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Arrogance or answers in Idaho: A freshman pledge dies swimming with members and Detective Mike Deitrick with the Clearwater County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office apparently goes with his gut on drowning case: Our Opinion

September 11, 2012 By Hank Nuwer 1 Comment

I wrote to Det. Deitrick and U-Idaho school studauthorities regarding the death of a Lambda Chi Alpha pledge named Preston W. t affairs Vorhauer, a freshman of 18, out “swimming” with senior members just because –well dunno why, that’s the point. I wanted to make sure this wasn’t like the more than a dozen drowning incidents of pledges out with members that we saw at the University of Miami (Chad Meredith) and the University of Texas Cowboys (death of Idaho resident Gabe Higgins under mysterious circumstances and a fraternity coverup), UCLA and elsewhere. Total silence from Detective Mike Deitrick with the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office. And so now I turn the inquiry over to Attorney General Lawrence Wasden of Idaho and a great Lambda Chi Alpha staff for which I wrote a recent article for an all-hazing issue. Was this just a couple boys out for a swim or was there any pressure on a pledge to prove himself to older members? No disrespect to the University of Idaho, nor Mr. Deitrick or the Sheriff, but U-Idaho has had its historical hazing and alcohol issues, most recently the death of Benjamin Harris swilling shots for his 21st birthday with Sigma Nu members. This is too suspicious a case to put to bed without investigation. Detective Mike Deitrick and Greek affairs at Idaho are either too busy or whatever to respond. I don’t plan to let this death rest on a deputy’s gut feeling and will FOIA them until they respond with facts and results of whatever interrogation of witnesses that was done or not done. This case may have been sufficiently investigated but all that has been reported is Mr. Deitrick’s apparently gut feeling. My gut feeling? The public deserves more facts. But this sounds like a great chapter. http://www.uidaho.edu/greeklife/chapterinfo/fraternities/lambdachialpha2 Let’s make sure.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/benjamin-harris-dead-univ_n_644888.html

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Comments

  1. WilliamMeredith says

    September 12, 2012 at 7:25 pm

    I read this and my heart sunk. I have started looking up articles on the Internet, and am reading a lot of things we heard with Chad. Without a doubt a deeper and thorough investigation needs to take place. To either prove the members innocence or their lack of respect for the life of the others. As we know from Chad, there is always pressure on a pledge to prove himself. I will continue to follow this news.

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