The mom of a Louisiana State University student who reportedly died after a fraternity hazing event dubbed “Bible study” believes her son was murdered.
Max Gruver, an 18-year-old freshman, was found unresponsive in September following a Phi Delta Theta meeting where fraternity pledges were allegedly ordered to play a game involving excessive boozing, ABC News reported.
“Nobody can physically drink that much, you can’t, you have to be forced,” Rae Ann Gruver told ABC News.
While at the meeting, Max and other pledges were allegedly forced to drink when they answered questions in the game wrong, according to police.
The freshman was pronounced dead at a hospital the next morning after Phi Delta Theta members couldn’t tell if he was breathing on a couch at the fraternity house.
The hospital told his family that his blood-alcohol level when he arrived was about .496.
“We learned that the hospital’s gauge stops at .46, it doesn’t go any higher,” his dad Stephen Gruver told ABC News. “And that was the next day. So that night, I’m sure it was enough to kill you.”
When asked if his death was a murder, his mom said: “Yes, I believe so.”
Ten people are charged in his death with at least one suspect facing a negligent homicide charge.