Carter Eslick, 20, former Delta Tau Delta pledge master, was sentenced to two months in jail and three years of supervised probation after admitting a felony hazing charge related to the death of 18‑year‑old Colin Daniel Martinez at Northern Arizona University on 31 January.
A post‑mortem determined that Martinez died of alcohol poisoning, with a blood‑alcohol level of 0.425 per cent – more than five times the state’s legal limit for drivers aged 21 and over. Witnesses reported that the four Delta Tau Delta pledges shared two bottles of vodka and forced themselves to vomit, while checking Martinez’s pulse and breathing and adjusting his sleeping position to monitor for signs of poisoning.
Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker said no sentence could undo the harm to Martinez’s family and urged the public to understand the serious dangers of hazing and to intervene before another family suffers a similar loss.
Eslick must deliver 305 anti‑hazing presentations, keep the court updated on his progress, and may face additional jail time if he fails to meet these conditions. He is prohibited from using alcohol or drugs unless prescribed and must complete any required treatment.
Following Martinez’s death, NAU suspended the Delta Tau Delta chapter and the national organization later closed the NAU chapter. Separately, a lawsuit filed by a woman alleging sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity house has drawn renewed scrutiny to fraternity conduct, with a transcript of her interview raising questions about the district attorney’s earlier decision not to prosecute.
