Missouri fraternity pledge loses ability to see, walk, talk
Martha MacCallum interviews attorney of Danny Santulli after alleged hazing incident goes terribly wrong.
A University of Missouri student was permanently handicapped following an alleged hazing while pledging to a fraternity at the school, his lawyer told Fox News on Friday.
Daniel Santulli, 19, can no longer walk, talk or see after falling into cardiac arrest during a pledge where he was reportedly given a bottle of vodka and expected to drink the entire container.
Video obtained by ABC News showed Santulli in a group of Phi Gamma Delta pledgees at Mizzou blindfolded and led down winding stairs to a cellar area where he was purportedly given the liquor.
After several hours of drinking, which included a turn with a beer funnel, the inebriated freshman was dropped on a couch and apperently ignored as he became unresponsive, according to attorney David Bianchi.
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Daniel Santulli suffered "massive brain damage" after an October 2021 hazing incident. ((Photo courtesy Tom Santulli))
When his fraternity brothers finally took him to the hospital, he was already in cardiac arrest with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.4% or five-times Missouri's legal driving limit. The incident left him with permanent brain damage and the inability to execute basic human functions.
To date, only one frat member has been charged – with a misdemeanor, which his family said is unacceptable.
Santulli's father told another network he wants to see other kids allegedly involved to face felonies, adding misdemeanor charges won't "wake them up."
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Bianchi, who reportedly has already won millions of dollars in court for other hazing victims, said Santulli's case may be the worst he's seen.
"You cannot have injuries that are worse and still be alive. Danny can't see; can't walk, he can't talk. He cannot care for himself. And his condition is permanent. It's just awful," he told "The Story" on Friday.
Missouri's anti-hazing statute is legally sufficient, the lawyer said, but charges must be filed to utilize such a strong law.
"I think any parent who has a child who is going through this fraternity hazing process just basically holds their breath for the entire week that it's going on. So how many more Danny's is it going to take before universities are going to take responsibility and ban these practices, and have serious consequences for anyone who engages in them?" host Martha MacCallum asked.
"This is a slam-dunk hazing case. They should all go to jail… a jury would convict these guys in 5 minutes," Bianch later said, adding there have been 65 deaths connected to fraternity pledges since 2000 and calling on officials in Boone County, Mo., to prosecute further.
He claimed universities do not want to shut down fraternities because their alumni often become reliable donors.
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