5 Charged With Murder In Fraternity Hazing Death

Thirty-seven fraternity members from a New York City college will be charged in the hazing death of Chun “Michael” Deng, including five for third-degree murder, police said.

Deng went through “brutal” hazing 2013 on a pledge trip with the Baruch College chapter of Pi Delta Psi, an Asian-American fraternity, and police said the ritual resulted in blunt-force trauma to his head and body.

He died at a hospital after fraternity members delayed getting him there, according to a press release from Pocono Mountain Regional Police.

A grand jury recommended the charges to the Monroe County District Attorney, who told the New York Times his office would follow the recommendations.

The fraternity rented a house in the Pocono Mountains in eastern Pennsylvania for a retreat in December 2013.

Police said Deng was blindfolded, forced to wear a 30-pound backpack and run through the snow, adding that while he was running, fraternity members took turns shoving and “spearing” him, eventually knocking him out.

Deng complained about his head hurting and became unconscious. Instead of taking him to the hospital right away, police said frat members carried him inside and called Pi Delta Psi’s national president, Andy Meng.

Meng “encouraged the group to hide all fraternity items,” and members changed his clothes and searched the internet to diagnose Deng’s symptoms, police said.

An hour later, they took Deng to the hospital, where he died the next day from “multiple traumatic injuries,” including “three clear impacts to the head.”

A forensic pathologist concluded that the one- to two-hour delay in treatment “significantly contributed” to Deng’s death.

Five fraternity members, as well as Pi Delta Psi Fraternity, Inc., will be charged with third-degree murder. Third-degree murder does not require the accused to plan the murder ahead of time or have intent to kill when causing harm.

The other 32, including Meng, will face charges ranging from simple assault to hindering apprehension to hazing.

“Andy Meng was not present in Pennsylvania at the time of his death, had no role in his medical treatment and did not commit any wrongdoing regarding the investigation of his death or obstruct that investigation. Nor did he conspire with others to do so,” Todd Greenberg, an attorney for Meng, said in an emailed statement to Patch.

Baruch college noted in an emailed statement that the incident was unsanctioned by the school and that the fraternity was immediately and permanently banned from campus following the incident. In Fall 2014, Baruch suspended all pledging activities for Greek organizations.

“While we cannot comment on the disciplinary status of any individual student due to privacy requirements under Federal law, Baruch conducted its own internal judicial review of students involved in this incident and brought disciplinary proceedings against all of them, except for those who voluntarily withdrew from Baruch College,” the statement said.

“We owe it to Michael and his family to hold accountable those who were responsible for the senseless death of this promising young man.”

A request for comment from Pi Delta Psi was not immediately returned.