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| Penn State Student’s Dying Hours Play Out in Courtroom Video | Penn State Student’s Dying Hours Play Out in Courtroom Video |
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| BELLEFONTE, Pa. — One at a time, the pledges of Beta Theta Pi walked through the doorway and were handed a bottle of vodka from which to chug. | BELLEFONTE, Pa. — One at a time, the pledges of Beta Theta Pi walked through the doorway and were handed a bottle of vodka from which to chug. |
| Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old sophomore from New Jersey, grabbed the bottle and turned it upside down, taking a long swig. It was one of his last conscious actions, and thanks to the fraternity’s surveillance cameras, it was on full view in a courtroom Monday not far from Pennsylvania State University, where lawyers, spectators and more than a dozen of Mr. Piazza’s fraternity brothers watched what happened, and did not happen, next. | Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old sophomore from New Jersey, grabbed the bottle and turned it upside down, taking a long swig. It was one of his last conscious actions, and thanks to the fraternity’s surveillance cameras, it was on full view in a courtroom Monday not far from Pennsylvania State University, where lawyers, spectators and more than a dozen of Mr. Piazza’s fraternity brothers watched what happened, and did not happen, next. |
| Mr. Piazza staggered through a kitchen, the top half of his body flailing as if disconnected from the bottom. He tried to leave the fraternity house, but was unable to gather himself enough to push open the front door. At one point, not captured on video, he apparently fell down a flight of stairs. | Mr. Piazza staggered through a kitchen, the top half of his body flailing as if disconnected from the bottom. He tried to leave the fraternity house, but was unable to gather himself enough to push open the front door. At one point, not captured on video, he apparently fell down a flight of stairs. |
| Gasps went up from many in the gallery as they watched Mr. Piazza’s fraternity brothers drop his limp body on a couch, sit on his legs and jam his arms into a backpack filled with books, to keep him from falling over and potentially choking on his own vomit. | Gasps went up from many in the gallery as they watched Mr. Piazza’s fraternity brothers drop his limp body on a couch, sit on his legs and jam his arms into a backpack filled with books, to keep him from falling over and potentially choking on his own vomit. |
| The cameras rolled as Mr. Piazza threw up into a mop bucket. The fraternity brothers plugged their noses, then argued with one another, in person and on their phones, about what to do. | The cameras rolled as Mr. Piazza threw up into a mop bucket. The fraternity brothers plugged their noses, then argued with one another, in person and on their phones, about what to do. |
| “They’re treating him like a rag doll,” the district attorney, Stacy Parks Miller, said as the video played. | “They’re treating him like a rag doll,” the district attorney, Stacy Parks Miller, said as the video played. |
| Mr. Piazza managed to stumble upright a few times during the night, each effort ending with him hitting his head on a railing, on the stone floor or on a heavy piece of furniture. A few times, a fraternity brother walked into the lobby, saw him lying there and walked on. | Mr. Piazza managed to stumble upright a few times during the night, each effort ending with him hitting his head on a railing, on the stone floor or on a heavy piece of furniture. A few times, a fraternity brother walked into the lobby, saw him lying there and walked on. |
| By the time someone called an ambulance, it was 10:48 a.m., nearly 12 hours after Mr. Piazza’s ordeal began. He died the next day of what an autopsy concluded were “multiple traumatic injuries.” | By the time someone called an ambulance, it was 10:48 a.m., nearly 12 hours after Mr. Piazza’s ordeal began. He died the next day of what an autopsy concluded were “multiple traumatic injuries.” |
| In one of the largest-ever prosecutions related to a fraternity death, 18 Penn State students are facing charges in the case. Eight are charged with involuntary manslaughter; 10 face lesser charges, including hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors at various fraternity events. | In one of the largest-ever prosecutions related to a fraternity death, 18 Penn State students are facing charges in the case. Eight are charged with involuntary manslaughter; 10 face lesser charges, including hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors at various fraternity events. |
| The hearing Monday was to determine whether prosecutors had enough evidence to move forward with the case. Magisterial District Judge Allen W. Sinclair did not rule and said the hearing would resume on another day, when defense lawyers would be able to make arguments. | The hearing Monday was to determine whether prosecutors had enough evidence to move forward with the case. Magisterial District Judge Allen W. Sinclair did not rule and said the hearing would resume on another day, when defense lawyers would be able to make arguments. |
| All but two of the 18 defendants were present, as were Mr. Piazza’s parents, Evelyn and James Piazza. As a detective, David Scicchitano of the State College Police Department, testified about the video and other evidence, James Piazza hunched forward several times, sinking his head in his hands. Other times, he stretched his right arm across Ms. Piazza’s back to rub or pat her when she began to shake. | All but two of the 18 defendants were present, as were Mr. Piazza’s parents, Evelyn and James Piazza. As a detective, David Scicchitano of the State College Police Department, testified about the video and other evidence, James Piazza hunched forward several times, sinking his head in his hands. Other times, he stretched his right arm across Ms. Piazza’s back to rub or pat her when she began to shake. |
| The prosecution edited the 12 hours of surveillance video down to three for the court. Mr. Piazza’s parents have not seen any of it; they left the courtroom when the prosecutor began to play the video. | The prosecution edited the 12 hours of surveillance video down to three for the court. Mr. Piazza’s parents have not seen any of it; they left the courtroom when the prosecutor began to play the video. |
| The defendants stayed, watching quietly, craning their necks to look around one another at the screen. They laughed among themselves during a couple of breaks. “You would have thought that it was a fraternity reunion,” said Tom Kline, a lawyer for the Piazzas. | |
| Some defense lawyers objected to the playing of the video, saying that damning moments had been cherry-picked in the edited version and that the defense lawyers had not yet been able to view the full footage. Judge Sinclair overruled them. | Some defense lawyers objected to the playing of the video, saying that damning moments had been cherry-picked in the edited version and that the defense lawyers had not yet been able to view the full footage. Judge Sinclair overruled them. |
| After Monday’s hearing, Leonard Ambrose, a lawyer for Joseph Sala, one of the men charged with manslaughter, said, “The charges are completely overblown.” He added that he believed the only criminal activity that night was “at most a few liquor charges.” | After Monday’s hearing, Leonard Ambrose, a lawyer for Joseph Sala, one of the men charged with manslaughter, said, “The charges are completely overblown.” He added that he believed the only criminal activity that night was “at most a few liquor charges.” |
| “The charges related to death are completely lacking foundation,” Mr. Ambrose said. | “The charges related to death are completely lacking foundation,” Mr. Ambrose said. |
| An autopsy concluded that Mr. Piazza’s blood alcohol level was as much as four times the legal limit for driving at one point, and the video gave clues as to why. | An autopsy concluded that Mr. Piazza’s blood alcohol level was as much as four times the legal limit for driving at one point, and the video gave clues as to why. |
| A night that began with laughs and elaborate handshakes quickly devolved into dangerous drunkenness. The pledges were forced to participate in multiple stations of drinking, which included quickly downing vodka and beer, drinking from a wine bag and playing beer pong. | A night that began with laughs and elaborate handshakes quickly devolved into dangerous drunkenness. The pledges were forced to participate in multiple stations of drinking, which included quickly downing vodka and beer, drinking from a wine bag and playing beer pong. |
| As the hours wore on, Mr. Piazza stumbled around the house, falling and rolling in and out of the fetal position. Photographs of his body showed cuts and bruises on his chest, back, arms and legs, some of which were captured on the video. The coroner’s report said Mr. Piazza would have experienced “severe and unremitting pain” from his injuries, which included a fracture at the base of his skull and a ruptured spleen. | As the hours wore on, Mr. Piazza stumbled around the house, falling and rolling in and out of the fetal position. Photographs of his body showed cuts and bruises on his chest, back, arms and legs, some of which were captured on the video. The coroner’s report said Mr. Piazza would have experienced “severe and unremitting pain” from his injuries, which included a fracture at the base of his skull and a ruptured spleen. |
| At one point, a fraternity brother came into the living room and took a cellphone image of Mr. Piazza, which, according to the detective’s testimony, he would post to Snapchat. The student left. | At one point, a fraternity brother came into the living room and took a cellphone image of Mr. Piazza, which, according to the detective’s testimony, he would post to Snapchat. The student left. |
| After being out of view of the surveillance cameras for a while, Mr. Piazza re-emerged later in the morning, carried by multiple fraternity brothers, shirtless but wearing a black coat, his extremities straight and stiff. | After being out of view of the surveillance cameras for a while, Mr. Piazza re-emerged later in the morning, carried by multiple fraternity brothers, shirtless but wearing a black coat, his extremities straight and stiff. |
| “He looked dead,” the detective testified. | |
| For roughly 40 minutes, the students made phone calls, poked at Mr. Piazza’s body and tried to pull apart his clenched fists. They picked him up and tried, unsuccessfully, to force a T-shirt over his head. | For roughly 40 minutes, the students made phone calls, poked at Mr. Piazza’s body and tried to pull apart his clenched fists. They picked him up and tried, unsuccessfully, to force a T-shirt over his head. |
| Investigators found that they performed internet searches, seeking information about head trauma and what it means when a person’s extremities become cold. | Investigators found that they performed internet searches, seeking information about head trauma and what it means when a person’s extremities become cold. |
| As the video rolled, Ms. Parks Miller, the district attorney, described the final hour that Mr. Piazza spent at the fraternity house. | |
| More than a dozen times, at intervals of a few minutes, Ms. Parks Miller asked Detective Scicchitano, “Has anyone called 911 yet?” Each time, the detective answered, “No.” | More than a dozen times, at intervals of a few minutes, Ms. Parks Miller asked Detective Scicchitano, “Has anyone called 911 yet?” Each time, the detective answered, “No.” |