However, the initiation process was harsh, reportedly involving tasks like climbing inside a trash can filled with broken glass, which eventually led to Santulli’s hospitalization.
His sister Meredith, also a student at the University of Missouri, advised him to leave the fraternity, but Santulli decided to stay.
Tragically, just two days later, he was left in a critical condition.
On October 19, during an event called ‘Pledge Father Reveal Night,’ new members, including Santulli, were introduced to their mentors, known as pledge fathers, according to the Colombia Missourian.
During this event, Santulli and other pledges were reportedly made to consume large quantities of hard liquor. Ultimately, the 19-year-old was found in a car suffering from cardiac arrest and alcohol poisoning.
His blood alcohol content was almost six times the legal limit.
On that night, Ryan Delanty was designated as Santulli’s pledge dad and sent a distressing text message when his ‘son’ became critically ill.
According to court documents, Delanty’s text to a friend was: “My son is dead.”
The family’s attorney, David Bianchi, who reviewed security footage of the event, claimed Delanty provided Santulli with a bottle of alcohol to consume throughout the evening.
During an appearance on Good Morning America, Bianchi stated: “[In the videos] We see one of the fraternity members putting a tube in Danny’s mouth with a funnel at the other end and pouring beer down his throat while Danny is in the middle of consuming an entire bottle of vodka. That’s on the video.
“They were given their family bottle of alcohol and then they drank from it and they took them upstairs and for the next two hours, they drank and drink and drink.”
By May 2024, Delanty had admitted guilt to misdemeanor hazing and supplying alcohol to a minor, leading to a six-month jail sentence.
Santulli now suffers from severe brain damage, leaving him unable to walk, talk, or see, and requiring constant care.
His mother left her job to become his primary caregiver.