Misdemeanor defendant in Danny Santulli hazing at MU pleads guilty, sentencing in June
A second defendant charged in relation to the hazing of University of Missouri student Danny Santulli pleaded guilty on Tuesday.
Santulli, a pledge to the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, on Oct. 19, 2021, was part of "pledge dad reveal night" at the fraternity house. Santulli consumed large amounts of alcohol during the hazing event and collapsed. He had to be resuscitated at MU Hospital, but he was left with brain damage from the alcohol poisoning.
Santulli is under constant care at his parents' home in Minnesota. He can't see, speak or walk. Settlements in civil lawsuits are paying for his care.
The only defendant charged with misdemeanors of the 11 charged, Alec Wetzler, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor supplying liquor to a minor and misdemeanor purchase or attempting to purchase liquor by a minor.
Both Wetzler and attorney Rusty Antel appeared by video.
Antel asked Judge Stephanie Morrell if he could put off sentencing.
"I might need to write a sentencing report," Antel said.
Morrell set sentencing for June 6.
Wetzler's plea follows a Monday plea by Thomas Shultz, chapter vice president of the fraternity. Charges were reduced in return for Shultz's guilty plea.
Charged initially with felony hazing and felony tampering with evidence, Shultz pleaded guilty to misdemeanor supplying alcohol to a minor.
He's required to spend 30 days in jail, which started Monday. His sentence also includes two years of unsupervised probation and completing 100 hours of community service. He also must complete an alcohol and drug education program and complete a victim impact panel.
Another aspect of the sentencing is a good faith restorative justice mediation with Santulli's family if they request it. In restorative justice, also called restorative practices, the offender admits wrongdoing in a meeting with those he has wronged, while those wronged by the offender tell him the ways they have been harmed by him. The idea is to restore the wrong-doer to society.
Shultz also is prohibited from consuming alcohol or entering bars or liquor stores.
In other hazing cases heard Monday, the next court date for Samuel Gandhi was scheduled for May 22. The next court date for Benjamin Parres is May 30.
Trial dates have been set for two defendants. The trial for Samuel Lane is scheduled to start on May 31. The trial for Ryan Delanty, Santulli's designated "pledge dad" is scheduled to start Dec. 5.
MU has removed recognition from the fraternity and it is no longer on campus. MU documents also revealed systemic problems with alcohol abuse and hazing at fraternities.
Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Another MU hazing defendant pleads guilty following Monday plea deal
