On February 2, 2005, Carrington died as a direct result of a hazing ritual performed at Chico State University in
Chico, California. In the basement of the fraternity house of local fraternity
Chi Tau, Carrington was forced to drink water and perform
calisthenics with fans blowing on him. This
water intoxication ritual, which reportedly dated back over 20 years at the local chapter, caused swelling of his brain, seizures, and heart failure. Court testimony reported that members of the fraternity delayed calling for emergency help for over an hour. Four students pleaded guilty to crimes related to the incident. Media from all over the
United States came to the
Butte County courtroom to hear the sentencing, including reporters and camera crews from
Dateline NBC and
Inside Edition. James DeVilla Abrille, 22, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hazing, Jerry Ming Lim, 25, and John Paul Fickes, 20, both pleaded guilty to being accessories to involuntary manslaughter, and Gabriel John Maestretti, 22, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. These were the first felony charges brought for hazing in the United States. ==See also==