Charges dismissed for fraternity member accused in Santulli hazing case

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A felony charge against a former University of Missouri fraternity member accused in the hazing of Danny Santulli has been dismissed without prejudice, according to an email from Boone County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Komoroski.

Benjamin Parres, of Chesterfield, was charged with felony hazing. Komoroski stated that Parres entered a deferral agreement, which includes performing community service and completing a Mothers Against Drunk Driving Victim Impact Panel. Parres entered the agreement after he was a “cooperating witness” in the state’s case against Ryan Delanty, 22, of Ballwin.

Delanty was the "pledge dad" of Santulli when Santulli became unresponsive after drinking at an October 2021 Phi Gamma Delta fraternity party. According to court documents, Delanty "recklessly caused serious physical injury" to Santulli by giving him alcohol and encouraging him to drink it.

Santulli was left unable to walk, talk or see after suffering a traumatic brain injury that night.

Komoroski wrote that Parres could still be charged if he violates the deferral agreement.

A number of accused fraternity members have taken plea deals in the case:

• Harrison Reichman, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to giving alcohol to a minor. He was initially charged with hazing – life endangerment. He was sentenced to two years of unsupervised probation, along with 100 hours of community services and 15 days of shock jail time.
• Thomas Shultz, of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to supplying alcohol to a minor. He was sentenced to a year of probation and 30 days of shock jail time.
• Samuel Gandhi, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to supplying alcohol to a minor, a misdemeanor He was originally charged with felony hazing. He was sentenced to 15 days of shock time in the county jail, two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. He will also have to complete a court-ordered drug and alcohol treatment program.
• Alec Wetzler, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to supplying liquor to a minor and buying liquor as a minor, both misdemeanors. He was sentenced to two years of probation, with a suspended sentence of 180 days in jail. He was also ordered to two days of shock jail time. 
• Samuel Morrison, of Cameron, Missouri, pleaded guilty to supplying alcohol to a minor. He was initially charged with felony hazing. Morrison was sentenced to two years of unsupervised probation with a one-year suspended sentence. He was also ordered to two days of shock jail time and will have to complete 100 hours of community service.
• Blake Morsovillo, of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to supplying alcohol to a minor, a misdemeanor. He was previously charged with felony hazing. He was sentenced to serve two years of unsupervised probation and two days of shock jail time. He will also have to complete an alcohol and drug program and do 100 hours of community service.
• Ryan Delanty, 22, of Ballwin, pleaded guilty on May 10 to hazing and suppling alcohol to a minor, both misdemeanors. He was previously charged with felony hazing, second-degree assault and supplying alcohol to a minor. He was sentenced to six months in jail and six months on house arrest.

Samuel Lane and Benjamin Karl, both of Columbia, are both charged with felony hazing. A hearing for Lane’s case is set for 9 a.m. Monday, June 17, while Karl’s next hearing is scheduled at 10 a.m. the same day. Lane also had a hearing on Tuesday.