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FLAGSTAFF, AZ – The tragic death of Northern Arizona University student Colin Daniel Martinez last January has been officially attributed to acute alcohol poisoning, according to an autopsy report released Monday. The 18-year-old was found unresponsive at a fraternity house party and could not be resuscitated.
The report indicates Martinez’s blood-alcohol level was a staggering 0.425%, more than five times the legal limit for driving and an amount generally considered lethal. Flagstaff Police Department officers arrived at the scene to find bystanders already performing CPR, with paramedics continuing life-saving efforts before Martinez was pronounced dead.
Three leaders of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity chapter have been implicated in Martinez’s death: Carter Eslick, 20, the new member educator; Ryan Creech, 20, the vice president; and Riley Cass, 20, the treasurer. All three were arrested on suspicion of hazing. The Coconino County Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the case to determine appropriate formal charges.
Court documents reveal Martinez was among four fraternity candidates who consumed two bottles of vodka, reportedly to induce vomiting. While some witnesses suggested the bottles might have been diluted, others observed individuals attempting to monitor Martinez throughout the night, adjusting his position, checking his pulse and breathing, and even researching symptoms of alcohol poisoning.
In the wake of the incident, Northern Arizona University suspended the Delta Tau Delta fraternity chapter, which was subsequently shuttered by its national organization. The university expressed its condolences, stating it was “mourning the tragic death of a student” and reaffirming its commitment to student safety. “Violence hazing or any other behavior that endangers others has no place at NAU,” the university statement read, highlighting its hazing prevention training and high standards for student conduct.
Delta Tau Delta International also issued a statement last month, condemning hazing as “the antithesis of brotherhood and a violation of the values of Delta Tau Delta,” asserting its long-standing policies against hazing and its support for anti-hazing legislation.