At 8:44 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a report of an unresponsive male at a residence on South Pine Grove Road, according to a news release from the Flagstaff Police Department. Bystanders initiated CPR before officers arrived, and officers continued life-saving measures until paramedics reached the scene. The student was pronounced dead at the residence.
Detectives executed search warrants and interviewed multiple witnesses, police said. Preliminary findings show the student attended a gathering at the residence the previous evening, described as a Delta Tau Delta fraternity “rush” event.
“Alcohol consumption was reported to have occurred by numerous individuals in attendance, including pledge candidates, which includes the deceased male,” stated the police.
Three Northern Arizona University students: Carter Eslick, 20, Ryan Creech, 20, and Riley Cass, 20, were arrested and booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility on suspicion of hazing, as defined by Arizona Revised Statutes §13-1215.A3, police said. All three are Delta Tau Delta fraternity members and serve on its executive board as new member educator, vice president, and treasurer.
The cause and manner of death remain undetermined as detectives continue to review evidence and work with the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, police said. Police said they notified the student’s next of kin. “Further information will be provided as it becomes available and appropriate,” the police stated.
The university also acknowledged the criminal charges announced by police, and said that “violence, hazing or any other behavior that endangers others has no place at NAU.” NAU also announced the interim suspension of Delta Tau Delta while a full investigation is conducted.
“Jack’s Law” is named for Jack Culolias, a 19-year-old Arizona State University freshman who died in 2012 following a fraternity hazing ritual that involved excessive alcohol consumption; his body was later found in Tempe Town Lake.
The law specifically includes acts that require or encourage the consumption of alcohol or other substances, and it clarifies that a student’s consent does not exempt participants from criminal liability. Hazing can also be prosecuted as a felony if it results in serious injury or death.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Flagstaff Police Department at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.