LSU Fraternity Pledge Death: Roswell Native Had .495 Blood Alcohol Level (UPDATED)

BATON ROUGE, LA -- The Louisiana State University Police Department has charged 10 people in connection to the death of an 18-year-old student and Roswell native who had more than six times the legal limit of alcohol in his system at the time of his passing. Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday morning, nearly a month following the death of Maxwell Gruver, a 2017 Blessed Trinity Catholic High School graduate.

Those charged by LSU police are:

1. Matthew Alexander Naquin: hazing, negligent homicide
2. Zachary Castillo: hazing
3. Elliott Eaton: hazing
4. Patrick Forde: hazing
5. Sean Paul Gott: hazing
6. Zachary Hall: hazing
7. Ryan Isto: hazing
8. Hudson Kirkpatrick: hazing
9. Sean Pennison: hazing
10. Nicholas Taulli: hazing

LSU spokesperson Ernie Ballard said two of the 10 charged -- Gott and Forde -- are no longer enrolled at the institution. He also noted eight out of the 10 facing charges were active members of Phi Delta Theta, the fraternity Gruver was pledging at the time of his death.

SEE MORE: LSU Fraternity Pledge Death: 10 Arrested On Hazing Charges

New details released Wednesday by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office indicates Gruver's cause of death to be acute alcohol intoxication with aspiration. Coroner Dr. William "Beau" Clark also said Gruver's alcohol level was .495 at the time of his death, and the manner of the student's death has been ruled accidental. The autopsy report and other documents will not be released at this time due to the ongoing investigation, however.

"Our sincere condolences are extended to Mr. Gruver’s family and friends," Dr. Clark said.

As part of LSU’s review of the culture and environment present on campus, LSU President F. King Alexander formed the President's Task Force on Greek Life, which will begin the review the overall governance and oversight of Greek organizations (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

“Today’s arrests underscore that the ramifications of hazing can be devastating," Alexander said. "Maxwell Gruver’s family will mourn his loss for the rest of their lives, and several other students are now facing serious consequences – all due to a series of poor decisions.

"We are all in this together. Affecting real change requires students, faculty, staff, administration and alumni engagement. I ask that anyone who might have information that would prove useful in our Greek Life Task Force’s efforts to inform a healthier culture for all LSU students reach out to taskforce@lsu.edu.”

On Sept. 14, Gruver was taken from the frat house to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital where he died shortly after arriving, Dr. Clark previously told Patch.

Preliminary findings released from an autopsy doesn't show any internal or external trauma on or within Gruver's body. However, Dr. Clark said Gruver did suffered "marked cerebral and pulmonary edema," or swelling, and blood and urine tests conducted at the hospital show "highly elevated blood alcohol level" and the presence of THC -- the chemical compound in marijuana responsible for the feeling of euphoria -- in the student's urine.

Gruver's death and the LSU Police Department's investigation into the incident as possible hazing forced The Phi Delta Theta headquarters launch its own probe and revoke the charter of its Louisiana Beta Chapter at LSU.

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"First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Gruver family, and all who knew Maxwell, during this very difficult time,” Bob Biggs, executive vice president and CEO at Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters, said in a previous statement.

Biggs also said officials at the headquarters have been cooperating with the campus's probe as well as with law enforcement personnel.

“We’re committed to investigating this situation thoroughly," Biggs continued. "The chapter and any individuals who are found to have violated our policies will be held accountable."

Return to Patch for updates.

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