NEW ORLEANS — Baton Rouge police announced on Tuesday that two additional arrests have been made related to the fatal hazing incident involving a 20-year-old Southern University student. The student, Caleb Wilson, who was majoring in mechanical engineering, tragically lost his life in late February after enduring repeated blows during a fraternity hazing event held off-campus.
The individuals arrested, Kyle Thurman, 25, and Isaiah Smith, 28, are facing felony criminal hazing charges in connection to Wilson’s death. This development follows the arrest of Caleb McCray, 23, last week, who is charged with criminal hazing and manslaughter. McCray is accused of striking Wilson four times before the student collapsed and seemingly experienced a seizure, as reported by the authorities.
Surveillance footage captured Smith removing Wilson from his vehicle and taking him to a hospital, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Initially, the group who took Wilson to the hospital claimed he had collapsed while playing basketball, leaving before police could arrive, as explained by Baton Rouge Police Department Chief Thomas Morse Jr. last week. Morse Jr. confirmed that Wilson’s death was a “direct result” of the hazing.
Smith held the position of “Dean of Pledges” and supervised the hazing ritual, as detailed in the affidavit. He voluntarily surrendered himself to the police on Tuesday. Smith’s attorney, Franz Borghardt, clarified that Smith is not accused of physically assaulting Wilson and stated that there was no knowledge of any pre-existing medical conditions the victim might have had.
Borghardt asserted that the incident was an unforeseeable accident and emphasized, “This was a freak accident; we’re not talking about force-feeding alcohol.” He also expressed the deep care and sorrow felt by the fraternity for Wilson, highlighting, “Our hearts go out to the Wilson family.”
Smith and Thurman were involved in hitting some of the nine pledges but are not explicitly accused of striking Wilson, according to the affidavits. The hazing event took place at a flooring company managed by Smith’s father, Todd Smith, who, as per Borghardt, has not yet commented.
Efforts to contact Thurman for comment were unsuccessful, and legal representation details were not provided by police and court officials. Meanwhile, McCray’s legal representative, Phillip Robinson, maintains his client’s innocence and advised the public to reserve judgment.
Louisiana law includes the Max Gruver Act, which was enacted in 2018 after a Louisiana State University student died from alcohol poisoning during a fraternity hazing event. This legislation stipulates that if hazing results in death or severe injury, offenders may face penalties of up to five years imprisonment and fines up to $10,000. Additionally, organizations and educational institutions can be subject to penalties if implicated in such activities.
The Omega Psi Phi fraternity, to which Wilson was pledging, could potentially face civil consequences under this law. A spokesperson from the fraternity affirmed their cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
As a result of the incident, Southern University has halted all activities of the fraternity’s campus chapter and prohibited Greek life organizations from recruiting new members for the remainder of the academic year, stated Southern University President Dennis Shields last week.
A vigil honoring Wilson was held in early March, drawing hundreds of attendees. Wilson was remembered as a talented and devoted trumpet player within the university’s renowned band.
