Carter Eslick, 20, will serve 60 days in jail and three years probation after pleading guilty to felony hazing in the death of 18-year-old pledge Colin Martinez at Northern Arizona University’s Delta Tau Delta chapter. Prosecutors said Eslick provided the alcohol and set the rules for the drinking game that left Martinez with a blood alcohol level of 0.425%, more than five times the legal limit. Four pledges reportedly drank about 3.5 liters of vodka during the ritual, and 911 was not called for roughly six hours.
The sentence comes with conditions aimed squarely at prevention. Eslick must give anti-hazing presentations and file updates with the court every six months, or he faces 305 additional days behind bars. Two other fraternity executive board members, Ryan Creech and Riley Cass, were also arrested on hazing charges. NAU suspended the chapter, and Delta Tau Delta’s national leadership closed it entirely.
At sentencing, the Martinez family appeared remotely and said they wanted accountability and Greek-life reform more than a lengthy prison term. Colin’s father told the court that every morning since January 31, their family wakes up to the reality that their son is not coming home. For families here on the Suncoast sending kids off to college, this case raises hard questions: what warning signs should parents watch for, and do courts need to impose tougher penalties for hazing deaths? We want to hear from you in the comments.
