BATON ROUGE – A former LSU student faces up to five years in prison after he was found guilty today of negligent homicide in the 2017 death of fraternity pledge Max Gruver.
A Baton Rouge jury found Matthew Naquin guilty after less than one hour of discussion, according to WBRZ.
“It won’t bring Max back, and it’s not something we’re ever going to be happy about,” Gruver’s mother Rae Ann Gruver told WBRZ moments after the verdict was announced. “But at the same time it’s justice for our son.”
LSU released the following statement:
“Our hearts ache for the Gruvers and all those impacted by this trial and the verdict reached today. Hazing is an irresponsible and dangerous activity that we do not tolerate at LSU. These tragedies, and the penalties that follow, can be prevented, and we have been working diligently to put more safeguards, education and reporting outlets in place for our students regarding hazing. Today’s verdict shows that allegations of hazing are fully investigated, and those found responsible face criminal charges.”
