Lyon College declined to comment Friday, citing pending litigation. I am deeply saddened to share that this morning, one of our students passed away. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to People that the case is . The Gilfedders were especially saddened to learn the circumstances surrounding their son's death. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill told White River Now the results from the Arkansas State Crime Labs autopsy on James Gilfedder were recently received. He was born in Palm Springs, California on July 19, 2001 to parents James II and Nicole Gilfedder. An autopsy showed Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was 0.357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. The California kid was dubbed Big Country by all his friends for wearing a cowboy hat and driving a large truck. Gilfedder went . Due to an ongoing police investigation, an autopsy and pending toxicology report, there is not yet an official cause of death. I mean he wasnt innocent, but that wouldnt have killed him. Here are 67 side hustles perfect for hard-working college students with tight student budgets! The younger James Gilfedder, who was 19, died Jan. 30 after attending a party with the Lyon College baseball team. The best part-time jobs for college students will beef up your resume (and, more importantly, your wallet) without sacrificing your grades. Cabrales-Arzola allegedly responded Yes. 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. Somebody did something. 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. James and Nikki Gilfedder, the parents of the victim, spoke in an interview with KATV that aired on Thursday night. KATV reached out to Batesville police and they said no new information would come out until the autopsy was complete. Students said they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. A student at Lyon College in Arkansas, 19-year-old James Gilfedder, was found dead inside his dorm room on Saturday. 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. 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. (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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Batesville police say he had last attended an off-campus party at a home rented by a few of his teammates. Somebody hurt him. He had a lot of trauma on his face and all over his body and we knew that there was a different story, James said. For information from local physicians about COVID-19 vaccines,click here. 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. 10 min away.. When the family arrived in Arkansas from California, they said the pieces didnt all match up. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal). 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 home is believed. Somebody killed him. 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 resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. All rights reserved. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. 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." (202) 351-0510 | Officers and emergency medical services arrived on scene and pronounced 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California dead at the scene, according to Cockrill. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. These men did something to subdue and keep my daughter in their apartment for 10 to 12 hours, Dusty Giles said. The lawsuit said the autopsy revealed the blood alcohol content of Gilfedder was .357% and the cause of death was acute alcohol intoxication.. The resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. Gilfedder, a freshman student-athlete at Lyon College, was found dead in his dorm room earlier this year. March 15, 2022 - The Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner will be hosting a table at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology's (USCAP) annual conference to promote it's Forensic Pathology Fellowship. Investigators noted that the social gathering took place at a residence on Boles Street owned by Huffmania Ventures, LLC which was co-owned by one of the baseball coaches. Increase the Penalties for Hazing and End the Culture That Took My Sons Life, Six Years After Hazing Death of Timothy Piazza, Penn State Plans to Drop the Greek Life Oversight It Championed, WSU Students Death Ruled Suicide as Family Says Hazing Left Him At His Breaking Point, Hazing Injury and Death Attorneys in Michigan, Legal Advice For Hazing in Intermediate and High Schools, School and Workplace Shooting Victim Lawyer. Batesville police told KATVs content partner KAIT Region 8 News, that student-athletes were interviewed and there are three persons of interest. "It means a lot to us that our daughter touched so many in her short, but yet wonderful, extraordinary life," she said. The autopsy is designed to determine the cause of death, properly document findings, and collect evidence. Gilfedder said his son had nearly 60 offers to go play baseball in college, but he fell in love with Arkansas and Lyon College. 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 Oxygen.com and said the investigation was ongoing. Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his After Darke column in the Early Bird. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed Thursday in Independence County Circuit Court in connection with the January 2021 death of a Lyon College student-athlete found deceased in his dorm room. He said the family is waiting on a death certificate before they can bring their sons remains home with them to California. Region 8 News will have more details as they become available. BATESVILLE, Ark. The reality star, 42, cracked up as she joined departing . The documents do not specify a quantity or a time frame of the incident in question. The autopsy results said Gilfedder died from alcohol intoxication an accidental death. Gilfedder died in early 2021 after he was found dead in his dorm room. Get up-to-date local and regional news/weather every weekday morning and afternoon from theFirst Community BankNewsroom onArkansas 103.3. They dont have one person in jail right now. The resident assistant said Gilfedder was found "very intoxicated" and wandering the campus, so he was brought back to his room, the document states. 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California. Print Headline: Family sues in student's death, Copyright 2023, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Somebody hurt him. 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 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. Officers and emergency medical services arrived on scene and pronounced 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California dead at the scene, according to Cockrill. The bruised body of James Gilfedder is undergoing an autopsy at this time while his teammates continue to play. 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. 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. (The) kids got alcohol, they got drugs at that house. Somebody had a lot of hate or something because from what we have seen no one should have ever went through that no one.. Lyon College said Friday that the institution cannot comment on pending litigation. According to Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill, around 12:38 p.m. Saturday, the department was dispatched to the Lyon. According to the documents, James Gilfedder III was 19 years old when he was invited to a party off-campus on Jan. 29, 2021, at a home in Batesville that was being rented by another baseball player. The documents do not specify a quantity or a time frame of the incident in question. Authorities say they conducted multiple interviews with student-athletes at Lyon College, it was determined the victim had attended an off-campus party where drinking was involved the evening before he was found deceased. To make an online request for the death record you need, go to the website of Vitalcheck and follow the instructions stated there. Who can say no to quick money? When people finally see and hear about this evidence this town is going to be furious and disgusted, Gilfedder said. He died in a dorm. Nuwer, former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird, finished a stint as managing editor of the Celina Daily Standard to accept a new position as managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska. After attending the party, where he consumed alcoholic beverages, he was found deceased, lying on the floor in his dorm room. 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. 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. Region 8 News reached out to Lyon College for comment about the lawsuit. An autopsy showed Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was 0.357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. 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 . A 19-year-old Lyon College student was found dead in his dorm on Saturday, Jan. 30, according to police. Journalist Hank Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. 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. The move is a sort-of coming home for us, said Nuwer. The person Gilfedder went to the party with said he fell asleep in the car on the way home from the party, court documents state. Gilfedder had attended a pre-season party at a house on Boles Street in east Batesville, near the Lyon College campus. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Batesville police say they have interviewed students, but will not have much information until the toxicology report comes back. On Saturday, around 12:30 p.m., a friend went to check on Gilfedder, but found him dead in the same spot he was left. (877) WASH-DC-1, Free Phone Consultation 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. James Aaron Gilfedder III, 19, of Batesville, Arkansas, formerly Yucaipa, California, passed away on January 30, 2021. 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. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Found deceased was 19-year-old James Gilfedder III of Yucaipa, Cal., a freshman on the Lyon College baseball team. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. Police say three people of interest have been developed, after interviews were conducted by police on student athletes at Lyon College. James Gilfedder, 19, of Lyon College in Arkansas was found dead in his dorm room from alcohol intoxication. The resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. 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 College Post is part of Globe Post Media, a US digital news organization publishing the worlds best targeted news sites. Gilfedder's parents told Arkansas media that their son's body was battered, and he consumed a fifth of alcohol at a team "hazing party." Police are waiting for autopsy results before commenting. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to People that the case is pending additional information and/or testing which has delayed Giles official cause and manner of death. Its a secret and these kids are being told to keep quiet. He only drank a fifth of vodka that would not kill my son, Nikki said. Students said they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. . 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. Hank Nuwer Unofficial Hazing Clearinghouse, U.S. Hazing Deaths Database Part 1: 1838-1999, Hank Nuwer Author Page; Hazing Deaths Database. Email White River Now atnews@whiterivernow.com. 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 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. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Mystery continues to surround the model and aspiring actress death after the 24-year-old and her designer friend, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Police said Gilfedder had attended an off-campus party at a residence partially owned by a baseball coach and where several members of the baseball team lived. The College is fully cooperating with the Batesville Police Department and for privacy reasons, we are unable to share any further information at this time, King said. 2023 Hank Nuwer Unofficial Hazing Clearinghouse. The 27-page lawsuit says this is an action for injuries, conscious pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of life and wrongful death.. . The person Gilfedder went to the party with said he fell asleep in the car on the way home from the party, court documents state. The college said it provided counseling to students after the death and would work to help people impacted by the death. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. While still waiting for the autopsy results, Gilfedders family suspects his death is the result of a hazing event gone wrong. "Somebody did something. Sunday's cornhole tournament was all about celebrating his life and raising funds for the family. Lyon College has not responded for comment yet. Mystery continues to surround the model and aspiring actress death after the 24-year-old and her designer friend, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26, were dropped at separate Los Angeles hospitals two hours apart after a night out with friends. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Batesville police say he had last attended an off-campus party at a home rented by a few of his teammates. Just after 12:30 pm Saturday afternoon, he was found unresponsive in his dorm room and later pronounced dead. An autopsy showed that Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was .357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. Somebody killed him," Nikki Gilfedder told the Little Rock TV station. Lyon College declined to comment Friday, citing pending litigation. The home is believed to have been partially owned by Lyon College's baseball coach Jacob Huffman, documents state. The court filing noted that the Gilfedder family is represented by two law firms: Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, P.A. The home is believed to have been partially owned by Lyon College's baseball coach Jacob Huffman, documents state. Gilfedders parents told Arkansas media that their sons body was battered, and he consumed a fifth of alcohol at a team hazing party. Police are waiting for autopsy results before commenting. 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. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The house was being rented by other members of the baseball team. The college reminded students about the colleges counseling center and chaplains office offering support following his death. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Investigators are waiting on autopsy results before submitting their evidence to the prosecutor for possible charges. 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