2 frat members and sorority charged
WILMINGTON, Del. — Two members of a fraternity and a sorority at Dartmouth College have been charged in connection with the death of a student who was found dead in the Connecticut River over the summer after attending an off-campus party, police said.
Won Jang, 20, a student and member of the Beta Alpha Omega fraternity at the Ivy League university, attended an off-campus party organized by the Alpha Phi sorority in July, the Hanover Police Department in New Hampshire said in a statement Friday. Most of the attendees at the party, including Jang, were under 21 years old and were drinking alcoholic beverages that were provided by Beta Alpha Omega members who were over 21, according to police.
Police said multiple attendees “made a spontaneous decision” to swim in the Connecticut River after the party, but a heavy rainstorm chased them out of the river in smaller groups.
“No one in these groups noticed that Jang was unaccounted for,” police said. “It was confirmed via multiple interviews, to include Jang’s family, that he could not swim.”
An autopsy report by the New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Jang’s cause of death was drowning, according to police. The report also found that Jang’s blood alcohol level was .167, which is more than double New Hampshire’s legal limit for drivers 21 and older.
Police said an investigation found probable cause to charge two Beta Alpha Omega members, who were identified as Matthew Catrambone and Samuel Terry, with providing alcohol to a person under 21. The Alpha Phi sorority was charged with facilitating an underage alcohol house.
All the charges are misdemeanors and the parties involved were served with summons to appear at Lebanon District Court, according to police.
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Body found offshore from the river
Hanover police and fire departments responded to reports on July 7 that a man had gone missing in an area by the docks on the Connecticut River, just west of the Dartmouth College campus, police said. Jang was reported missing after failing to appear at an appointment, WMUR-TV and WPTZ reported.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the Jang had last been seen on July 6 at about 9:30 p.m. local time and items found near the dock indicated Jang did not leave the river area, according to authorities.
Several emergency state and local agencies — including a dive team with the Hanover Fire Department, New Hampshire Marine Patrol, and New Hampshire Fish and Game Department — responded to the scene. Authorities also used an underwater camera that located the body, according the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
Jang’s body was recovered about 65 feet offshore at about 7:30 p.m. local time on July 7, authorities said.
Further investigation found that Jang attended a party at an off-campus apartment building that was being rented by several members of the Alpha Phi sorority, police said. Authorities found evidence of alcohol and initially believed that college hazing may have been involved in the incident, according to WMUR-TV and WPTZ.
Who was Won Jang?
Jang was from Middletown, a town in northern Deleware, the Delaware News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. He was a member of the Beta Alpha Omega fraternity, according to the fraternity’s website, which said he was studying biomedical engineering at Dartmouth College.
Before attending Dartmouth, Jang was a student at Middletown High School and participated in various academic clubs such as Science Olympiad, Math League, HOSA – Future Health Professionals, and Business Professionals of America, according to the Delaware Department of Education.
“I’ve always challenged myself to learn more about the world in many different fields, and I loved how my exploration of hobbies and academics could be used to help my community,” Jang was quoted in his nomination statement for the 2022 Delaware Secretary of Education Scholars.
“These self-initiated adventures shaped me into a continuous learner and, along with my parents’ encouragement, to enjoy the process over the outcome,” he said. “I’ve learned to seek the purposes behind my studies and value connections with people.”
Jang also volunteered in the local community through the National Honor Society and created a Korean club at Middletown High School at the request of his friends to teach them Korean. Before graduating, Jang aspired to become a research scientist in molecular and cellular biology, the Delaware Department of Education said.
Jang graduated valedictorian from Middletown High School in 2022, according to a social media post from the school. Following Jang’s death, former Dartmouth College dean Scott Brown offered condolences to those who knew Jang.
“We understand that this is very difficult news for our community and encourage you to seek support, whether you need a listening ear or guidance in navigating this challenging time,” Brown said in a statement in July. “We have been in touch with Won’s fraternity brothers and other friends.”
“Won wholeheartedly embraced opportunities at Dartmouth to pursue his academic and personal passions,” Brown added. “He enthusiastically took part in the Dartmouth community.”
The college’s student newspaper, The Dartmouth, reported in July that Jang was a project manager at a campus software development lab and a research assistant at the Thayer School of Engineering. He also participated in an entrepreneurship program and served as an international student mentor for the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, according to the newspaper.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY; Esteban Parra and Brittany Horn, Delaware News Journal
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