Final Sentences Issued in Hazing Death of Stone Foltz

Timothy M. Burke, Fraternal Law Partners, tburke@manleyburke.com

As reported in the June 2022 Issue of Fraternal Law, Jacob Krinn and Troy Henricksen, the last two individuals charged in the hazing related death of Stone Foltz at Bowling Green State University, went to trial in May. Following a two-week jury trial, they were found not guilty of the most serious charges against them, including involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide, both felonies. 

That, however, did not save them from being sentenced to serve jail time for their respective roles related to Foltz’s death from alcohol poisoning. They were each convicted of multiple misdemeanors. Krinn was convicted of obstruction of justice, hazing, and failure to comply. Henricksen was found guilty of eight (8) counts of hazing and seven (7) counts of failure to comply. On August 17, 2022, they both received similar sentences, ordered to spend forty-two (42) days in jail followed by twenty-eight (28) days of house arrest and required to perform 100 hours of community service.

Other members of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity chapter who had been charged in the hazing event had all plead guilty, in some cases, to felonies. Yet those individuals received lesser sentences than Henricksen and Krinn. Had Henricksen and Krinn been convicted of the felony charges, no doubt their sentences would have been substantially longer.

Since the hazing deaths of Stone Foltz and Collin Wiant at Ohio University, the State of Ohio has strengthened its hazing related laws and increased potential penalties. It is a path that other states have recently followed when hazing deaths have occurred. Unfortunately, those new laws are too late for those who have died, but hopefully they will act as a deterrent against future hazing deaths. Something desperately needs to.