Two more arrested in connection with Southern University fraternity
hazing death
[March 12, 2025]
By JACK BROOK
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two more arrests have been made in connection with
the death of a 20-year-old Southern University student who was
repeatedly punched during an off-campus fraternity hazing ritual, Baton
Rouge police announced Tuesday.
Kyle Thurman, 25, and Isaiah Smith, 28, have been arrested and face
charges of felony criminal hazing for their role in the death of Caleb
Wilson, a mechanical engineering junior at the school who died in late
February.
Last week, police arrested Caleb McCray, 23, who faces charges of
criminal hazing and manslaughter. He allegedly punched Wilson four times
before the pledge collapsed unresponsive and appeared to suffer a
seizure, police say.
Smith was seen on surveillance video removing Wilson from his vehicle
and bringing him to a hospital, according to a police arrest warrant
affidavit reviewed by The Associated Press.
The group that brought Wilson at the hospital initially told medical
staff that Wilson collapsed while playing basketball at a park and left
the hospital before police arrived, Baton Rouge Police Department Chief
Thomas Morse Jr. told reporters last week.
Wilson died as a “direct result” of the hazing, Morse Jr. said.
Smith held the title “Dean of Pledges” and was in charge of the ritual
during the hazing, the affidavit states. He turned himself in on
Tuesday, police say.
Smith's lawyer, Franz Borghardt, said it is important to note that Smith
is not accused of making physical contact with Wilson and that no one
was aware of any underlying medical conditions he may have had.
“This was a freak accident; we’re not talking about force-feeding
alcohol,” Borghardt said. “To be sure, everyone in that fraternity cares
about Caleb. Our hearts go out to the Wilson family.”
Both Smith and Thurman participated in punching some of the nine
pledges, but they are not described as hitting Wilson, according to
police arrest warrant affidavits.
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Corey Wilson, right, mourns alongside other grieving family members
during a vigil for his son, Caleb Wilson, outside of Southern
University's Smith-Brown Student Union on March 5, 2025, in Baton
Rouge, La. (Javier Gallegos/The Advocate via AP, file)
Smith’s father, Todd Smith, runs a flooring company where the hazing
incident occurred, Borghardt said.
Todd Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Thurman could not be reached for comment, and police and court
officials were not able to provide information for his legal
representation.
McCray's lawyer, Phillip Robinson, said he is innocent and urged the
public to withhold judgment.
In Louisiana, hazing can be a felony under the Max Gruver Act, which
passed in 2018 and was named after a Louisiana State University
student who died of alcohol poisoning after hazing at the Phi Delta
Theta fraternity house.
Under the act, if a person being hazed dies or is seriously injured,
violators face up to a $10,000 fine and five years in prison.
Organizations, representatives and officers of an organization, and
educational institutions can also face penalties.
The fraternity Wilson was pledging, Omega Psi Phi, could face civil
penalties under the act. A fraternity spokesperson said it is
cooperating with authorities.
The fraternity's campus chapter has been ordered to cease activities
and Greek life organizations have been barred from taking on new
members for the remainder of the academic year, Southern University
President Dennis Shields told reporters last week.
Hundreds of people turned out in early March for a vigil in honor of
Wilson, a passionate trumpet player in the university's famed band.
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