Tim Piazza’s parents allege cover-up of son’s hazing

The parents of a Penn State fraternity pledge who died after consuming 18 alcoholic beverages in just under 90 minutes as part of a hazing ritual said on Friday that those on trial for their son’s death tried to cover up their involvement by deleting video footage of the events from that fateful night.

Prosecutors charged an additional 12 members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity on Monday in the death of 19-year-old student Timothy Piazza after examining the recovered surveillance-camera video from the night he died.

Piazza, an engineering student from Lebanon, New Jersey, died on February 4 after consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol and suffering fatal injuries when he tumbled down flights of stairs. 

The additional charges were filed after authorities recovered deleted security video that shows several fraternity brothers supplying Piazza with the drinks in a hazing ritual that turned deadly.

‘I think it tells you about the mindset of this group of fraternity members,’ Piazza’s father, Tim, told NBC Today’s Megyn Kelly on Friday when asked about the newly unearthed video.

‘For eight days we listened to defense attorneys talk about their clients not being there, my client didn’t do this, my client didn’t do that.

‘These videotapes in the basement show everything that happened, shows they were there. Shows they did all these things, and they knew it. They knew it.

His parents, Evelyn (left) and Tim Piazza, said on Friday that those on trial for their son’s death tried to cover up their involvement by deleting video footage of the events from that fateful night

‘I think it tells you about the mindset of this group of fraternity members,’ Piazza’s father, Tim, told NBC Today’s Megyn Kelly (right) on Friday when asked about the newly unearthed video

The Piazzas were joined on air by their attorney, Tom Kline, who said he expects those charged with manslaughter to be convicted. ‘The odds [of a conviction] are very good,’ he said

‘I’m convinced that they knew what went on but they were hiding it from the court thinking the tapes weren’t going to be recovered.’

Tim Piazza’s wife, Evelyn Piazza, dismissed those who say that her son willingly participated in the hazing ritual and that the students on trial should not be punished since excessive drinking is rampant on college campuses. 

‘They don’t understand the concept of hazing,’ Evelyn Piazza said. 

‘There’s a whole psychology to it. Even if they consent it’s not consent. They’re being forced to do it otherwise they’re not getting in.’

Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said the new charges came after they recovered deleted security camera footage taken inside a Penn State fraternity house.

Investigators on Monday said they recovered deleted security camera footage taken inside the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Penn State from the night Piazza died

Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller (above in May) announces findings into the death of Penn State fraternity pledge Tim Piazza in February 

The footage was the basis for charges against 12 new defendants, as well as five who had been charged previously.

Braxton Becker, one of the fraternity members, is accused of deleting the video footage while State College police were in the room to seize the recording equipment.

Tim Piazza said on Friday that the tapes confirmed his belief that his son was ‘treated like road kill.’ 

‘The criminal charges stem from all the things that led up to that,’ Tim Piazza said. 

‘It’s the hazing, it’s the furnishing of the alcohol. It’s the abuse that happened.

‘At the end of the day, this is all abuse. Change the word “hazing” to “abuse” and people take a different look at it.

‘The fact that they treated him like road kill, the fact that they treated him so poorly and didn’t help him – that just goes to show you the character of the individuals that were there.’

When asked if any of the parents of those charged reached out to him or his wife, Tim Piazza said: ‘A couple of parents sent us letters saying “We’re sorry for your loss, my son wasn’t there.”

‘In a couple of cases, their son was right in the middle of it. It’s nice to get the letters, but is there really sincere remorse? I don’t think so.’

Evelyn Piazza said it’s important to raise awareness of her son’s death so that parents can warn their children about the dangers of peer pressure.

‘Talk to your kids,’ she said. ‘Have this conversation. 

‘Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with. If you’re gonna pledge or join any of these organizations, have a buddy system. 

Frat member Braxton Becker (above in August) is accused of deleting the video footage while State College police were in the room to seize the recording equipment

Brendan Young, the fraternity’s president, was charged earlier this year with reckless endangerment, evidence tampering, hazing and furnishing alcohol to a minor

‘Do it with a group. Do it with a friend Make a pact.

‘If something doesn’t feel right or it’s gone bad, then just leave.’

The Piazzas were joined on air by their attorney, Tom Kline, who said he expects those charged with manslaughter to be convicted.

‘The odds [of a conviction] are very good,’ he said. 

‘In order to prove either reckless endangerment or involuntary manslaughter, the legal standard is recklessness.

‘This is not a crime of intent. This is a crime of recklessness and I think, at the end of the day, that will happen.

‘For sure, we’re going to see either convictions or pleas, I predict, as to hazing.’

In response to the Piazzas’ comments on Kelly’s show, Penn State University released a statement saying: ‘The University will not forget their loss as we continue our efforts to hold individuals accountable and prevent any reoccurrence.

‘The University took the strongest action possible against the former Beta Theta Pi Fraternity by permanently revoking its recognition.

Joseph Ems had charges against him dismissed in September, but he was charged again on Monday with hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors in relation to the video

‘The breadth of the University’s investigation makes clear our commitment to hold all students who jeopardized the safety of another student accountable.’

At least 26 people now face charges in the case, including involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, hazing and furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor. 

The house’s security system had captured many of the events the night Piazza was injured and that footage had already been played at a preliminary hearing for those charged previously. 

But until recently, that did not include the basement, where Piazza was found the next morning. 

While the lead detective had initially said the cameras in the basement did not record the night of the hazing, he realized it had been deleted and got help from the FBI to restore the missing footage.

Authorities said the video captured games involving the rapid consumption of wine, beer and vodka in the fraternity house’s basement during a party for newly accepted members.

It allegedly showed Piazza being given at least 18 drinks over a period of 1 hour and 22 minutes. 

‘He never once obtained those drinks for himself, brothers came up and gave them to him,’ Parks Miller said. 

Piazza and other pledges had convened in the basement, which housed a bar, for about an hour after completing what was called ‘the gauntlet’ – a series of stations inside the fraternity house where they were instructed to quickly down beer and wine. 

Miller said the basement video ‘clearly depicts a continuation of the hazing activity previously captured upstairs at the gauntlet.’  

Michael Schiavone (left) and Joe Sala (right) were both charged earlier this year with reckless endangerment and furnishing alcohol to a minor

As they returned to the first floor, the pledges appeared to show signs of intoxication, and Piazza had to be helped to a couch, according to the grand jury and witness testimony during a lengthy preliminary hearing.

Piazza subsequently stumbled toward the basement steps and then fell down them.

Over the rest of that evening, fraternity members were recorded pouring liquid on him, strapping a loaded backpack to him and taking other ineffective or counterproductive steps to deal with his condition. 

The video showed Piazza stumbling around in the dark at several points, then disappearing from view.

After someone noticed his shoes were on the first floor the next morning, fraternity members located Piazza, unconscious, in the basement. 

They carried him back upstairs, but it was another 40 minutes before an ambulance was summoned.

Lars Kenyon (left) and Luke Visser (right) were charged earlier this year with reckless endangerment, hazing and furnishing alcohol to a minor

Piazza was found to have suffered a fractured skull, shattered spleen and other injuries. 

His blood-alcohol content was estimated at several times the legal limit for adult drivers. 

Joshua Kurczewski, Ryan Burke, Jonathan Kanzler, Bohan Song and Aiden O’Brien have been charged with a range of offenses, including involuntary manslaughter.

Joseph Ems, Brian Gelb, Patrick Jackson, Reggie Goeke, Mike Fernandez and Donald Prior were charged with hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors. 

Charges against Ems and Becker had previously been dismissed back in September.

Five frat members who had previously been charged also now face additional charges based on the basement video.

Luke Visser, Gary Dibilio, Nick Kubera, Michael Bonatucci and Parker Yochim now also face charges of supplying alcohol to minors.