7 Bowling Green hazing death suspects plead not guilty

The seven young men charged in the death of a Bowling Green State University student during a hazing ritual at the Ohio university all pleaded not guilty to all charges Wednesday.

Stone Foltz, a 20-year-old sophomore and new member of the Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) fraternity, died March 7 from alcohol intoxication. Three days earlier, Foltz was forced to consume an entire handle of liquor, nearly 60 ounces, at an initiation ritual, his family’s lawyers said.

Seven people were charged in late April in connection with Foltz’s death, including six students at the 17,000-person school about 20 miles south of Toledo.

Stone Foltz died March 7.

The students — Jacob Krinn, Daylen Dunson, Troy Henricksen, Canyon Caldwell, Jarrett Prizel and Niall Sweeney — are all charged with manslaughter and pleaded not guilty, local ABC affiliate WTVG reported. The six are also charged with hazing and failure to comply with underage alcohol laws. Some face additional tampering with evidence charges, but all pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Krinn faces the most serious charge, first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, and is accused of driving Foltz home and dropping him off while Foltz had a blood alcohol content of 0.394.

The seventh person charged, Aaron Lehane, is not a student but lives in the same house as Sweeney, where the hazing reportedly took place, Bowling Green independent media reported. He’s charged with tampering with evidence and hazing.

All seven suspects were allowed to remain free, but the judge ruled they cannot have contact with each other, so either Lehane or Sweeney must move out, according to WTVG.

Bowling Green permanently banned PIKE in the weeks following the incident. Foltz’s family sued the fraternity and several members, including the defendants in the criminal case.