Gary Devercelly, 18, Alcohol Poisoning

Gary DeVercelly, 18, was a student at Rider University (Lawrence Township, New Jersey).  The night of March 28-29, 2007, DeVercelly was at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
Police were summoned at 1:52 a.m. on the 29th on a report that students were "vomiting from drinking alcohol." DeVercelly and another student, William Williams, were transported to the hospital.  Williams was treated and released; DeVercelly died on March 30.

A hometown friend told The Times that the Rider University freshman confided to his girlfriend that he would be drinking Absolut Citron -- an entire bottle. The lemon-flavored vodka is his fraternity "family's" drink of choice, he told her, and he and his "big brother" would be drinking together.

My deepest condolences to Mr. DeVercelly's family and friends.

Friends said the Long Beach, Calif., native was upbeat about the party that was part of his fraternity pledging ritual. They were later stunned to learn it was alcohol that took his life. DeVercelly liked a good party, his friends said, but was hardly a hard-core drinker.

"Before he went to the pledge house he called me and his girlfriend and he said '(the fraternity brothers) are making us drink our family alcohol'" family friend Brittney Coates, 17, said yesterday from her home in California. "He told his girlfriend it was some kind of initiation night," she said.

Coates said DeVercelly sent repeated text messages to his girlfriend and as the night wore on, the messages became increasingly garbled.
"He couldn't even text 'I love you,'" she said. "He said something like 'I'm really drunk right now,' but it was really messy."

She and DeVercelly's girlfriend warned the freshman to be careful, even going as far as to tell him "you're going to get alcohol poisoning," Coates said.
"He told us he would space the vodka out through the night, but he did it in a couple of minutes," she said.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that DeVercelly was drinking Absolut Citron as part of a pledge meeting and that the vodka was considered the "family" drink.
Lawrence Township police detectives and homicide investigators from the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office are investigating DeVercelly's death as a possible hazing incident. Investigators seized numerous bottles of alcohol and several computers from the Phi Kappa Tau house Thursday night.

Students told The Times that the fraternity was in the middle of a "big and little night," which brings pledges together with their fraternity "big brother" for a night of bonding.

A spokeswoman for the fraternity's national chapter in Oxford, Ohio, said Thursday there was no evidence that the incident was related to hazing. But a phone message and an e-mail sent yesterday asking about the "big and little night" and about the "family drink," were not returned.

[snip]

His family flew from California to be with him in his last hours and he remained on life support throughout the night Thursday. He was removed from the ventilator yesterday morning and died about 10:50 a.m.

Last night, DeVercelly's family released a statement about their son.

"Our family finds great comfort in knowing that Gary is in heaven but we are struggling with the loss in our lives," the statement said. "It seems a shame that something this tragic had to happen before we realized the superior character of our friends, family, neighbors, and even acquaintances. We are surrounded by love and draw strength from the support given to us. We thank God for honoring us with Gary's presence in our lives and we hope that with His help, we will learn to find a way to live with Gary's absence."

Rider President Mordechai Rozanski announced DeVercelly's death yesterday afternoon, saying the college's flags would be flown at half-staff.

"Gary's passing affects all of us deeply. We are a caring and supportive community and now is the time for us to grieve," Rozanski said. "Our counseling and campus ministry staff will be available to students, faculty, and staff in Lawrenceville and Princeton."

University officials said Phi Kappa Tau is on administrative closure. Fraternity brothers may live in the house, but may not hold parties or other outside activities there, officials said. Once the investigation is complete, officials will determine the fate of the fraternity, Dean of Students Anthony Campbell said yesterday.

[snip]

DeVercelly's hometown friends said they were in shock over his death and were particularly surprised because of who he was.

"He is the last person I would have thought this would happen to," said Andrew Coates, Brittney's older brother, who described himself as DeVercelly's best friend. "He was the designated driver most of the time. He was a good kid that everyone could count on."

Coates, 19, described DeVercelly as a driven young man who was out to make something of himself. This summer, DeVercelly had scored an internship with the minor league Long Beach Armada, a job Coates said he was excited to begin.

"My parents used to tell me that of all my friends he would be the most successful," Coates said. "He had everything going for him."

Seeing DeVercelly portrayed as a boozing teen hits hard, Coates said, because his real friends know the truth.

"He was like every other teenager in college," he said. "He would have a beer, but he was not a kid who was out all the time trying to get messed up."

Coates said his first instinct was to blame someone: Himself for not being there; the fraternity for making him drink; Gary for not taking better care of himself.

"I started blaming everyone, but in the end it was Gary's decision," he said.

Still, Coates said he finds the fact that DeVercelly drank that much alcohol in a short period of time "ridiculous." If his best friend had one flaw, Coates said, it was his desire to impress the people he cared about. It was that flaw that may have killed him.

"There was absolutely pressure on him." Coates said.
Brittney Coates also painted a picture of a driven teen who wanted nothing more than to someday become manager of a baseball team. He came across the country to Rider for a new experience, she said, but still called Long Beach home.

"He always told us that all of his friends were home," she said. "But he said he loved college because it was going to get him somewhere."

Brittney Coates said DeVercelly doted on his little brother and sister, even spending his first day home on spring break teaching his brother how to hit a baseball.

"He was always serious about his little brother, and he was so protective of his sister," she said.

Brittney Coates said she knows that Gary made his own decisions, but like her brother she is finding it hard not to place blame.

There is one thing she does know, however. If she or any of DeVercelly's other hometown friends had been with him Wednesday night, he would still be alive.

"Honestly, if any of his true friends had been there with him this wouldn't have happened," she said. "He just needed a good friend to be there and there wasn't."

Underage Alcohol Deaths 2004

Underage Alcohol Deaths 2005
Underage Alcohol Deaths 2006

In all cases, my deepest condolences to family and friends.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing, the heartbeat and the gag reflex that prevents choking. A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops drinking, the heart keeps beating, and the alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the system. The victim may experience the following:

• Mental confusion, stupor, coma, unable to rouse the person
• No response to pinching the skin
• Vomiting while sleeping or unresponsive
• Seizures
• Slowed breathing  (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
• Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

Alcohol Poisoning Requires Immediate Medical Attention

Alcohol Poisoning Cannot Be Reversed By:

• Drinking black coffee
• Taking a cold bath or shower
• Walking it off

The victim must have immediate medical attention.
Call 911, stay with the victim to prevent him choking on vomit, and tell emergency personnel how much alcohol the victim drank.

These Children Died of Alcohol Overdose, So Their Parents Started Foundations:

Taylor Webster's memorial foundation.  Taylor died of alcohol  poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working  to get the message out, telling their stories and providing  information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms  of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.

Bradley McCue's memorial foundation.  On November 5, 1998  Bradley turned 21. . He celebrated  his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his  age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died  that night of alcohol poisoning.

Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy."  The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.

Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation Mission: to provide today’s youth with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, and through education and promotion of self worth prevent alcohol poisoning, binge drinking and hazing. 

Kimberly Ostien's memorial foundation: "With binge drinking on the rise, we feel it necessary to get the message out on the danger of alcohol, especially excessive alcohol consumed in a short period of time.  Students are educated on drugs and alcohol but they will continue to experiment no matter what.  We want to educate on what to do when a friend falls down or passes out from drinking.  Often we want to put that person to bed to sleep it off and that is when the trouble can begin."  The card lists the information, above.

            

            Technorati Tags:             alcohol death, alcohol poisoning, binge drinking, teen drinking        

   

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing, the heartbeat and the gag reflex that prevents choking. A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops drinking, the heart keeps beating, and the alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the system. The victim may experience the following:

• Mental confusion, stupor, coma, unable to rouse the person
• No response to pinching the skin
• Vomiting while sleeping or unresponsive
• Seizures
• Slowed breathing  (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
• Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

Alcohol Poisoning Requires Immediate Medical Attention

Alcohol Poisoning Cannot Be Reversed By:

• Drinking black coffee
• Taking a cold bath or shower
• Walking it off

The victim must have immediate medical attention.
Call 911, stay with the victim to prevent him choking on vomit, and tell emergency personnel how much alcohol the victim drank.

These Children Died of Alcohol Overdose, So Their Parents Started Foundations:

Taylor Webster's memorial foundation.  Taylor died of alcohol  poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working  to get the message out, telling their stories and providing  information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms  of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.

Bradley McCue's memorial foundation.  On November 5, 1998  Bradley turned 21. . He celebrated  his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his  age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died  that night of alcohol poisoning.

Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy."  The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.

Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation Mission: to provide today’s youth with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, and through education and promotion of self worth prevent alcohol poisoning, binge drinking and hazing. 

Kimberly Ostien's memorial foundation: "With binge drinking on the rise, we feel it necessary to get the message out on the danger of alcohol, especially excessive alcohol consumed in a short period of time.  Students are educated on drugs and alcohol but they will continue to experiment no matter what.  We want to educate on what to do when a friend falls down or passes out from drinking.  Often we want to put that person to bed to sleep it off and that is when the trouble can begin."  The card lists the information, above.

Comments

[Anthony De Vercelly]

Just wanted to say i am so sorry to hear about gary.although i did not know him on a personal level i am sure he was a good person.i am sure we were related.

[Liz Ditz]

Two Rider University administrators and three students were indicted Friday on charges of aggravated hazing in the alcohol poisoning death of freshman Gary DeVercelly Jr., who died March 30 after a fraternity initiation ceremony. Anthony Campbell

Dean of Students Anthony Campbell, 51, a top administrator at the university, was among the group indicted by a Mercer County grand jury Friday.

Also named were university Director of Greek Life Ada Badgley, 30, and Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house manager Adriano DiDonato, 22 of Princeton, pledge master Dominic Olsen, 21, of Kenilworth and fraternity president Michael J. Torney, 21, of Randolph.

Aggravated hazing is a felony in New Jersey and carries the potential for jail time.

An additional 15 students were charged with providing alcohol to an underage person and 23 were cited for underage drinking. Three students were charged with drug offenses after police found marijuana and drug paraphernalia during a search of the fraternity house.

Soon after the indictments were announced by Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr., legal experts were buzzing over the inclusion of Campbell, one of the top officials at the Lawrence campus.

I've handled a lot of cases with the eating clubs in Princeton," said G. Robert Wills, a Princeton lawyer who often defends educators in criminal cases. "My reaction is, in my 25 years of practicing criminal law, I've never heard of a case where an administrator who did not actually participate in a hazing was charged criminally."

Citing the indictment and the underage drinking at the fraternity parties, university officials said Phi Kappa Tau has been dissolved on Rider's campus. The Greek letters have been removed from the on-campus house where the party took place.

[snip]

In a statement issued Friday afternoon, University President Mordechai Rozanski had little to say about the two administrators indicted, stating only that Rider officials "take this matter very seriously and will carefully evaluate these charges and determine appropriate steps to be taken."

Rider spokesman Earl Rommel said the university does not believe there is any evidence that either Campbell or Badgley had any role in the hazing incident that claimed DeVercelly's life. Both will remain employed for the foreseeable future, Rommel said.

"We have no information and do not believe the government has any information that university administrators were engaged in any of the fraternity pledging activities mentioned in the (indictment)," Rommel said.

Campbell did not return a call for comment and Badgley could not be reached for comment.

Aggravated hazing is a fourth degree charge and carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine. According to Bocchini, none of the five people indicted was arrested Friday. All have agreed to turn themselves in for arraignment next week, he said.

Bocchini said the indictment by the grand jury sends a "clear message that there is culpability involved in the ingestion of alcoholic beverages on college campuses. Rider University is involved in this today, but it could have been any college or university across the United States."

The prosecutor said the grand jury was investigative rather than targeted and made the determination to charge the five on its own.

"The grand jury is an independent body," Bocchini said. "They hear testimony, they are given the law and they make their own determination. But I imagine it's going to rattle some cages."

Reached Friday, DeVercelly's mother, Julie, thanked Bocchini and the Lawrence police for their role in the investigation and said the family has remained numb in the four months since her son's death.

"Our family is still in shock by Gary's tragic death. It is impossible to express the pain we are going through in trying to deal with his loss. Gary should be at home with us on summer break, playing with his brother and sister, going to the beach and preparing for the upcoming school year, but he is never coming home again," Julie DeVercelly said in a statement.

Julie DeVercelly had harsh words for DiDonato, who is the chapter's house manager and is considered an employee of the university. His job at the Phi Kappa Tau house is similar to that of a resident assistant, according to the university's housing code, and he is paid about $4,000 per year.

Law enforcement officials have confirmed that DiDonato was in the house during the fraternity party.

"The fact that a university employee was actually present when our son was being illegally hazed and more importantly was present when he needed timely medical assistance to save his life is outrageous," she said. "Our family sent Gary to school to learn, not to be placed in harm's way and left to die. We are devastated," she said.

Attorney Douglas Fierberg, who said he has been retained by the DeVercelly family, echoed Julie DeVercelly's comments, saying the student house manager should have done more.

"It appears to the family that a university employee -- that is a house manager paid by the university -- may have been present at the illegal hazing and when Gary collapsed and required emergency medical assistance and that the employee took no action to stop the illegal conduct or to obtain the emergency medical assistance that would have saved Gary's life," Fierberg said.

Paul Norris, a Lawrenceville lawyer representing DiDonato, said he couldn't understand why his client was facing criminal charges over a part-time university job with "ridiculous" pay. DiDonato, Norris said, was in the fraternity house but wasn't present at the late party.

"He thought he was taking on a job as an informal mediator. But he didn't expect to be in this role that he's somehow responsible as a police officer," Norris said.

Olsen's lawyer, Tim Donohue of West Orange, said his client, who was still grieving DeVercelly's death, was so shocked to hear about the indictment that he couldn't speak.

"He was so choked up," said Donohue.

Campbell's inclusion in the indictments could reverberate nationwide as colleges struggle to cope with underage drinking and on-campus fraternities. Fierberg said the indictment of an administration official sends a huge message to both fraternities and the campuses that house them.

"I am not aware of a similar circumstance and I think it speaks to the seriousness of the prosecution, the tremendous tragedy this family has unnecessarily experienced, and how young people on campuses must be protected by schools and school officials," he said.

In the wake of DeVercelly's death, Rider instituted several reforms, including the formation of a new university-employed housing director position to live in each of the campus's fraternity houses. As dean of students, Campbell was part of the task force that came up with the proposal. Badgley was also part of the task force.

Friday, university spokesman Rommel reiterated that the university would stand behind the changes and the indictments would not result in any other fraternity-related changes.

As for what the future holds for the five, it is unclear. Bocchini said it is likely all would be eligible for pre-trial intervention, which would dismiss the charges at the end of a set term.

At least one attorney said proving guilt in the cases of Campbell and Badgley may not be easy.

"I think the prosecution is going to have a difficult time showing the requisite criminal intent," said Princeton attorney Wills. "But they may be able to show such gross negligence it amounted to reckless indifference."

[Liz Ditz]

I'd also llike to direct readers to the memorial web site for Gary:

http://gary-devercelly.memory-of.com/