Former NAU fraternity leader pleads guilty to fatal hazing of pledge

Carter Eslick, 20, who served as pledge master for the now-defunct Delta Tau Delta chapter at Northern Arizona University, pleaded guilty to a felony hazing charge after 18-year-old Colin Daniel Martinez died during a rush gathering. Martinez was discovered unresponsive on Jan. 31, and an autopsy revealed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.425%, a level deemed life-threatening. Court documents indicate that four pledges, including Martinez, consumed two bottles of vodka to induce vomiting, while witnesses monitored his condition throughout the night.

Eslick's plea agreement limits his punishment to a maximum of four years' probation, though a judge may also impose up to one year of incarceration at a sentencing hearing scheduled for Sept. 30. Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker emphasized that the plea does not lessen the profound harm caused. Following the death, NAU suspended the fraternity and the national Delta Tau Delta organization closed the chapter.