HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania prosecutors are dropping involuntary manslaughter and assault charges against five Penn State fraternity brothers related to the death of a pledge ahead of a hearing to determine whether there’s enough evidence to head toward trial on the remaining allegations.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the decision Tuesday, one day before the preliminary hearing for 12 members of Beta Theta Pi over the February 2017 death of 19-year-old Tim Piazza of Lebanon, New Jersey.
The set of 12 defendants due in court this week is separate from 14 members of the same fraternity whose charges were previously sent to county court.
Piazza consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol and suffered severe injuries in a series of falls inside the now-closed fraternity the night of a pledge bid acceptance ceremony.
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