(KAIT) - The family of a California teenager who died of alcohol poisoning while a student at Lyon College has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the college, according to court records. According to documents, James Gilfedder III, 19, was invited to an off-campus party Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. All rights reserved. The college said it provided counseling to students after the death and would work to help people impacted by the death. The documents say the college and the coach were aware of the hazing of new teammates, including Gilfedder. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. The documents allege the college and the coach were aware of the hazing of new teammates, including Gilfedder. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Cabrales-Arzola was left two hours later at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in West Los Angeles, where she was in critical condition, according to KABC. At the time of Gilfedder's death, the president of the. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. According to the documents, the hazing included, but was not limited to, causing the student to drink "massive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time." Students said they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. For COVID-19 information from the Arkansas Department of Health,click here. The suit alleges Gilfedders death could have been part of a hazing on the night in question (Jan. 30, 2021), causing him to drink a massive amount of alcohol in a very short period of time, the suit said. Learn how your comment data is processed. Free community college programs have become more and more popular. The resident assistant claimed they found him very intoxicated and wandering the campus, so they brought him back to his room, the document states. (The) kids got alcohol, they got drugs at that house. Region 8 News reached out to Lyon College for comment about the lawsuit. Cockrill said the teen was pronounced dead at the scene. The police have notified the family of the incident and are waiting for the results of the autopsy before handing over their evidence to the prosecutor. According to the documents, the hazing included, but was not limited to, causing the student to drink massive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. The documents do not specify a quantity or a time frame of the incident in question. The home is believed to have been partially owned by Lyon College's baseball coach Jacob Huffman, documents state. An hour and a half later, it was determined that Gilfedder was unresponsive and students notified the resident assistant, the documents state. inside his dorm room on Saturday. Here's the list! His new book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. Officers and emergency medical services arrived on scene and pronounced 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California dead at the scene, according to Cockrill. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said an autopsy showed Gilfedder died of severe alcohol intoxication and that the. But Giles mother, Dusty Giles, told KABC from her home in Alabama that the Uber driver waited, but no one ever came out of the apartment. Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_6) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.5 Safari/605.1.15, Cedar Ridge to face Earle after win over Ozark Mountain; Pink Out tonight, Flood warning issued until late Monday for Independence County. The Batesville Police Department arrived on the scene around 12:38 pm and began an investigation. Choosing a college major is always tricky so which of the most expensive college majors are actually worth the investment? (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal). Students said they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. James Gilfedder, 19, of California was found unresponsive on Saturday around 12:38 p.m. according to Cockrill's statement. The two friends had reportedly gone to a warehouse party in Los Angeles on Friday night when Cabrales-Arzola met a guy, who invited her to an after party in the Hollywood Hills, Giles husband Jan Cilliers believes the two women may have meet with foul play after looking through his wifes final text messages and finding the last text she sent was to Cabrales-Arzola around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, suggesting that they leave, according to, While local media outlets have suggested that police believe Giles may have died from a possible overdose, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles Police Department would not confirm that to. Just after 12:30 pm Saturday afternoon, he was found unresponsive in his dorm room and later pronounced dead. Who can say no to quick money? Sunday's cornhole tournament was all about celebrating his life and raising funds for the family. Gilfedder died in early 2021 after he was found dead in his dorm room. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The family is asking anyone with information about what happened to come forward. With no formal autopsy result to determine what happened, , the victims mother, is suggesting that something more sinister is at play because the information presented to them didnt all match up., Somebody did something. The family of a Lyon College freshman who died in January 2021 after what was believed to be a hazing incident involving large consumption of alcohol filed a negligence and wrongful death suit in . James Gilfedder was supposed to be at Lyon College to play baseball, but instead, his life ended in tragedy after attending a party last weekend. 2023 Hank Nuwer Unofficial Hazing Clearinghouse. The resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. (877) WASH-DC-1. The resident assistant said Gilfedder was found "very intoxicated" and wandering the campus, so he was brought back to his room, the document states. Email White River Now [email protected]. Spice up your get-togethers with these top 27 fresh college party themes full of dancing, fun activities, and stunning photos for Instagram. "Somebody did something. "He only drank a fifth of vodka; that would not kill my son." Students reportedly checked on Gilfedder twice the next morning, at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., and said they observed him on the floor and believed he was asleep, according to the court filing. The autopsy for model Christy Giles is complete, but authorities are waiting for further testing to determine a cause and manner of death for the California model, whose lifeless body was dropped outside a Los Angeles hospital Saturday. According to Chief Alan Cockrill with the Batesville Police Department, a 19-year-old Lyon College student was found dead in his dorm on Saturday, Jan. 30. Lyon College has not responded for comment yet. Lyon College declined to comment Friday, citing pending litigation. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. Pullman Police Chief Jenkins drops the ball in Big-Little death. The family believes that Gilfedders death is the result of a hazing event that went wrong. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill told White River Now the results from the Arkansas State Crime Labs autopsy on James Gilfedder were recently received. The resident assistant said Gilfedder was found "very intoxicated" and wandering the campus, so he was brought back to his room, the document states. This is a difficult time with an enormous disruption and I promise you that we will come together as a community to appropriately mourn this loss, the statement noted. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Lyon College, coach accused of negligence in 21 incident, The Lyon Building on the Lyon College campus in Batesville is shown in this December 2005 file photo. The bruised body of James Gilfedder is undergoing an autopsy at this time while his teammates continue to play. James was raised in Yucaipa and graduated from Yucaipa High School in 2020. When the family arrived in Arkansas from California, they said the pieces didnt all match up. The California kid was dubbed Big Country by all his friends for wearing a cowboy hat and driving a large truck. Students reportedly checked on him twice the next morning, at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., saying they observed him on the floor and believed he was asleep. According to documents, James Gilfedder III, 19, was invited to an off-campus party Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. According to Cilliers, Cabrales-Arzola toxicology reports revealed that she had heroin in her system but he told KABC that was nothing that either of those girls would ever do, not voluntarily.. The Batesville Police Department arrived on the scene around 12:38 pm and began an investigation. An autopsy showed Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was 0.357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. Police are Investigating the On-Campus Shooting Death of a UArizona Sophomore as a Homicide. While still waiting for the autopsy results, Gilfedder's family suspects his death is the result of a hazing event gone wrong. BATESVILLE, Ark. Gilfedder died in early 2021 after he was found dead in his dorm room. And the witnesses that havent spoke up, I suggest you speak because I dont want to see you guys in prison, Gilfedder said. While still waiting for the autopsy results, Gilfedders family suspects his death is the result of a hazing event gone wrong. Im just sick to my stomach. The home is believed. The family of a Lyon College freshman who died in January 2021 after what was believed to be a hazing incident involving large consumption of alcohol filed a negligence and wrongful-death suit in court Thursday. The filing requests compensation for the loss of life, conscious pain and suffering of the deceased prior to death, funeral expenses, and the mental anguish and pecuniary damage of the surviving estate and to recover damages and judgment against the defendants. Somebody hurt him. White River Now updates are also aired weekday mornings on93 KZLE,Outlaw 106.5, andYour FM 99.5. Cabrales-Arzola allegedly responded Yes. Lyon College Student Found Dead, Family Suspects Foul Play, A student at Lyon College in Arkansas, 19-year-old. Family of Lyon College student who died of alcohol poisoning files suit, Lawsuit filed against Summit Utilities over price gouging, NWS: EF-2 tornado confirmed in Arkansas storms, 2023 4A State Tournament: Blytheville boys beat Farmington, advance to state title game, Razorback signee Jenna Lawrence leads Farmington girls to 4A state title game, 2023 3A State Tournament: Manila boys beat Dumas, advance to state title game, 2023 6A State Tournament: Jonesboro boys beat Cabot, advance to state title game. If you have yet to be immunized against COVID-19, White River Now urges you to talk to your trusted local physician or pharmacist about the COVID-19 vaccine. I havent been able to sleep. The court filing noted that the Gilfedder family is represented by two law firms: Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, P.A. Ive lost so much sleep. Now the family is left with just their memories, anger and so many questions. Hot Springs police respond to shots fired, one injured, A look at what bills could become laws in Arkansas next week, Your Arkansas weather forecast from THV11, School bus crash causes traffic delays on I-630, Two arrested in connection to Lonoke County homicide, Man killed after shooting incident on Arkansas Highway 367, police say, Little Rock residents say 911 dispatch is too slow at answering emergency calls. And dont forget to download the White River Now mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. The home is believed to have been partially owned by Lyon College's baseball coach Jacob Huffman, documents state. The house was being rented by other members of the baseball team. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. At the party, various underage baseball and softball players were present and drinking alcohol, and Gilfedder was supplied with alcohol and quickly became visibly intoxicated, which the coach witnessed, the filing alleges. "It means a lot to us that our daughter touched so many in her short, but yet wonderful, extraordinary life," she said. Gilfedder said his son had nearly 60 offers to go play baseball in college, but he fell in love with Arkansas and Lyon College. Mystery continues to surround the model and aspiring actress death after the 24-year-old and her designer friend, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26. They dont have one person in jail right now. of Little Rock, and Wilcox & Averitt, PLC of Jonesboro. To find out more about the aforementioned records, call the California Department of Public health at 916-445-2684. Example video title will go here for this video. Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/103.0.5060.114 Safari/537.36, Cedar Ridge to face Earle after win over Ozark Mountain; Pink Out tonight, Flood warning issued until late Monday for Independence County. The reality star, 42, cracked up as she joined departing . A student at Lyon College in Arkansas, 19-year-old James Gilfedder, was found dead inside his dorm room on Saturday. 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California was attending Lyon College to play first base on the men's baseball team. All rights reserved. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. With no formal autopsy result to determine what happened, Nikki Gilfedder, the victims mother, is suggesting that something more sinister is at play because the information presented to them didnt all match up.. Gilfedder went . The family of James Gilfedder III filed suit Thursday, Jan. 27 in Independence County Circuit Court against Lyon College, Huffmania Ventures, LLC, Jacob Huffman (a pitching coach at Lyon College), five John Doe Insurance Companies and 10 John Does in the case. The Gilfedder family is also asking Lyon, Huffman and Huffmania Ventures to respond to the lawsuit within 30 days. At the time of Gilfedders death, the president of the college shared a news release confirming the death, and confirmed the college was cooperating with the police department. The lawsuit requests compensation for the loss of life, conscious pain and suffering of the deceased prior to death, funeral expenses, and the mental anguish and pecuniary damage of the surviving estate and to recover damages and judgment against the defendants. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner saidadditional information and/or testing is needed before authorities can determine a cause or manner of death for Christy Giles. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. Lyon College said Friday that the institution cannot comment on pending litigation. We were hoping because it was a dry county, no alcohol, that things were going to be good, Nikki said. Somebody killed him," Nikki Gilfedder told the Little Rock TV station. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal). My son went through a lot of trauma. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said an autopsy showed Gilfedder died of severe alcohol intoxication and that the death was ruled as accidental. In These 19 States, Yes, 67 Top Side Hustles for College Students to Make Fast Cash, These Are the Cheapest Colleges in the US. Chief Cockrill said the victim was identified as James Aaron Gilfedder. KATV asked James if he believed it was a hazing event. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Region 8 News will have more details as they become available. The lawsuit said the autopsy revealed the blood alcohol content of Gilfedder was .357% and the cause of death was acute alcohol intoxication..