A freshman student at Northern Illinois University died while pledging for a fraternity, and now 22 of the frat boys are facing criminal charges after the frat hazing.
David Bogenberger, 19, died during the two hour ritual during which he had to answer a series of questions at Pi Kappa Alpha in exchange for alcohol.
The next morning, Bogenberger was found dead in his frat house bed.
Bogenberger had five times the legal driving limit of alcohol in his blood at the time of death.
According to his family, Bogenberger, an aspiring finance major, just “wanted to be liked.”
Five leaders of the fraternity were charged on Monday with felony frat hazing by DeKalb County authorities.
A further 17 members face misdemeanor charges.
The fraternity stopped operating following David’s death, which occurred on November 2nd.
“He wanted to be accepted,” said family attorney Peter R. Coladarci. “It’s a classic case of a kid who just wants to fit in with the group.”
Fraternity president Alexander M. Jandick, 21; vice president James P. Harvey, 21; pledge adviser Omar Salameh, 21; secretary Patrick W. Merrill, 19, and event planner Steven A. Libert have all been charged with felony hazing.
They each face up to three years in prison if convicted.
In a statement released by police, David’s family said they want to see “significant change.”
“We have no desire for revenge,” read the statement. “We must realize that young people can and do die in hazing rituals. Alcohol-involved hazing and initiation must end.”
Frat hazing is the norm of initiating pledges into fraternities, and this is not the first time hazing has turned deadly.
Jordan Shepherd | Elite.
