Last update: Dec. 31, 2003. Corrections, updates to Hank Nuwer  
Hazing OR Pledging-Related in Green Type.  NON-Hazing deaths (with cause if known) are in black type.

1-4  Yale University
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Death after Night of Chapter "Ride" into New York (ruled accident and non-hazing but WAS pledging-related)

Following an old custom of pledges taking a senior fraternity member on a "ride" into New York City, a caravan of brothers and pledges returned to New Haven. Near Bridgeport, one of the DKE vehicles hit a semi that had broken down.  Four young men were killed and five were injured. Yale sophomores Nicholas Grass, Kyle Burnat, Andrew Dwyer and junior Sean Fenton perished.

5. San Jose State University
Pi Alpha Phi
and Lambda Phi Epsilon
Gang Rumble

Alam Kim, 23,  of Los Altos, CA was stabbed to death.

6. Plattsburgh State (State University of New York)
Psi Epsilon Chi
Plattsburgh, NY
Hazing convictions

Following the death of 18-year-old Plattsburgh State University freshman
Walter Dean Jennings, 11 fraternity brothers were charged
with some 150 crimes.
Police stated that Jennings apparently died of swelling of the brain related to water intoxication. November update: many of the
young men have entered guilty pleas.

7.
William and Mary
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Suicide of pledge (no link found to pledging, alcohol or drugs)

Gregory Thomas Bak, 18, plunged to his death from his dormitory window.  He left a suicide note.

8.
Mississippi State University
Kappa Alpha
Starkville, MS
Alcohol-related fall.

Henry A. Hutton, a Kappa Alpha member, fell coming back from a local bar and struck his head. The death was called accidental.

9.

Northwestern University
Evanston, Ill
Phi Kappa Psi
Case Under Investigation (non-hazing, however)

Member Joseph Doyle, 22, was found dead at the Phi
Kappa Psi house. The death was unrelated to hazing. A first coroner's report was inconclusive.

10.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT, New York State)
Kappa Phi Theta
Toxicology reports not in
Pledging-related death ( Autopsy was inconclusive )

Jerry Hopkins, 36,  a friaternity pledge attending the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, died on a campout with the Kappa Phi Theta fraternity in Pennsylvania's Allegany National Forest.

11.

Louisiana State University
Acacia
Fall (accidental)

LSU student Jason Whittle died after fall from Acacia deck. Thanks to Jason's father for correction that alcohol was not a factor in the tragic accident.

12.
Plymouth State University
Sigma Kappa Omega sorority (a local that formerly was a national sorority)
Pledging-related death in car crash (Police investigating allegations that pledges were on a "ride")

 Kelly Nester of Coventry, R.I., died following the crash of Jeep Grand Cherokee. 10 pledges were stuffed in the Cherokee and on the floor without seatbelt restraints to protect them, police determined. A lawyer for the driver of the vehicle denies that any swerving occurred.

13.
Ball State University (Indiana)
Delta Chi
Police shooting while intoxicated

Michael McKinney, 21, was gunned down by a lone campus police officer when the young man, very intoxicated, lunged at him. McKinney had no weapon, and the incident is under investigation.

14.
Sam Houston State University (Texas)
Sigma Chi
Alcohol-related death

Cameron Duffey, 22, died after drinking a tremendous amount of alcohol in a tavern while with fraternity brothers.
"It [the drinking] wasn't anything out of the ordinary," the Sigma Chi president told a reporter. 

15.

Bradley University
Phi Kappa Tau
Rush-related death

Robert Schmalz, 22, died following a rush event in which he consumed a lethal amount of alcohol. He was a member, not a pledge.

16.
University of Georgia
Chi Phi fraternity
Alcohol-related death (updated 2005)

Robert Cannon of Roswell was accused of driving a boat under the influence Aug. 22 when he hit a hidden railroad trestle on Swift Creek.

Tommy O'Rourke died of severe head injuries. Cannon was not injured, according to a wire account.

Cannon was originally charged with DUI, but the grand jury added misdemeanor charges of reckless operation of a vessel and violation of boat-operation rules. The grand jury also tagged on a felony, homicide by a vessel. Those charges were reduced greatly.

Cannon pleaded no contest to greatly reduced charges and served a light sentence of one summer and paid fines. He was placed on probation for 10 years. 

Toxicology tests were run on Mr. O'Rourke's person following his death. Mr. Cannon expressed remorse at his friend's death.

17.
State University of New York, Stony Brook
Lambda Upsilon Lambda
Post-party shooting

A guest was killed in a shooting at the conclusion of a party sponsored by a fraternity.

18.
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
Delta Chi
Drugs and alcohol death following party

Jason Hert, 24, of Oshkosh, died at the Delta Chi house on 9/11/2003,

19.
University Florida
Theta Chi
Birthday bash death

Kyle Fredrik Schuemann, 22, died drunk on the ground behind Theta Chi house after his birthday celebration. 

Occupational Hazing Death

1. Occupational Hazing Death
Republic Energy Drilling Co.
Denton, Texas

Louis Goodman was convicted of manslaughter in the hazing death of Shawn Davis, 23, a new drilling rig employee. Davis was suspended from a machine and wrapped in a cable, according to court testimony reported by Texas newspapers. Goodman received an 18-year prison sentence on the manslaughter charge but had no hazing charges brought.  Addendum: In 2004,  a second defendant, Teddy Garland, entered a plea of guilty and received five years in prison from the presiding judge.