College Fraternity Students Face Murder Charges

Five fraternity members from Manhattan will face murder charges for hazing

Hazing death in Monroe County, Pennsylvania lead to five fraternity brothers facing third-degree murder charges and a total of thirty-seven will face various other charges.

A grand jury recommended the five fraternity brothers from Baruch College face third-degree murder charges and a total of thirty-seven will face a range of criminal charges in the death of student Michael Deng, NBC News reports.

Those facing third-degree murder charges are Charles Lai, Kenny Kwan, Raymond Lam, Daniel Li and Sheldon Wong. Third-degree murder, which does not involve premeditation or a specific intent to kill, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Authorities said 19-year-old Michael Deng died on December 9, 2013 after he was blindfolded and weighted down while trying to make his way across a frozen yard and being tackled; this is hazing.

Hazing is the imposition of strenuous, humiliating tasks as part of initiation into the fraternity. During this process, Deng was dropped on the ground and suffered severe head injuries upon which he lost conscious and ultimately lead to his death, according to The Huffington Post.

Prosecutors have begun filing charges and the investigation has been noted to be a lengthy one. Authorities are in the process of figuring out who was present for the retreat and who were involved in the hazing. E. David Christine, district attorney of Monroe County noted in The New York Times, “investigators had to make sure people were put in the right category of involvement.”

“Too many families have been devastated as a result of fraternity hazing, with at least one student dying every year from hazing since 1970,” the Dengs said. “Fraternities and their members must be held accountable, and this step by authorities is an important one.”