Two former U of Missouri frat members charged in hazing incident that injured Eden Prairie student

COLUMBIA, MO. – Two former members of a University of Missouri fraternity have been indicted for a hazing incident that left a student from Eden Prairie blind and unable to walk or communicate after drinking a liter of vodka.

A Boone County grand jury on Friday indicted former Phi Gamma Delta fraternity members Ryan Delanty and Thomas Shultz, both from the St. Louis metro area, in the hazing of Daniel Santulli, 19, according to the Columbia Missourian. Both were charged with felony hazing and misdemeanors of supplying liquor to a minor or intoxicated person. Shultz also faces a felony for tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution.

Another member of the fraternity, Alec Wetzler, was charged earlier this month with misdemeanor counts of supplying alcohol to a minor and possession of alcohol by a minor.

Santulli was pledging the fraternity in October when he was found unresponsive due to alcohol poisoning. Authorities said his blood alcohol content was 0.486, six times the legal limit. According to the family's lawyer, David Bianchi, Santulli is home with his family but is blind and unable to walk or communicate.

Shultz — who was vice president and treasurer of the fraternity — concealed text messages from investigators to obstruct the prosecution of Delanty, according to the indictment.

Delanty was Santulli's "pledge father" and, according to the indictment, required Santulli to drink the alcohol and created a substantial risk to his life. Santulli had a 750 milliliter bottle of Tito's vodka taped to his hand, according to video footage from investigators.

In May, Santulli's family settled with nearly two dozen defendants in a civil lawsuit. Two more fraternity members, Wetzler and Samuel Gandhi, have been added to the civil lawsuit. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of both men, and each face a $50,000 bond.

After being hospitalized for months in Denver, Santulli is back at home in Eden Prairie and is being cared for by his mother, who quit her banking job to be with him full time. A story on the case was shared this month on "Good Morning America."

Santulli was recruited to join Phi Gamma Delta after he graduated in June 2021 from Eden Prairie High School, where he played basketball, baseball and managed the hockey team. He had been accepted at numerous other schools, but decided to go to Missouri and major in business.

Following Santulli's hazing, the university withdrew the fraternity's recognition as a student organization.

Star Tribune staff writer Kim Hyatt contributed to this report.