Prosecutor says 'we need to do better as people' following the indictments connected to OU
ATHENS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) —
Based upon the investigation of the Nov. 12, 2018 death of Ohio University student 18-year-old Collin Wiant, an Athens County Grand Jury has indicted nine people for charges related to the alleged hazing activities by OU’s Sigma Pi Fraternity.
Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said it draws attention to some horrific acts. “This isn’t an Ohio University problem. This is a society problem that we as Americans have got to fix. It is part of the reason why we have the drug epidemic we do. We have an addiction to bigger, faster, better.”
Ohio University said only two of the nine people indicted are currently enrolled as students. An OU spokesman said “the traffic death of Collin Wiant was devastating to our community. It’s encouraging to see progress being made in the criminal case.”
OU Freshman Tevin Watkins said “I hope it does start that conversation so it doesn’t go to the extreme of being deadly. When people go to parties to have a good time, when it gets to that extent, I think something needs to change.”
Another student, senior Steve Kidwell said he didn’t think the indictments were over the top considering what happened.
“They knew what they were doing, that is unacceptable to do that to somebody. This happens everywhere, a lot of different universities. This just opens up awareness for how things really are going and how people need to intervene.”
At the Silver Serpent shop on Court Street, prosecutors said the nitrous oxide “whippets” were sold illegally to students and they caused Wiant’s death.
Stephan Lewis,27 is charged with trafficking in harmful intoxicants, a felony of the fifth degree, and improperly dispensing or distributing nitrous oxide. Lewis was in the Silver Serpent shop Tuesday afternoon but said, “you can deal with my lawyer.”
“The Silver Serpent in its activities weren’t properly checking records the way they were supposed to allowed for whippets to be sold to underage individuals who inhaled them which then caused the death,” said Blackburn. The store manager, James Wanke, 25 was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Corbin Gustafson, 22 is no longer enrolled at the university. He is charged with reckless homicide. “The reckless homicide relates to the activity of an individual where there was a delay in calling for help, he was involved and present during the illegal drug activity that took place, which would be using the whippets.” Records show there were eleven minutes before 911 was called to help Wiant, and medics were there in two minutes.
Blackburn said it is his goal to get the accused into court as quickly as possible. If the accused don’t turn themselves in, nationwide warrants are out for their arrests.
“This is not about fraternity-sorority life. This is about people in general and the way we treat other people, how we encourage people to do in a group mentality. We need to do better as people. Hopefully, this gets us going in the right direction.”
