Five people were indicted by a grand jury in connection with the death of Caleb Wilson, a student at Southern University, who died after attending a fraternity event. The student died after allegedly being hazed as part of an induction ceremony. The case is still ongoing.
Five people were indicted in relation to Caleb Wilson’s death
Five people were indicted by an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury in connection with the case, which is still ongoing.
“We are continuing to investigate,” District Attorney Hillar Moore said, according to WAFB. “The main thing are telephones that are being downloaded and other evidence and then hopefully cooperation of people that are now indicted.”
Caleb McCray, Kyle Thurman and Isaiah Smith were arrested in March after Wilson’s death in February. McCray, who is accused of having punched Wilson in the chest and causing him to collapse, was indicted for manslaughter and principal to felony hazing on Wednesday. Thurman was indicted for principal to felony hazing and three counts of obstruction of justice, while Smith was indicted for principal to manslaughter, principal to felony hazing and obstruction of justice.
Two other suspects were also indicted: 22-year-old Winston Sanders and 24-year-old Jaydn Landrum. Landrum was indicted for principal to felony hazing, and Sanders for principal to felony hazing and two counts of obstruction of justice.
McCray, Thurman and Smith were previously booked. Warrants for the arrests of Sanders and Landrum were issued on Wednesday, and Sanders was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison the next day. Landrum had yet to be arrested and booked on Friday, according to WAFB.
All suspects were also indicted for misdemeanor hazing charges for the other people who were hazed the same night as Wilson.
Alleged hazing is what led to Caleb Wilson’s death
In February, 20-year-old Wilson attended an off-campus event for Southern University’s chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He collapsed after being repeatedly punched in the chest as part of a hazing ritual for pledges to join the fraternity, according to court documents.
McCray, Thurman and Smith were said to have taken steps to cover up the incident and dropped Wilson off at the hospital.
“Rather than call the authorities once they realized something bad was going on with Caleb, what did they do? Change his clothes, come up with a story and drop him on the steps of the hospital,” Rob Marionneaux, the Wilson family’s attorney, said, per WAFB.
The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in September, and the three fraternity members were stripped of their membership by the organization. Since then, the Beta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi has been expelled from the university. The fraternity was present at the HBCU for decades before the university decided to remove all physical markers, such as benches and monuments, from campus.
Wilson “was more than a beloved son, grandson, brother, nephew and cousin,” Ricky L. Lewis, the Grand Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., said in the statement, as Blavity reported at the time of Wilson’s death. “He was a scholar, an exceptional member of the Southern University Marching Band, and a passionate and dedicated leader in student life.”