 |
| DA John Morganelli, flanked by Lt. Matthew Gerould (L) and Detective Darren Snyder (R). |
Here's what they know so far:
1) Williams had been drinking on Friday and Saturday of the previous weekend. - He attended a party that Friday at Rueff Hall, starting around 6 pm, with fellow lacrosse players. They say he was under the influence, but appeared to be OK and was "talkative." later that night, lacrosse players went to another party on High Street, but it is unclear whether Williams attended. On Saturday, at about noon,he began to drink, but texted a friend that "all we have is watermelon vodka and I hate watermelon." He later attended a beer party at the Boneyard on Cattell Street. Surveillance video showed him walking to and from the local WaWa with friends, where his gait appeared to be unsteady. That was the extent of his drinking. He skipped a Saturday night party.
2) There is no evidence of hazing. - Investigators have spoken to 14 people so far and have uncovered no evidence that Williams was forced to undergo any ritual or that his drinking had been involuntary.
3) Williams became sick on Saturday, and may have fallen. - On late Saturday afternoon, after returning from the WaWa, Williams had the company of a female friend. Around 5 pm,he got up and went to the bathroom to throw up About an hour later, he did so again. At this time,she heard a loud noise in the bathroom and he was on the floor, but she did not see him fall. There was no sign of an injury.
4) Friends grew concerned as Williams continued sleeping. - On Saturday night, Williams skipped a lacrosse player party. When friends checked on him, he pulled the covers over himself. On Sunday, he continued sleeping. Around 4 pm,his friends began to think he might need medical attention. He became combative as they tried to dress him, but was noticeably weak. They got him outside and called thwir coach, and he advised that they call 911 immediately and arrived himself at 4:22 pm.
5) Williams had a fractured skull. - At the hospital, and X-Ray and cat scan revealed that, despite the absence of physical evidence, he had a fractured skull. Williams passed away on 9/11, and Coroner Scott Grim has ruled that the death is the result of blunt force trauma to the head.
"At this time, I have no evidence of criminal conduct," said Morganelli. "I do not see this as a Penn State case," he concluded referring to a Center County prosecution of several Penn State students accused of contributing to the drinking death of a fellow classmate.
Morganelli said there is a "strong likelihood" that Williams suffered a serious head injury when he fell onto the floor. .
(Blogger's Note: Please be respectful in your comments on this tragedy, which shows how fragile life can be.)
The acceptance of excessive drinking in college is a serious problem. 1800+ college students die every year from alcohol related injuries. Many are inexperienced with drinking and there is much peer pressure to drink to excess. Drinking to the point of unconsciousness is considered by some as cool. It is very dangerous and stupid. The culture has oked this behavior by accepting it as a right of passage, Colleges have looked the other way. It does seem that colleges are now making more of an effort to address this problem. Parents need to talk to their children about not drinking from open containers, not leaving their drinks out of their control. Not drinking anything that has been concocted by someone else. Also about how many drinks equal, drunk, unconscious and dead.
ReplyDelete"1800+ college students die every year from alcohol related injuries."
ReplyDeleteSource?
I have difficulty understanding what to me is the binge drinking episodes of an individual with undiagnosed alcoholism or "just" inexperience and accidental overuse of alcohol in a young person away at college. I agree with the comments of 6:44 AM. I hope some college students can resolve that these drinking behaviors are not normal and will not be an acceptable part of college attendance. Peer pressure can work both ways. I wish we can provide an environment so that no parent gets that type of call. Part of my puzzle is that because I don't drink I do not understand the need of individuals to "kick back and have a few." It has not been an unusual situation for me to have attended social gatherings where it is evident that people act differently with a couple of drinks and I don't find them more likeable or interesting or smarter. I prefer them without the effects of alcohol. The same as for use of pot.
ReplyDeleteThe source is the National institute of health.
ReplyDeleteSome more statistics from the national institute for health:
ReplyDelete1. 1825 die from alcohol-related injuries per year.
2. 696,000 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
3. 97,000 report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
4. 20 % of college students meet the criteria for AUD, Alcohol use disorder.
5. 1 in 4 students report academic consequences from drinking, falling behind in class, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.
It is about time we focus on the reason for college is to get an education, more so that to enjoy the college "experience". You will find that those that are working their way through college, and paying most of the expense themselves have a different view.
https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/collegefactsheet/Collegefactsheet.pdf
ReplyDeleteSad story all around. RIP.
ReplyDeleteVery sad story. If a healthy young man falls on the floor and hits his head it is unusual for him to die a few days later, isn't it. Did he hit the sink or toilet? It is a shame his girlfriend or the other friends did not get him to go to the hospital sooner for an X-ray. Sad story all around.
ReplyDeleteVery similar to the nursing home patient who was recently found missing (and dead). Parents of students and families of nursing facility occupants do no expect this type of news...
ReplyDeleteVOR