Former Delta Tau Delta pledge master Carter Eslick was sentenced to two months in jail and three years of supervised probation after pleading guilty in the Jan. 31 hazing death of 18-year-old Colin Daniel Martinez. An autopsy found Martinez died of alcohol poisoning with a blood-alcohol level of 0.425 percent. Court records say Martinez and three other pledges shared two bottles of vodka; witnesses monitored his breathing and pulse overnight. Eslick apologized in court and must deliver 305 anti-hazing presentations as part of his probation; NAU suspended the chapter and the national organization closed it.
Former NAU Pledge Master Sentenced After Pledge Dies From Severe Alcohol Poisoning
Carter Eslick during his sentencing hearing in Coconino County Superior Court in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool)(Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A former leader of a Northern Arizona University fraternity was sentenced Wednesday to two months in jail and three years of supervised probation for his role in a hazing ritual that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old pledge.
FILE - A sign is displayed for the Northern Arizona University campus in Flagstaff, Ariz., Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey, File)(AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)
Carter Eslick, 20, pleaded guilty to a felony hazing charge in connection with the Jan. 31 death of Colin Daniel Martinez at an off-campus residence. An autopsy determined Martinez died of acute alcohol poisoning; his blood-alcohol concentration measured 0.425 percent — more than five times Arizona's legal driving limit for people 21 and older.
Carter Eslick, right, talks with his attorney, Burges McCowan, during his sentencing hearing in Coconino County Superior Court in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool)(Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP)
Court records say Martinez and three other Delta Tau Delta pledges shared two bottles of vodka and drank to the point of vomiting. Witnesses reported monitoring Martinez’s breathing and pulse and repositioning him during the night in apparent attempts to check for signs of alcohol poisoning.
Carter Eslick is fingerprinted during his sentencing hearing in Coconino County Superior Court in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool)(Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP)
Eslick, who served as the chapter’s pledge master and was responsible for overseeing new members, apologized in court and said he accepts “full responsibility for the hand I played in that ritual.” He was ordered to complete 305 anti-hazing presentations as a condition of probation and is prohibited from using alcohol or nonprescribed drugs. He faces additional jail time if he violates probation conditions.
Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker said no sentence can undo the family’s loss but hopes the case underscores the dangers of hazing and encourages people to intervene.
Judge Stacy Krueger noted that Eslick understood the risk of the activities and expressed concern that others did not speak up or intervene. Northern Arizona University suspended the chapter after Martinez’s death, and the national Delta Tau Delta organization later closed the NAU chapter.
This case has prompted renewed calls for accountability and reform within Greek life at NAU and beyond as communities reckon with the deadly risks of alcohol-related hazing.
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