A former fraternity leader at Northern Arizona University was sentenced Wednesday, Sept. 30 in connection with the death of an 18-year-old student who died after a hazing ritual involving large amounts of alcohol.
Carter Eslick, 20, pleaded guilty on Aug. 10 to felony hazing involving the consumption of a substance causing harm in the death of Colin Daniel Martinez. Eslick was sentenced to a year in jail, with all but 60 days deferred in lieu of community service, according to the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Martinez died Jan. 31 at an off-campus house near Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. An autopsy determined he died from acute ethanol toxicity and found that his blood-alcohol concentration was 0.425%.
Eslick, who was the Delta Tau Delta chapter's pledge master, apologized to Martinez's family during Wednesday's sentencing and said he took responsibility for his role in the hazing.
Here's what to know about the case.
Who was Colin Martinez?
Martinez was an 18-year-old student and one of four pledges seeking to join Delta Tau Delta at NAU.
The students participated in a drinking game during a Jan. 30 rush event at an off-campus fraternity house. According to the Arizona Republic, the pledges were given a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka and told to finish it among themselves.
The group later participated in another round involving a second bottle. Martinez eventually consumed the remaining alcohol and passed out.
What happened to Martinez?
Fraternity members told investigators they checked on Martinez throughout the night after noticing him become heavily intoxicated. They adjusted his sleeping position, monitored his breathing and pulse and searched online for symptoms of alcohol poisoning, the Arizona Republic reported.
Martinez was found unresponsive the following morning. Police and paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the house.
The autopsy found acute ethanol toxicity was Martinez's cause of death and classified it as accidental. Martinez also suffered pulmonary and mild cerebral edema, or excess fluid in the lungs and brain.
His toxicology report also detected caffeine and naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
What did Eslick say in court?
Eslick expressed remorse during his sentencing and said he understood that peer pressure and his own decisions contributed to Martinez's death.
"If I had known that one day somebody's life could possibly be in my hands, there's no way in hell I ever would have looked that way," Eslick said.
Martinez's father also addressed the court, saying there were opportunities for people around his son to seek medical help after he became unable to protect himself.
Coconino County prosecutor Jonathan Mosher described Eslick as "remarkably forthcoming" and noted that Martinez's parents did not seek prison time for him.
Judge Stacy Krueger told Eslick: "You are responsible. But you are not solely responsible."
What happened to NAU's Delta Tau Delta chapter?
The Delta Tau Delta chapter at Northern Arizona University closed following Martinez's death.
Three 20-year-old fraternity executive board members, including Eslick, were initially arrested after Martinez's death. They were released after police did not submit criminal charges to prosecutors at the time.
The Coconino County Attorney's Office ultimately brought the felony hazing case against Eslick. He was the only one of the three to be formally charged in the case.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former NAU fraternity leader sentenced in pledge's hazing death
