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Former LSU student gets 5 years in pledge's hazing death

Posted at 10:28 AM, Nov 20, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-20 16:46:52-05

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A former LSU student has been sentenced to five years in prison, but a judge suspended all but 2½ years of the term in the 2017 alcohol-related hazing death of 18-year-old fraternity pledge Max Gruver.

Matthew Naquin, an ex-Phi Delta Theta member, was also sentenced Wednesday to 1,000 hours of community service and must pay a $1,000 fine.

The Advocate reports the 21-year-old, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, was convicted in July of negligent homicide, which carried up to five years behind bars. He didn't testify but several witnesses testified that Naquin disliked Gruver, of Roswell, Georgia, wanted him cut from the fraternity and played a central role in the ill-fated hazing.