COLUMBIA, MISSOURI: On Thursday, a man who had pleaded guilty to charges associated with the Danny Santulli hazing case, after accepting a plea deal from Boone County prosecutors, has been sentenced.
Alec Wetzler, 21, of St. Louis, had pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors on April 25 — supplying alcohol to a minor and purchasing or possessing alcohol by a minor.
Judge Stephanie Morrell sentenced Wetzler to the shock detention period of two days in Boone County Jail. He also received a suspended sentence of 180 days in jail and two years of probation. In addition, Wetzler must pay $500 and court costs.
During the probationary period, Wetzler will not be allowed to drink alcohol, enter an establishment where alcohol is served and is also required to complete a victim impact course.
According to a lawsuit from the family, Santulli, who was 18 at the time, participated in a Phi Gamma Delta fraternity ritual called "pledge dad reveal night" on October 19, 2021, where he was coerced into consuming an entire bottle of vodka. As a result of the incident, he was left unable to walk, talk or see after suffering brain damage. His medical needs will last a lifetime, as reported by 13KRCG.
'He's in a wheelchair'
Mary Pat Santulli, his mother said, "He's still not talking or walking. He's in a wheelchair. He lost his vision. But he hears us, and he knows we're there. And we'll just keep fighting, and we're not gonna give up hope."
In the video of the incident, the student is seen becoming unbalanced just before 11 pm, eventually falling backwards. Then, he was carried by fraternity members to a nearby sofa.
According to ABC, Santulli was in cardiac arrest and not breathing when he arrived at the hospital, and his blood alcohol content was .46. He would stay in the University of Missouri Hospital's intensive care unit for six weeks before transferring to a Colorado rehab facility.
Wetzler is one among 11 charged in the incident
David Bianchi, the legal representative for the Santulli family, previously disclosed that the family has reached settlements with almost 23 parties, including the fraternity, and intends to bring legal action against at least two more.
Wetzler is only one of the eleven people charged in the immediate aftermath of the incident. As of October 27, 2021, the University of Missouri's Phi Gamma Delta fraternity has been closed. Besides Wetzler, three more fraternity members have taken plea deals, as reported by ABC 17 News.
Harrison Reichman, 21, of Kansas City, pled guilty to the charge of giving alcohol to a minor. He had initially also been charged with endangering Santulli's life through hazing. He was sentenced to two years of unsupervised probation, along with 100 hours of community services and 15 days of shock jail time.
Thomas A Shultz, of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to supplying alcohol to a minor. He was sentenced to a year of probation and 30 days of shock jail time.
Samuel Gandhi, of St Louis, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of supplying alcohol to a minor; he too had been originally charged with felony hazing. He was sentenced to 15 days of shock time in the county jail, two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. He will also have to complete a court-ordered drug and alcohol treatment program.
Samuel Morrison, 23, of Cameron – another fraternity member charged with hazing – has a jury trial set for 9 am on Tuesday, September 26.
Benjamin Parres, 21, of Chesterfield has his jury trial is set for 9 am, Tuesday, January 23, 2024. He is also charged with felony hazing.
