BATON ROUGE, La. - Prosecutors have dismissed a hazing charge against a former fraternity member indicted in the 2017 alcohol-related hazing death of a pledge at Louisiana State University.
The Advocate reports the misdemeanor charge involving the death of 18-year-old Max Gruver was dropped Monday against 22-year-old Patrick Forde of Westwood, Massachusetts.
Forde cooperated with prosecutors by testifying last summer against 21-year-old Matthew Naquin of Texas, who was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to five years in prison with 2 1/2 years suspended.
Forde told prosecutors that Naquin, a Phi Delta Theta member, ordered Gruver to chug a bottle of 190-proof liquor at a hazing ritual. Gruver from the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, Georgia, died of alcohol poisoning.
Forde wasn't enrolled at LSU at the time nor was he active in the fraternity.
SEE ALSO: Judge suspends portion of former LSU student's sentence in frat hazing death