Penn State Frat House Death: Nashville Man, BGA Alum Charged

STATE COLLEGE, PA — A 19-year-old Nashville native and former wrestler at Franklin's Battle Ground Academy faces 57 counts in the death of a Penn State fraternity pledge. The grand jury revealed details of the February 2 death of Timothy Piazza at the Beta Theta Pi house on the Penn State campus Friday and charged 18 men with a number of crimes related to his death.

At the center of it is Jonah Neuman, a 2015 graduate of prestigious Battle Ground Academy where he was a highly-regarded wrestler, finishing sixth in his weight class at the state championships. Neuman is charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, 14 counts of recklessly endangering another person and 14 counts of hazing.

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According to the Centre County Grand Jury's report, Neuman shoved one of his fraternity brothers who "screamed" in urging that the men take Piazza, who blood-alcohol level was as high as 0.36 according to the medical examiner, to the hospital. Neuman allegedly told the concerned man that everything was "under control," though Piazza appeared in deep distress on surveillance footage and would later fall down the stairs and hit his head a number of times. In addition, Neuman put a backpack on Piazza, a method of preventing a drunk passing from rolling on to their back and aspirating on their own vomit.

PHOTO: The Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, 220 N. Burrowes St., State College, PA (Google Earth)