Just after 12:30 pm Saturday afternoon, he was found unresponsive in his dorm room and later pronounced dead. According to the documents, the hazing included, but was not limited to, causing the student to drink "massive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time." Gilfedder had attended a pre-season party at a house on Boles Street in east Batesville, near the Lyon College campus. Just after 12:30 pm Saturday afternoon, he was found unresponsive in his dorm room and later pronounced dead. Somebody did something. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal). (KAIT) - The family of a California teenager who died of alcohol poisoning while a student at Lyon College has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the college, according to court records. Its destroyed our whole family. James and Nikki Gilfedder, the parents of the victim, spoke in an interview with KATV that aired on Thursday night. They dont have one person in jail right now. (877) WASH-DC-1, Free Phone Consultation Mystery continues to surround the model and aspiring actress death after the 24-year-old and her designer friend, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26. Somebody killed him," Nikki Gilfedder, James' mother, said. LITTLE ROCK (KATV) The Batesville Police Department has identified a Lyon College student that was found dead in his dorm room over the weekend. To make an online request for the death record you need, go to the website of Vitalcheck and follow the instructions stated there. He only drank a fifth of vodka that would not kill my son, she, Virginia House Bill to Offer Scholarships to Descendants of Enslaved Workers, United Steelworkers Call Out University of Pittsburgh Anti-Union Efforts, 26 Best Part-Time Jobs for College Students to Earn Extra Cash, 15 Most Expensive College Majors (And If Theyre Worth It), Top 27 College Party Themes for a Night to Remember, Is Community College Free? Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said an autopsy showed Gilfedder died of severe alcohol intoxication and that the death was ruled as accidental. of Little Rock, and Wilcox & Averitt, PLC of Jonesboro. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. Region 8 News reached out to Lyon College for comment about the lawsuit. Investigators noted that the social gathering took place at a residence on Boles Street owned by Huffmania Ventures, LLC which was co-owned by one of the baseball coaches. Police said Gilfedder had attended an off-campus party at a residence partially owned by a baseball coach and where several members of the baseball team lived. All rights reserved. 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California. And dont forget to download the White River Now mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. The lawsuit requests compensation for the loss of life, conscious pain and suffering of the deceased prior to death, funeral expenses, and the mental anguish and pecuniary damage of the surviving estate and to recover damages and judgment against the defendants. . The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. The parents traveled to Arkansas from California this week to learn about. 10 min away.. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. The family of a Lyon College freshman who died in January 2021 after what was believed to be a hazing incident involving large consumption of alcohol filed a negligence and wrongful death suit in court Thursday. The Gilfedder family is also asking Lyon, Huffman and Huffmania Ventures to respond to the lawsuit within 30 days. Somebody killed him," Nikki Gilfedder told the Little Rock TV station. "Gilly" was a kind and charismatic young man who was a team favorite and genuine friend to many. Nuwer, former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird, finished a stint as managing editor of the Celina Daily Standard to accept a new position as managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska. Students said they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. Somebody killed him. Somebody hurt him. The 27-page lawsuit says this is an action for injuries, conscious pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of life and wrongful death.. Mystery continues to surround the model and aspiring actress death after the 24-year-old and her designer friend, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26, were dropped at separate Los Angeles hospitals two hours apart after a night out with friends. 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California was attending Lyon College to play first base on the men's baseball team. Chief Cockrill said the victim was identified as James Aaron Gilfedder. Somebody had a lot of hate or something because from what we have seen no one should have ever went through that no one.. Have a news tip or event to promote? The resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. The resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. "He only drank a fifth of vodka; that would not kill my son." The autopsy results said Gilfedder died from alcohol intoxication an accidental death. If you have yet to be immunized against COVID-19, White River Now urges you to talk to your trusted local physician or pharmacist about the COVID-19 vaccine. This is a difficult time with an enormous disruption and I promise you that we will come together as a community to appropriately mourn this loss, the statement noted. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! While local media outlets have suggested that police believe Giles may have died from a possible overdose, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles Police Department would not confirm that to Oxygen.com and said the investigation was ongoing. Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his After Darke column in the Early Bird. They are doing the code of silence. Batesville police say he had last attended an off-campus party at a home rented by a few of his teammates. "Somebody did something. According to Cockrill, multiple interviews with Lyon College athletes have been conducted so far in the course of the investigation https://www.kait8.com/2021/02/05/report-family-lyon-college-student-suspects-foul-play-death/. Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/103.0.5060.114 Safari/537.36, Cedar Ridge to face Earle after win over Ozark Mountain; Pink Out tonight, Flood warning issued until late Monday for Independence County. With no formal autopsy result to determine what happened, Nikki Gilfedder, the victims mother, is suggesting that something more sinister is at play because the information presented to them didnt all match up.. When reached for comment, Lyon College officials referred to its statement from January 2021 from then-President W. Joseph King about the situation. James was raised in Yucaipa and graduated from Yucaipa High School in 2020. Example video title will go here for this video. Gilfedder said his son had nearly 60 offers to go play baseball in college, but he fell in love with Arkansas and Lyon College. Gilfedder died in early 2021 after he was found dead in his dorm room. Chief Cockrill said the victim was identified as James Aaron Gilfedder. Between 2 - 2:30 a.m., freshmen friends took Gilfedder back to his dorm and set him up on a pallet located on the floor because Gilfedder didn't want to sleep in his bed, reports say. The attorney for the Gilfedder family, Denise Reid Hoggard of Little Rock and Tony L. Wilcox and Chris A. Averitt of Jonesboro, allege that Lyon College and Huffman knew the baseball team was engaged in hazing new players like Gilfedder and had a right to protect those college students. The move is a sort-of coming home for us, said Nuwer. Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_6) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.5 Safari/605.1.15, Cedar Ridge to face Earle after win over Ozark Mountain; Pink Out tonight, Flood warning issued until late Monday for Independence County. And the witnesses that havent spoke up, I suggest you speak because I dont want to see you guys in prison, Gilfedder said. The Batesville Police Department arrived on the scene around 12:38 pm and began an investigation. The third death, unconfirmed as a hazing but under review as toxicology reports are underway, involves the alcohol-related death of James Gilfedder, a baseball player at Lyon College in. The resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. The documents say the college and the coach were aware of the hazing of new teammates, including Gilfedder. Somebody hurt him. For information from local physicians about COVID-19 vaccines,click here. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said an autopsy showed Gilfedder died of severe alcohol intoxication and that the. The younger James Gilfedder, who was 19, died Jan. 30 after attending a party with the Lyon College baseball team. Somebody hurt him. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Gilfedder died in early 2021 after he was found dead in his dorm room. When people finally see and hear about this evidence this town is going to be furious and disgusted, Gilfedder said. Lyon College, coach accused of negligence in 21 incident, The Lyon Building on the Lyon College campus in Batesville is shown in this December 2005 file photo. Gilfedder went . Cabrales-Arzola allegedly responded Yes. At the time of Gilfedders death, the president of the college shared a news release confirming the death, and confirmed the college was cooperating with the police department. The home is believed. BATESVILLE, Ark. Has your state launched one yet? The Batesville Police Department arrived on the scene around 12:38 pm and began an investigation. James "Big Country Gilfedder" played for Yucaipa HS his senior year, 2020. Model Christy Giles Is Dead And Family Suspects Foul Play, A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal). Batesville police say he had last attended an off-campus party at a home rented by a few of his teammates. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill told KATV that Gilfedder went to a party with the schools baseball team prior to his death. According to documents, James Gilfedder III, 19, was invited to an off-campus party Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The lawsuit said the autopsy revealed the blood alcohol content of Gilfedder was .357% and the cause of death was acute alcohol intoxication.. An hour and a half later, it was determined that Gilfedder was unresponsive and students notified the resident assistant, the documents state. An autopsy showed Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was 0.357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. Spice up your get-togethers with these top 27 fresh college party themes full of dancing, fun activities, and stunning photos for Instagram. Stone Foltz, 20, of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, died after drinking. A 19-year-old Lyon College student was found dead in his dorm on Saturday, Jan. 30, according to police. Sunday's cornhole tournament was all about celebrating his life and raising funds for the family. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. These boys are out here playing baseball. According to the documents, the hazing included, but was not limited to, causing the student to drink massive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. The documents do not specify a quantity or a time frame of the incident in question. Hank Nuwer Unofficial Hazing Clearinghouse, U.S. Hazing Deaths Database Part 1: 1838-1999, Hank Nuwer Author Page; Hazing Deaths Database. Students claim they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. (877) WASH-DC-1. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. An autopsy showed that Gilfedders blood alcohol content was .357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Who can say no to quick money? An hour and a half later, it was determined that Gilfedder was unresponsive and he was blue and purple in color, so students notified the resident assistant, the documents state. While still waiting for the autopsy results, Gilfedder's family suspects his death is the result of a hazing event gone wrong. The court filing noted that the Gilfedder family is represented by two law firms: Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, P.A. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said the. According to the documents, James Gilfedder III was 19 years old when he was invited to a party off-campus on Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. Get up-to-date local and regional news/weather every weekday morning and afternoon from theFirst Community BankNewsroom onArkansas 103.3. He wanted to be a doctor or (a) professional baseball player, Nikki said. The college reminded students about the colleges counseling center and chaplains office offering support following his death. The family got a call from Batesville police on Saturday that their son had died after going to a party with the baseball team. The police have notified the family of the incident and are waiting for the results of the autopsy before handing over their evidence to the prosecutor. All rights reserved. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to People that the case is . "Somebody did something. The resident assistant said Gilfedder was found "very intoxicated" and wandering the campus, so he was brought back to his room, the document states. I am deeply saddened to share that this morning, one of our students passed away. Somebody killed him. I want my son back, Gilfedder said. (202) 351-0510 | This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Gilfedder's parents told Arkansas media that their son's body was battered, and he consumed a fifth of alcohol at a team "hazing party." Police are waiting for autopsy results before commenting. The two friends had reportedly gone to a warehouse party in Los Angeles on Friday night when Cabrales-Arzola met a guy, who invited her to an after party in the Hollywood Hills, Giles husband Jan Cilliers believes the two women may have meet with foul play after looking through his wifes final text messages and finding the last text she sent was to Cabrales-Arzola around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, suggesting that they leave, according to, While local media outlets have suggested that police believe Giles may have died from a possible overdose, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles Police Department would not confirm that to. Therefore, a person or entity can be held liable for providing alcohol to a minor for damages sustained by the intoxicated minor.. As a journalist, hes written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Media said the house where he parties was owned by an assistant coach. The resident assistant claimed they found him very intoxicated and wandering the campus, so they brought him back to his room, the document states. Click below for more info from White River Now. The family said that Rainwater Holt & Sexton to are set to represent them. TCU Fraternity on Probation After Investigation Into Car Crash. KATV asked James if he believed it was a hazing event. Gilfedder, a freshman student-athlete at Lyon College, was found dead in his dorm room earlier this year. The family of a Lyon College freshman who died in January 2021 after what was believed to be a hazing incident involving large consumption of alcohol filed a negligence and wrongful-death suit in court Thursday. A web design company. Hot Springs police respond to shots fired, one injured, A look at what bills could become laws in Arkansas next week, Your Arkansas weather forecast from THV11, School bus crash causes traffic delays on I-630, Two arrested in connection to Lonoke County homicide, Man killed after shooting incident on Arkansas Highway 367, police say, Little Rock residents say 911 dispatch is too slow at answering emergency calls. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. went to a party with the schools baseball team prior to his death. According to documents, James Gilfedder III, 19, was invited to an off-campus party Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. According to documents, James Gilfedder III, 19, was invited to an off-campus party Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. But Giles mother, Dusty Giles, told KABC from her home in Alabama that the Uber driver waited, but no one ever came out of the apartment. Police in Batesville have now released the name of the person found dead in a dorm room at Lyon College this weekend. The Gilfedders were especially saddened to learn the circumstances surrounding their son's death. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. The resident assistant said Gilfedder was found "very intoxicated" and wandering the campus, so he was brought back to his room, the document states. Kim Kardashian looked delighted as she joined James Corden to film a skit for his Carpool Karaoke segment on The Late Late Show this week.. Gilfedder was a freshman at the. Website design and development by Legendary Lion Creative Agency. Investigators say they have identified three persons of interest, but there were no signs of foul play at the scene. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Im just sick to my stomach. A student at Lyon College in Arkansas, 19-year-old James Gilfedder, was found dead inside his dorm room on Saturday. The home is believed to have been partially owned by Lyon College's baseball coach Jacob Huffman, documents state. According to the family, Giles lifeless body was dropped at a Southern California Hospital nearly 12 hours later by men seen in a video concealing their identities and driving a vehicle with no license plate. Pullman Police Chief Jenkins drops the ball in Big-Little death. The family of James Gilfedder III filed suit Thursday, Jan. 27 in Independence County Circuit Court against Lyon College, Huffmania Ventures, LLC, Jacob Huffman (a pitching coach at Lyon College), five John Doe Insurance Companies and 10 John Does in the case. March 15, 2022 - The Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner will be hosting a table at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology's (USCAP) annual conference to promote it's Forensic Pathology Fellowship. After attending the party, where he consumed alcoholic beverages, he was found deceased, lying on the floor in his dorm room. His new book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. Cockrill said the teen was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Get up-to-date local and regional news along with the latest sports and weather every weekday morning and afternoon from theFirst Community BankNewsroom onArkansas 103.3. The lawsuit requests compensation for the loss of life, conscious pain and suffering of the deceased prior to death, funeral expenses, and the mental anguish and pecuniary damage of the surviving estate and to recover damages and judgment against the defendants. The lawsuit was filed by the family of Gilfedder naming as defendants: Lyon College; the property owner where the party was held, Huffmania Ventures, LLC; the baseball pitching coach at Lyon College and alleged part-owner of the company who owned the house where the party was held, Jacob Huffman; five John Doe insurance companies; and 10 John Does in the case. James Gilfedder was supposed to be at Lyon College to play baseball, but instead, his life ended in tragedy after attending a party last weekend. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. Ive lost so much sleep. Officers and emergency medical services arrived on scene and pronounced 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California dead at the scene, according to Cockrill. BATESVILLE, Ark. Somebody did something. According to Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill, around 12:38 p.m. Saturday, the department was dispatched to the Lyon. James and Nikki Gilfedder had no idea when they dropped their 19-year-old son off in Batesville two weeks ago that it would be the last time they saw him alive. An autopsy showed that Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was .357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. According to documents, James Gilfedder III, 19, was invited to an off-campus party Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. Somebody reach out to us and tell us what happened, tell us what happened, Nikki said. The filing requests compensation for the loss of life, conscious pain and suffering of the deceased prior to death, funeral expenses, and the mental anguish and pecuniary damage of the surviving estate and to recover damages and judgment against the defendants. KATV reached out to Batesville police and they said no new information would come out until the autopsy was complete. Various underage baseball and softball players were present and drinking alcohol at the party, and Gilfedder became visibly intoxicated after being supplied with alcohol, which the coach witnessed, the filing states. All rights reserved. The documents allege the college and the coach were aware of the hazing of new teammates, including Gilfedder. The bruised body of James Gilfedder is undergoing an autopsy at this time while his teammates continue to play. Gilfedder was a freshman at the. 2023 Hank Nuwer Unofficial Hazing Clearinghouse. Lyon College said Friday that the institution cannot comment on pending litigation. Email White River Now atnews@whiterivernow.com. The family of a Lyon College freshman who died in January 2021 after what was believed to be a hazing incident involving large consumption of alcohol filed a negligence and wrongful death suit in . Here's the list!