over everything else. And it was at that very lunch where they all agreed that they were going to play dumb. If anyone asked them any questions, they were to say that no one saw anything, that they had no idea 10 fell down the stairs, that he could barely stand up on his own, or that they saw him with severe injuries. Right then and there, they swore to secrecy, protecting not only themselves, but their precious fraternity.

[Colin Brown]

Tim Piazza was laid to rest on Saturday, February 11, 2017. His father, James, would later say, many of the people he touched in his life, in his high school days and in his college days have told us that he may have been the nicest person they have ever met. He just wanted to make people laugh and be a good friend. And that was evident on the day of his funeral. Over 2,500 people showed up to Our lady of Lourdes Church to pay their respects. But notably missing from the crowd were Tim's fraternity brothers. It was later discovered that Beta Theta PI told the members not to go to his funeral. They were also told to not speak with the Piazza family under any circumstances. Sadly, the Piazzas were told that an administrator from Penn State would be at the funeral, but they didn't show up. In fact, no one representing Penn State was in attendance. Tim's father, James, would later say that when he met with the Penn State president, Eric Barron, a few days after the service, he slid over a copy of Tim's obituary that they handed out at the service. James then told him, here, since no one had the time to come to the services, I thought you'd want to see this. But there was no reaction, no explanation, and no apology. But it did seem as if students on campus really cared. And on Sunday, February 12, a candlelight vigil was held to honor and remember Tim's short life. Bennett Brooks, Tim's freshman roommate and good friend, spoke about how Tim was excited to shave his head for an upcoming charity event called no Hair, Don't Care. His brother Mike said Tim was now an angel on his shoulder, saying, he will give me strength to work hard and stay focused. He also added that one of Tim's kidneys had been donated to save a man in his late 40s. But sadly, due to his devastating injuries, doctors were only able to harvest one organ.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Tim was known for brightening every room he walked into, keeping people grounded and always motivating his peers to think beyond themselves and towards the brighter purpose of everything that we do. Tonight we are joined by many members of the Penn State community who will speak to Tim's character and the profound impact he has had on all of our lives. When I first met Tim, I interviewed him for opc. I knew he was going to be such a huge part of our committee. One part of the interview that sticks out to me was when I asked him what he could bring to a committee. He answered without hesitating. He would be the glue.

[Colin Brown]

This was the start of me experiencing.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

My best friend's passion to help people.

[Colin Brown]

Desire to make a difference and unique.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

Ability to make a positive impact on everyone he met. This was when people stopped referring to me just as Bennett in the start of what became us being paired together as Tim and Bennett.

[Colin Brown]

To those who knew us both, at.

[Courtney Brown]

The end of the day, we were.

[Colin Brown]

The closest of friends. But his friends got to concentrate. Dose of goofy Tim. He's always really tight with his friends.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Teach them to be kind and compassionate. Appreciate their sense of humor. Notice the crooked grin, the squinty eye when they smile. Let them know that you think the world of them, that you love them with every fiber of your being. Know that this is your heart walking outside your body.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

I'm sure that bell went off because Tim probably write it. I his mother had something to say and I'm sure he enlisted a few people to blow out our candles. Let's be honest, this didn't have to happen. So my ask of all of you is be smart, be aware. Be safe. If you can help someone, help them. Don't think about it. Just help them.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Please keep the Piazza family in your thoughts and prayers as we remember a Nittany lion gone too soon. Please also feel free to approach the steps and take a wristband generously brought by the Piazza family.

[Colin Brown]

Little by little, the Piazza family knew that there was something going on with the Beta Theta PI fraternity. Its members were refusing to talk about what happened. Getting answers was like pulling teeth, which only made them more suspicious. Meanwhile, text messages between the fraternity members showed that they were very concerned about what would happen to their fraternity. One text message stated, between you and me, what are the chances the house gets shut down? The response I think very high. I just hope none of us get into any lawsuits. Another Message asked, how are you guys going to describe the gauntlet to the police? The answer, I'm just hoping we don't have to. And most of the members were keeping their mouths shut. But there was one person who would tell the police what he witnessed. It was Cordell Davis. He was the member who wanted to call for help that night. And when Cordell sat down with the police, he told them that after a heavy night of drinking with the pledges, Tim fell down the stairs. And that despite his pleas to call for help, no one would listen to him. Now, after this, Cordell left the fraternity, and everyone knew that he was the rat, and he got a lot of hate for it. People would comment on his social media that everyone hated him, that he was a snitch, and that he was just as much to blame as any of the other members. Cordell felt so unsafe at his own school that he eventually transferred to a school in New Jersey. But he knew that coming clean was the right thing to do. But as for the other members of the fraternity, 35 of them were forced to attend disciplinary hearings at Penn State. Initially, no one was expelled, but some actually withdrew from the university entirely. Around the same time, Penn State completely shut down the Beta Theta PI and permanently banned the fraternity from campus. They went on to say the university's investigation has produced deeply disturbing evidence showing that Beta Theta PI fell far short of its professed policies and values. The serious violations we have found include forced drinking, mandatory hazing, and other illegal activity, which combined with the student's tragic death to lead us to conclude that Beta Theta PI, despite its notable history at Penn State, merits no continuing place in our community.

[Courtney Brown]

But shutting down the fraternity was just step one. They were still conducting their investigation to figure out exactly what happened that night. But while all of this was happening, Timothy Piazza's family was going through hell. They were Catholic, but Tim's mother, Evelyn, said of Penn State and Beta Theta PI, they stole my son and they stole my face. End quote. And more than anything, they wanted answers. Although Tim's death had been ruled accidental by the medical examiner, they knew deep down that he had died as a result of hazing. But the police knew that if they were going to hold anyone accountable, they would need some hard evidence. Evidence that the fraternity members worked hard to erase. By this point, they had already erased all of their groupmes and private social media accounts. But the main thing the police wanted was the surveillance footage from inside the mansion, and eventually they would obtain it. But when police tried getting footage from inside the basement, Where Tim had fallen down the stairs. The fraternity told them that those cameras weren't working at the time. Convenient. However, it was later discovered that they actually deleted the footage from inside the basement. The member who deleted it was Braxton Becker, the house manager of the fraternity. Braxton also texted members of the frat saying Tim was technically hazed into drinking that much. End quote. So it seems as if the footage was deleted because they knew that their actions resulted in Tim's death. Now, luckily, the FBI was able to recover the footage, and when they sat down to watch everything, they were shocked. Not only did the footage show that the fraternity was participating in hazing, but it also showed just how careless they were with Tim's life. These men essentially watched him die right before their eyes. And some might have even made his injuries worse when they were hitting him and falling on top of him. And not one person did anything about it.

[Colin Brown]

After looking through the 13 hours of footage, DA Stacy Parks Miller recommended hundreds of charges to the participating members, including involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, hazing, furnishing alcohol to minors, tampering with evidence, and reckless endangerment. And later that same day, 18 members of Beta Theta PI were charged in connection with Tim's death. Both Brendan Young and Daniel Casey were charged with aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, reckless endangerment, evidence tampering, hazing, and alcohol related charges. Jonah Newman, Nicholas Kubera, Michael Bonatucci, Gary Dibilio, Luke Visser, and Joseph Sala were charged with aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, reckless endangerment, hazing, and alcohol related charges. Michael Schiavone, Parker Yocum, Craig Hymer, and Lars Kenyon were charged with reckless endangerment, hazing, and alcohol related charges. Edward Gilmartin, Ryan McCann, Lucas Rockwell, Braxton Becker, and Ryan Foster were charged with evidence tampering. Joseph Ems Jr. Was charged with reckless endangerment. And the Beta Theta PI fraternity as a whole was charged with hazing, furnishing alcohol to minors, and involuntary manslaughter. Here's Tim's family.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

This wasn't boys being boys. This was murder of our son. They tortured him for 12 hours. They let him suffer for 12 hours. He died a slow and painful death at the hands of these men of principle, as they call it.

[Colin Brown]

To hit him and slap him and brutalize him.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

They should not have been trying to get a response. They should have been trying to get him help.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

How do you pour liquid on someone slapped them in the face and hit them after you just watched them fall. And they were unconscious. To know that he was laying at the bottom of the basement steps.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

For.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Any length of time all by himself. It was terrible.

[Colin Brown]

Earlier in the story we mentioned that the video footage showed the fraternity's live in resident advisors stepping over Tim as he laid near the door. That was 58 year old Tim Bream. But he would later argue that he had no idea a student had been injured. He knew that there had been some drinking that night, but he was unaware of the hazing rituals. He would later testify, in no way, shape or form would I give permission to any type of alcohol abuse gauntlet, nor did I know about it that evening. Tim stated that he went to sleep hours before the students went to the basement, so he would not face any charges. But as all of this information is coming out, obviously Penn State was under a lot of scrutiny. So they had to make a lot of changes. The Office of Student affairs implemented aggressive rules for Greek Life. They actually banned alcohol from any Greek Life event until November of that year. Of course, several fraternities did not follow these rules and were cited with alcohol violations. But following Tim Piazza's death, underage drinking was banned at all fraternity and sorority houses and events. And alcohol would only be served by people trained under ramp, a program for responsible alcohol service. There could be no hard liquor or kegs, no all day parties. And there was a limit on the amount of people that could be at each party. And they limited the amount of events that could take place each semester. Before this, the limit was 45 parties, but now there could only be 10 per semester.

[Courtney Brown]

And something else that is interesting is that the organization in charge of Greek Life at Penn State was called the Pennsylvania State University Intra Fraternity Council or the ifc. Now the IFC is run by students. So the Greek Life on campus was pretty much governing themselves. They were both the judge and the jury. And I'm sure you can see how big of a problem that is. Now, Penn State actually tried to use this to their advantage, saying that they were not responsible what happened in the privately owned off campus homes. They stated that it was the IFC's responsibility to make sure Greek Life was following the alcohol and hazing rules. But again, this organization is run by the students, most of whom were likely participating in these things. So clearly that is a huge conflict of interest and they would soon have to make changes to that. After Tim's death, Greek Life was no longer run by the students, but by Penn State's administration.

[Colin Brown]

The conspiracy files is the most explosive show on the Internet I'M your host Colin Brown from the paranormal files on YouTube and I'm inviting you to take this twisted journey down the rabbit hole with me. Together we will dive deep into some of the world's most dangerous and disturbing conspiracy theories. From suspension, suspicious suicides to hidden pedophile rings and high profile cover ups. On my show, no story is off limits and no detail will be spared. And trust me, after listening to just one episode, you will never look at the world the same. So if you like conspiracies, mysteries, true crime and chaos, then this is the show for you. Listen to the Conspiracy Files now on all streaming platforms or wherever you get your podcasts now Penn State President Eric Barron released a statement in regards to the Grand Jury findings stating Today Centre County's District Attorney released findings of a grand jury investigation into the February 4 death of student Timothy Piazza and former members of Beta Theta PI fraternity which has been banned from ever returning to Penn State. The details alleged in these findings are heart wrenching and incomprehensible. The university community continues to mourn his tragic death, but no pain we feel can begin to compare to the devastating heartbreak that Timothy's family and friends are experiencing. The alleged details in the grand jury presentment which suggest the inhumane treatment of a student forced through hazing to consume dangerous amounts of alcohol and endure hours of suffering are sickening and difficult to understand. It is numbing how an atmosphere that endangers the well being and safety of another person could occur within an organization that prided itself on commitment to each other and to its community. Alcohol misuse, hazing and sexual misconduct pose significant problems across the nation and particularly on college campuses. We have also seen a rise in the intensity of excessive drinking and hazing at Penn State and elsewhere. Despite more than a decade of focus and the introduction of educational and other programs as well as policies that clearly spell out consequences. Penn State has one of the most aggressive student misconduct policies in the country and its off campus policy pertaining to misconduct remains the most vigorous in the Big Ten. It should go without saying that hazing and dangerous drinking are not permitted by the university and the University takes appropriate action to educate its students about these issues and to hold them accountable whenever it learns of such wrongdoing. All indicators suggested Beta Theta PI was a model fraternity. The house, privately owned and situated like all other fraternity houses on private property, was beautiful, the subject of a multi million dollar renovation. Both the Beta alumni and the national organization provided strict rules of behavior and the brothers had a no alcohol policy which stated that anyone caught drinking would be expelled. It is clear, however, this was no model fraternity. For this reason, we have announced the imposition of of a number of aggressive measures and made clear recognition by the university is at stake for those Greek letter organizations that do not abide by the rules. Indeed, since this tragic incident occurred, the university suspended Sigma Alpha Mu for its flagrant violations of our measures. While some have criticized our measures as excessive, they are not. It is essential that all constituents, including these private Greek letter organizations, alumni, parents, national organizations, and all other partners involved, are committed in order to ensure immediate, vital and sustainable changes. One of the underlying tenets of belonging to a community is the shared responsibility to the safety and well being of its members. It is our collective obligation to act as mutually caring and responsible citizens and to foster those values. Empathy and compassion are vital to who we are as Penn Staters, citizens and members of society.

[Courtney Brown]

In the summer of 2017, the courts would hold the preliminary hearings for the 18 members of Beta Theta PI. The Piazza family was in attendance, wearing their blue rubber bracelets that read live like Tim. But they had a long journey ahead of them. During the hearings, when the state played the surveillance footage from inside the home, they excused themselves from the courtroom. They had absolutely no interest in watching their son die a slow, painful death, and to this day, they have never watched it. But while the video was played in court, District attorney Stacy Parks Miller asked a detective, has anyone tried to do CPR? Has anyone checked his pulse? Has anyone called 91 1? The detective replied, no. She continued the video, watching the disturbing content play out. What about now? Has anyone called 91 1? She asked. According to Vanity Fair, one of the defendant's mothers in the courtroom could be heard saying, God, this is ridiculous. Now, there were over a dozen defense attorneys in the courtroom representing the members of Beta Theta PI, and all of them were claiming that although Tim's death was a tragedy, their client was not criminally responsible for his death. Disturbingly, the defense also claimed that this hazing ritual had been going on within the fraternity for years and no one ever died from it. They claimed that because of that, their clients didn't meet the criteria for reckless endangerment. But interestingly, about a month before the incident, President Brendan Young actually texted pledge Master Daniel Casey and said, I know you know this. If anything goes wrong with the pledges this semester, then both of us are fucked. End quote. So they seem to have known the consequences, and they still didn't hold back on the hazing. Now, many of the attorneys also argued that these guys didn't know that Tim was injured. They just thought he was extremely intoxicated.

[Colin Brown]

The courtroom proceedings were really hard to sit through for Tim's family. At times. Things got heated. Attorneys were yelling at each other. James Piazza said it often felt like it was 20 defense attorneys versus one prosecutor. And by September 1st of that year, the Piazza family faced a big loss when district Justice Alan Sinclair dropped the most serious charges against eight members of Beta Theta PI, involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault. Ryan McCann, Lucas Rockwell, and Braxton Becker no longer faced tampering with evidence charges, which is crazy because Braxton Becker deleted surveillance footage from that night. Joseph Ems was also let off the hook when his reckless endangerment charge was dropped. He was the one who hit Tim in the abdomen as he lay unconscious on the couch with internal bleeding. Now, the judge would later say that these charges were dropped because he did not believe that the young men were acting out of malice. Defense attorney Theodore Simon told, as we have said from the outset of the case that as to the most serious charges, the aggravated assault, the involuntary manslaughter, and the simple assault, those charges were absolutely unequivocally unfounded, unwarranted, and injustice unjustified. And it's now we have been proven absolutely true. Not every tragedy should result in serious criminal charges. Now, as for the other 14 members, they still faced misdemeanor charges for hazing, tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, and furnishing alcohol to minors. But for the Piazza family, they felt like the main perpetrators in their son's death had gotten away with the slap on the wrist. They left the courtroom that day in tears.

[Courtney Brown]

So the charges were now set in stone, and the prosecution started gearing up for trial. But during this time, a lot of stories came out about the long and disturbing history of hazing at Penn State. There were reports of people who had, quote, been beaten unconscious at a party, sexual misconduct occurring within the house, naked photos of pledges, and reports of some people being, quote, hit in the face with a mop full of broken glass. End quote. Now, before we talk about the trials of the Beta Theta PI members, we are going to share some of those stories with you, starting all the way back to 2009. In September of that year, Penn State freshman Joseph Datto went missing after a night of partying with the fraternities Alpha Tau Omega and Phi Gamma Delta. The next morning, when Joseph failed to show up at his dorm, the college started investigating his disappearance. And eventually he would be found. As it turns out, Joseph had fallen down an 18 foot staircase on campus. An autopsy confirmed that his cause of death was blunt force trauma from the fall and his blood alcohol content was.169. Now, I guess this staircase was kind of off the beaten path. So sadly, no one found Joseph's body. For two whole days after this tragedy, several of the fraternity members he was drinking with were charged for giving alcohol to a minor. In addition, Penn State also created a Greek Life task force to limit alcohol at these parties and to prevent hazing. But clearly the task force didn't really make a difference.

[Colin Brown]

And in the years after this, Penn State would continue to have these issues with its Greek life. In fact, from 2014 to 2017, the campus police investigated a number of physical assaults within their fraternities as well as six drug and alcohol overdoses and seven sexual assaults. One of these instances occurred in 2015. That year, an anonymous tip was sent in. Apparently the fraternity Kappa Delta Rho held this strip club themed party where they invited a bunch of strippers and got them drunk. Once the girls were passed out, the guys took photos of the girls in nude or other sexual or embarrassing positions and posted them to a private Facebook page. In some of the photos, the girls were completely naked with their legs spread wide open for the camera. Under the photos, young men commented things like I banged her or lol, delete these or we will be on CNN in a week. Along with this, the anonymous tipster sent in screenshots of a text that was sent from a girl who attended this party. It read this.

[Courtney Brown]

Hi, I know this is kind of awkward, but Tuesday night I was extremely blacked out. I'm assuming we hooked up. Literally. Very, very vague memory, but I really need to know because I'm extremely concerned about the fact of whether or not protection was involved. But if we didn't hook up, then sorry for bothering you.

[Colin Brown]

Now, the young man who anonymously reported all of this to Penn State was James Vivenzio. During the fall semester of 2012, James pledged Kappa Delta Rho and endured 12 weeks of severe abuse. In a later interview, James admitted that he and his other pledged brothers endured physical abuse, public humiliation, and forced chugging of liquor to induce vomiting. There were also instances where pledges were forced to box each other plank with bottle caps attached to their elbows or drink from the pot. According to court documents, the pot was sometimes filled with cat food, urine, semen, hot sauce, catnip shampoo conditioner and bread warmed up in a spaghetti pot. James reported the abuse to Penn State through an anonymous anti hazing hotline. At the office of student conduct. But it seemed to do more harm than good. Afterwards, the chapter's president made it his mission to find out who the narc was, and the hazing got even worse. At one point, James was forced to unclog a toilet with his bare hands. During another instance, he refused to participate in a ritual, and they all punched him repeatedly in the face. One text to the pledges read, you are all fucked. I literally can't wait till my exams are over this week so I can dedicate my free time to destroying your lives, dignities and removing your fucking souls out of your bodies. You do whatever you want whenever you want. Who the fuck are you to question brothers and say no? The only words that should come out of your mouth are, yes, sir. You all are too comfortable. You are fucking slaves. Do you think slaves have a say in what their masters say now? The frat never found out that James was the one who reported them, but over the years, he continued gathering evidence against them. He had a long document of all of the abuse, as well as photos, videos, and messages sent amongst the group. During this time period, James said that he developed ptsd, his grades started dropping, and he even contemplated suicide. By the spring of 2015, James was fed up. Since Penn State refused to do anything about it, he decided to take the documented messages and photographs to the state college police station. Holding a large folder filled with evidence, he showed law enforcement exactly what was going on behind closed doors and at Kappa Delta row. Following this, Penn State did suspend the fraternity for three years, and 39 brothers were expelled from the Penn State chapter. But surprisingly, one of the members defended the fraternity of the photos of the naked women posted online. He called them harmless, saying, everybody fools around. There's literally sites like that that million of people access, whether it's TotalFrapMove.com or any of the other thousands of sites that post, you know, pictures of girls and post funny text conversations and snapchat stories and things like that. It was a satirical group and wasn't malicious whatsoever. It wasn't intended to hurt anyone. It wasn't intended to demean anyone. It was an entirely satirical group, and it was funny to some extent. He also said that this whole situation felt like a witch hunt and that his frat had a right to privacy.

[Courtney Brown]

But this wasn't the only allegation against Penn State. In 2013, Marquis Braham pledged Phi Sigma Kappa during his freshman year. In a later civil suit, followed by his parents, he was also subjected to cruel hazing during his initiation. It Read, among other things, being forced to consume gross amounts of alcohol, chug bottles of Listerine, swallow live fish, fight fellow pledges being burned with candle wax, deprived of sleep for 89 hours, locked in a room with other pledges, alcohol and a trash can to catch their vomit, having a gun held to his head, and being forced to kill gut and skin animals. End quote. Now, only a few weeks into pledging, Marquis notified a Penn State employee about what was going on. He texted them saying, quote, I feel like I've done so much that it can't get any worse, but it always does. End quote. His residential advisor responded, yes, it will get worse. I'm sorry to say, ha ha. But it will. End quote. Now, one month later, Marquis texted his RA again and said, we were allowed to fall asleep last night, but I was too scared. I think I have a concussion, and I didn't want to fall into a coma. End quote. The RA responded, stay strong, little buddy. You're almost done, and you have been so strong. End quote. When Marquis went home for winter, that Christmas break, his parents noticed a change in him. He told his family that he wanted to speak to a priest. But before that could happen, tragedy struck. It was the day before he was supposed to go back to school. Marquis was eating dinner with his family when all of a sudden, he excused himself from the table. From there, he left his house and walked to the top of a nearby Marriott hotel. Sadly, Marquis jumped to his death. Later on, in his dorm, his parents found a notebook where he had documented the fraternity's hazing. They also found many text messages where he talked about all of the abuse he endured to his parents. They were convinced that Marquis's suicide was linked to hazing, so they filed a civil suit against Penn State. However, they ended up settling it outside of court, and the school did suspend the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity for six years.

[Colin Brown]

Now, these were stories about other fraternities at Penn State, but Beta Theta PI, the frat that Tim was a part of, well, they had a disturbing history as well. Like we mentioned at the beginning of this story, they had actually been suspended in 2009 due to repeated violations of possession, public urination, vandalism, and assault. But they were only shut down for about a year and a half. In 2010, the school said they could reopen, but they were supposed to follow the no hazing rules. Now, did they actually follow them in the beginning? We don't know. But we do know that within a few years, Beta Theta PI was back to their old ways. In fact, it was Reported that at the Beta Theta PI mansion, some pledges were required to stand below the roof as one of their frat brothers squatted and defecated into their hands. They also continued with their infamous initiation ritual, Running the Gauntlet. The same ritual that led to Tim Piazza's death.

[Courtney Brown]

According to a man named Adam Megdan, he was a pledge for the Beta Theta PI in 2016, the year before Tim's death. He said that the older members were absolutely brutal in their hazing rituals. Two of the men who hazed Adam were the same one charged in Tim's case. The president Brendan Young, and the pledge master, Daniel Casey. According to Adam, in addition to the Running the Gauntlet ritual, President Brendan Young also created a Beta brew which was filled with, quote, old food and condiments blended together. Brendan would force the pledges to drink it until they vomited. And if they didn't drink it fast enough, Brendan made them run laps or do push ups and wall sits. Then they had to try it again. In 2016, Brendan Young texted Daniel Casey.

[Colin Brown]

And said, it took them a while to drink it. So I lined them up halfway through and then gave them the chance to drink the rest or go through a lineup.

[Courtney Brown]

Eventually, Brendan texted Daniel and said that the pledges finally finished the brew, but he called them pussies. In their texts, Brendan also confessed to smacking the pledges and purchasing goldfish from Petco for them to eat. The pledges were often hit with a large wooden paddle. Some suffered severe bruises and open wounds. They would also play mind games on them. During these games, the Beta brothers would cover the pledges heads with a pillowcase and ask them, would you drink the blood of your brothers? Then when they would look, there was a cup of blood in front of them. The pledges were convinced that they had to drink the blood. So they would. Except it wasn't actually blood in the cup. It was tomato juice and Tabasco sauce. Sometimes they would convince the pledges that they were drinking urine, but it was yellow Gatorade. Another member named Gregory talked about a hazing ritual called crate race. In it, the Beta pledges were divided into teams and a crate full of alcohol was placed in front of them. There was usually a 1.75 liter handle of vodka, about 30 cans of beer, and several bottles of wine. And whoever finished the crate first was the winner. Now I do think it's important to note that these pledges weren't held there against their will. They opted to be there despite the abuse they endured. But they also knew that if they quit or refused to participate. They couldn't be a member of the fraternity. These torturous events were like a rite of passage into the brotherhood.

[Colin Brown]

Now, Cordell Davis, the member who tried helping Tim on the night of the hazing, he also spoke out against Beta Theta PI. He would later admit that years prior he was drawn to the fraternity because they were the best of the best. When he saw the Beta Theta PI mansion for the first time, he said it was like fantasyland. He was mesmerized by the mahogany, wood and gold ceilings. On his first night with the Beta brothers, Cordell said he was impressed by them. They were all in suits and ties and many of them were studying to become aerospace engineers or accountants. Cordell believed that becoming a Beta Theta PI was in his best interest, that it would open doors and opportunities for him. And of course he liked that they were a non hazing fraternity. But almost immediately after accepting their bid, he realized that that wasn't true. In a later interview, Cordell stated that the hazing started out pretty tame. He had to raise the flag in the morning or clean the house after a party. But after a few weeks, it intensified. He and his pledge brothers were forced to do strenuous exercises and they were beaten with a wooden paddle. During Hell Week, he was forced to do the elephant walk where everyone held each other's penises in their hands. And then he was forced to partake in the infamous gauntlet. During Cordell's gauntlet experience, he too became severely intoxicated. So much so he actually fell and hit his head. Cordell said that he could barely even get himself off the ground and blood began pooling underneath him. During the fall, he had cut his forehead wide open. But no one took him to urgent care until the following morning. And even when they did finally take him, they refused to bring him to the University health services. They feared that if they took him there, Penn State would suspect them of hazing. So they took him to an off campus clinic instead. Cordell said that his fraternity brothers told him to tell the doctors that he had fallen over on a mop bucket and under no circumstances was he to mention Beta Theta PI.

[Courtney Brown]

Cordell said that he knew something was wrong here. Anytime someone is telling you to lie about your injuries, there's clearly some red flags. But in his mind, this was just a part of being in a fraternity. In a later interview, he said, I didn't quite understand everything I had gone through. You know, if I left now, who would be my friends? What would I do to be in this Fraternity to be hazed was better than not being in it at all. End quote. And this seemed to be the mindset of many men. Cordell said that he stuck with it, and eventually he was initiated into the fraternity. His days of being hazed were over, but when the following year came around, that meant a new group of pledges. On the night of ten, Piazza's tragedy, when Cordell saw him lying unconscious on the couch, he wanted to call the police. After all, he knew exactly what it was like to be injured during these rituals. When he cut his head open the previous year, he didn't like the fact that his brothers waited until the following morning to get him help. And Cordell didn't want that for Tim. But when he tried to get him help, his brothers refused, even shoving him up against a wall for suggesting it. Cordell has since said that in hindsight, he wishes he would have listened to his intuition. If he could go back, he would have gone above their authority and helped him. But he didn't. Something he deeply regrets. Nowadays, Cordell Davis spends his time traveling around the country speaking to various universities about the dangers of hazing. It's his way of turning a horrible situation into something that can make a difference.

[Colin Brown]

In the year 2018, 17 former beta theta PI brothers ended up pleading guilty to their charges. Many of them were sentenced to jail time, but they would later be reduced to house arrest, probation, and community service. And strangely enough, while most members were sentenced in 2019, Brendan Young and Daniel Casey were the last to be sentenced. In October of 2024, they both pleaded guilty to 14 counts of hazing and a count of reckless endangerment. From what we could tell, they were the only two that received jail time. Both were sentenced to two to four months in jail, three years of probation and community service. Here were Tim's parents, James and Evelyn Piazza, outside of court that day.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

I mean, nothing brings Tim back, but I think it was important that jail be assessed so that future hazers will look at that and see there are serious reprocessions for hazing and that you can't just blame the system. Individuals are the ones that have actions.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

You. Yeah, no, I was just going to say, look, there's, there's no winners. But I thought that despite the prior five judges dismissing so many of the upper charges, which I disagree with, as we kind of heard today, I think Judge Marshall, he did a well reasoned, well thought out sentencing, and I think his comments today were indicative of the fact that he knew this was a serious matter. And I appreciate that. He gave it the weight that it deserved.

[Colin Brown]

And your reaction to the defendants addressing you and the family?

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

Well, you know, they gave nice, scripted statements. I think Brendan Young's was more monotone and without emotion. But I mean, what else were they going to say? I think proof comes, you know, through action, not through words. So let's see what their actions are going forward and you know, hopefully they can take this and make themselves better people and make the communities around them better. But I still question whether there's remorse. But again, let's see what their acts are stir.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Do you think the sets him as a nest?

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

It was enough with what Judge Marshall had to work with. I disagree with the fact that so many other charges were dismissed that I, I suspect that just comes from inexperience in these type of matters. From those prior judges.

[Courtney Brown]

James and Evelyn also filed civil lawsuits against the Beta Theta PI fraternity and Penn State. They both settled with the Piazza family for an undisclosed amount of money. But it wasn't about the money for the Piazza family. It was about making a change. They wanted their son's story to serve as a reminder that hazing is dangerous and in some cases it's deadly. The Piazza's goal is to change the culture in Greek life so that no other family has to step into their shoes.

[Colin Brown]

And luckily we are seeing a shift. In October of 2018, the Timothy J. Piazza anti hazing law was signed in Pennsylvania by Governor Tom Wolf. This law makes for stricter hazing penalties, including the introduction of aggravated hazing, which would be classified as a third degree felony. They've required all public and private schools to have anti hazing policies posted for the public to see. And any fraternities or sororities who haze their members will be subjected to fines and criminal penalties. They also offer immunity to students who report hazing or underage drinking so that they won't be afraid to come forward.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

This law is going to strengthen penalties for hazing. It's going to require schools to have prevention efforts in place to keep students safe. And thanks to the advocacy of the Piazza family and the tremendous efforts of Senator Corman, this bill passed with unanimous, unanimous support in both chambers. Because all of us realize that something has to change. Pennsylvania will now have one of the strongest anti hazing laws in the country.

[Colin Brown]

Penn State also announced the creation of the Timothy J. Piazza center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform. Their website reads. Our research driven approach targets the underlying factors of hazing while promoting healthier fraternities, sororities, student organizations and athletic programs to build Safer and stronger campus communities. We emphasize campus based preventive strategies to combat hazing, risky drinking and violence, empower students to enhance their learning, develop leadership and take action and strengthen accountability that prioritizes prevention and students doing the right thing. In July 2025, Penn State purchased the 22,845 square foot former Beta Theta PI fraternity mansion for an estimated $7.3 million. After a long legal battle with the Alpha Upsilon chapter of the fraternity, Penn State said they plan to use the space as a swing space on a temporary basis, but have not released information on their long term plans. For the Piazza family, it was the end of a long, heartbreaking chapter. James told State College. We now hope the university will put the house or the property to good use for the betterment of its students.

[Courtney Brown]

In September of 2024, on what would have been Tem's 27th birthday, the U.S. house passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act. And following this, it seemed as though the nation was beginning to realize that change was needed. So on December 29, 2024, President Joe Biden signed the act into law. It would require schools to report hazing incidents, educate students about hazing, and provide public information regarding Greek organizations who violated the rules. Now, this wasn't just influenced by Tim's case. In fact, in 2021, Danny Santulli, a freshman at the University of Missouri, was severely injured during a night of drinking at the fraternity Fiji. Now, Danny did survive, but his life was changed forever.

[Danny Santulli's Family Member]

Well, Danny Santulli's parents say if the Stop Campus Hazing act had existed three years ago, and if they had known at the time about the sanctions against this specific fraternity, they would have never allowed their son to pledge there.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

This is a picture of Danny, his.

[Danny Santulli's Family Member]

Graduation picture for more than three years.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

We just want to create more awareness.

[Danny Santulli's Family Member]

The Santulli family has persevered.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

You know, we're just trying to tell.

[Danny Santulli's Family Member]

Danny's story, determined to share Danny's story and determined to make a change.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

But we do want people to understand that this is real, this is going on and it can happen to anybody.

[Danny Santulli's Family Member]

In October of 2021, Danny Santulli was a freshman at the University of Missouri. During a night of hazing while pledging to Phi Gamma Delta, a fraternity also known as Fiji, the 18 year old was pressured to drink an entire bottle of vodka.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

When freshmen are involved and a fraternity at the very, very beginning of their freshman year, they're brainwashed.

[Danny Santulli's Family Member]

That evening, no one called for an ambulance. Instead, fraternity members eventually dropped Danny off at the hospital. With alcohol poisoning, he was unable to breathe and in cardiac arrest. His family would soon learn Danny had lost his ability to walk, talk and see.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

It's always difficult to look at pictures of the way it was, but I'm so glad we have these pictures and that we had these really good times.

[Danny Santulli's Family Member]

Danny's family is determined to share his story, hoping that no other family will share their experience.

[Tim Piazza's Family Member]

I did go to Capitol Hill with numerous families that lost their boy due to hazing.

[Courtney Brown]

So as you can see, there have been countless families affected by this. Since the year 2000, there have been over 120 hazing related deaths. In 2017 alone, four young men lost their lives. To Tem Piazza, Matthew Ellis, Andrew Coffey and Maxwell Groover. All men lost their lives during pledge related events at a fraternity. And tragically, all of their deaths were preventable. Tem's mother Evelyn said, quote, a tradition should never be a dangerous night of passage. Hazing is a cycle of abuse where the abused later becomes the abuser. Please take these words back to your organizations and across your campus and put an end to hazing. Hazing has no place on your campus. End quote. Now, since Tim's death, his family has stated that they'll never get closure. It's hard to find that when a loved one's death is so senseless. But they now spend their days traveling to different college campuses to spread awareness about the dangers of hazing. They know that they can't turn back time, but they can use their story to make a difference so that no other family has to become a victim of hazing.

[Colin Brown]

As of 2024, 44 states had outlawed hazing. The ones who haven't are Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, my home state, and wyoming. But only 10 classified it as a felony and the result of serious injury or death. We can only hope that Timothy Piazza's story and the countless others who have been affected by hazing will continue to make a change. As a little bit of a side note, when I came down to Texas and I moved down here from South Dakota at the University of Texas at Austin, where I attended film school, I actually ended up joining a fraternity. Now, I joined because I didn't know anybody in the state. I met some guys who were in it. I had a very similar story to what you've heard in today's episode where everybody was super nice. I was impressed by the house, I was impressed by the people. But I was also subjected to some absolutely disturbing, violent, disgusting hazing. So that to this very day is still occurring on university campuses. And it's a vicious cycle that I believe needs to be broken. I ended up dropping out of the fraternity almost as soon as I joined it, even though one of my best friends is a guy that I met through the organization. But, yeah, I have horror stories for days that I won't bore you guys with. But maybe we could talk about on another episode if you guys would like to hear some of those things that I witnessed or things that were done to me. And fun fact, my fraternity actually got shut down at the University of Texas at Austin long after I dropped out due to a hazing investigation. So I have a very, very close connection to stories like this. I understand. My heart breaks, especially for Timothy's family. And it's just very clear to me that there's something that needs to be done here, because I've been on the inside. I've seen it. I've seen it happen. It's happened to me. I know that it's happening. Especially right now when we're releasing this episode. The school year has just begun, and that's typically when pledgeship is really happening and all of these things are ramping up. So Courtney and I just both encourage everybody out there to remain vigilant. If you see something, report something. And if you have kids that are college age to talk to them. And if you or someone you know has been a victim of hazing or if you suspect hazing, please contact the National Anti hazing hotline at 1-88-NOT-HUE. All calls are anonymous and confidential. And today, at the end of this episode, Courtney and I are going to be making a donation to the Hazing Prevention Network. They are a nonprofit dedicated to empowering people to prevent hazing through education and advocacy. And a big shout out to our main sources for this episode, which were Caitlin Flanagan's death at a Penn State fraternity, the Atlantic, and A E's Houses of Horror, Secrets of College Greek Life. Hey, everybody. Thank you for listening to today's episode. So my words at the end of that were important and very real. If you know someone who is being subjected to hazing right now, maybe you're a listener to this show and you, you yourself are experiencing something like that. We actively encourage you to please reach out either to officials at your university or to that hotline that we just listed, 188, not Hayes, because it's very important. And only through measures like that can we really kind of save more lives and put an end to this problem. If you love our show and you love the work that we do here, please consider joining us on Patreon. On Patreon, you can get early ad free access to every main feed episode of the show. Like this episode would have been ad free and early if you were on Patreon. Hello to all of our patrons listening there. And also if you've listened to our entire library of content, we do offer bonus episodes on Patreon for some of the higher tiers. And if you've never signed up for Patreon and you sign up today, you can immediately get access to 120 130. I don't even know how many episodes of Murder in America that have never been posted on our main feed that will never be posted on the main feed. Also, do not forget to follow us on Instagram @Murderinarica to see photos from every case that we cover. And do not forget to leave us a five star review wherever you listen to this podcast. Anyways, y', all, thank you so much for listening this week. We will be back again next week with another episode of the show. Courtney and I can't thank you all enough. Have a great rest of your weekend. I'll catch you all in the next one.