New charges filed in PSU frat death after footage found

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Prosecutors filed new charges Monday in the death of a fraternity pledge at Pennsylvania State University after investigators retrieved deleted footage showing new evidence in the case.

Centre County District Attorney Stacey Parks said the footage -- allegedly deleted by a fraternity brother while police searched the Beta Theta Pi frat house -- shows what happened in the basement the night of Tim Piazza's death Feb. 4. She said fraternity members forced Piazza, 19, to consume at least 18 drinks in the span of 1 hour and 22 minutes during a party.

"The prosecution views that as forced drinking," Parks said. "He never once obtained his own alcohol."

The charges filed Monday add 12 new defendants to a case that already implicates 14 people. The new charges include involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and misdemeanor hazing. In September, a county judge dismissed charges against eight of the accused fraternity members, saying there wasn't enough evidence. But Parks refiled the charges due to the newly discovered footage.

The basement footage may show the moment Piazza fell down the basement stairs during the party Feb. 2 and sustained head and abdominal injuries. Other footage from security cameras in the frat house shows members positioning Piazza as he slept so he wouldn't choke in case he vomited.

The fraternity members didn't seek medical help for Piazza until late the next morning. He died a day later.

School officials immediately shut down the fraternity after Piazza's death. Piazza's death was ruled accidental. He suffered multiple traumatic injuries from the fall, the coroner said.