Some University of Missouri hazing defendants are receiving plea offers from the prosecution, with one attorney saying his client had been offered a misdemeanor deal.
Hearings for three felony hazing defendants took place Monday in Boone County court. Blake Morsovillo, of Springfield; John O’Neill, of Columbia; and Samuel Morrison, of Chicago, are among 10 defendants charged with felony hazing of Danny Santulli on Sept. 19, 2021. One other is charged with misdemeanor hazing.
The hazing incident, called “pledge dad reveal night” at the Phi Gamma Delta house, resulted in brain damage for Santulli. Required as part of the hazing to drink a full bottle of vodka, Santulli collapsed and was unresponsive. He was resuscitated at MU Hospital.
Santulli is unable to speak, walk or see. He is being cared for by his parents at their home in Minnesota, using funds from the settlement of civil lawsuits.
Documents received from from an open records request shows hazing and alcohol abuse concerns at several fraternities that had been sanctioned, including Phi Gamma Delta. The fraternity has been removed from campus.
“I’ve received a misdemeanor offer from the state which I’m talking to my client about,” said O’Neill’s attorney, Doug Hunt.
In police statements related to the charges, O’Neill is described as the fraternity’s house dad, responsible for building upkeep and alumni relations.
Attorneys for Morsovillo and Morrison also said they received offers they needed to review with their clients, without describing the offers.
Morrison’s attorney, Jeffery Hilbrenner, outside the courtroom declined to say if Morrison had received a misdemeanor offer.
Judge Hasbrouck Jacobs set court dates on May 12 for O’Neill and Morsovillo, May 22 for Morrison.
He ordered O’Neil and Morsovillo to appear in person. The judge allowed Morrison to appear by video link, requested by his attorney because of the distance he would need to travel.
“The case will be set for trial if it’s not resolved by the next court date,” Jacobs told each attorney.