All three suspects in the death of Caleb Wilson, a Southern University and A&M College student, have been taken into custody.
According to WAFB 9, Isaiah Smith turned himself in Tuesday morning (March 11) after he was given a 10:30 a.m. deadline. Smith is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and a current student at Southern. The outlet reported his father is the owner of the warehouse where the alleged deadly hazing took place.
On Monday, the second suspect, Kyle Thurman, 25, was arrested by U.S. Marshals and is expected to be transferred to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and charged with felony hazing, according to Nola.com.
Last week, Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr. said Wilson’s death was the “direct result” of being punched “while pledging,” to become a member of Omega Psi Phi. The outlet detailed the alleged ritual as the suspects punching Wilson and seven additional pledges in the chest with boxing gloves as a rite of passage, authorities said. Each punch allegedly represented one of the fraternity’s “four cardinal principles: manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift.”
(L) Caleb McCray Mugshot (X/WBRZ: @@WBRZ) (R) Kyle Thurman Mugshot (@WAFB)
The first to be arrested in the incident was Caleb McCray, who was taken into custody on one count of hazing and one count of manslaughter. Per Nola.com, McCray’s arrest affidavit detailed he threw the final punch before Wilson collapsed to the floor and began having a seizure. Up to 10 people could face charges as a result of Wilson’s death.
“The charges brought against Mr. Caleb McCray are serious, and we acknowledge the gravity of this matter. However, it is essential to remember that an accusation is not proof of guilt. At this time, I have not been presented with any evidence to support such serious accusations,” detailed a statement from Dr. Phillip Robinson of The Robinson Law Firm, representing McCray.
“I maintain my client’s innocence and urge the public to withhold rushing to judgment until all the evidence is heard.”
According to Nola.Com, Omega Psi Phi was kicked off Southern University’s Baton Rouge campus in 2005 for three years after university officials found “overwhelming evidence” a student pledging the fraternity was severely beaten, with injuries that resulted in internal bleeding.
Caleb Wilson’s cause of death has not been confirmed and the results from an extensive autopsy will likely take weeks.
Wilson was a 20-year-old member of the university’s Human Jukebox marching band, a mechanical engineering major, and was a member of the Nu Phi Omicron music fraternity. Southern University Division of Student Affairs issued a statement putting an indefinite pause to all membership activities on campus, including fraternities, sororities, and student clubs, until further notice.
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