However, no proof of foul play has been confirmed as of now, since Batesville police and Lyon College have not released any new information. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. 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. Email White River Now atnews@whiterivernow.com. 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. James Gilfedder, 19, of Lyon College in Arkansas was found dead in his dorm room from alcohol intoxication. All rights reserved. When people finally see and hear about this evidence this town is going to be furious and disgusted, Gilfedder said. Somebody killed him," Nikki Gilfedder, James' mother, said. 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. Looking for James Gilfedder online? Gilfedder died in early 2021 after he was found dead in his dorm room. A web design company. 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. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Has your state launched one yet? The reality star, 42, cracked up as she joined departing . The police have notified the family of the incident and are waiting for the results of the autopsy before handing over their evidence to the prosecutor. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Somebody reach out to us and tell us what happened, tell us what happened, Nikki said. Click to open player flyout to access more features. 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. Batesville police say he had last attended an off-campus party at a home rented by a few of his teammates. The autopsy results said Gilfedder died from alcohol intoxication an accidental death. According to Chief Alan Cockrill with the Batesville Police Department, a 19-year-old Lyon College student was found dead in his dorm on Saturday, Jan. 30. He said the family is waiting on a death certificate before they can bring their sons remains home with them to California. 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. I mean he wasnt innocent, but that wouldnt have killed him. According to the family, Giles lifeless body was dropped at a Southern California Hospital nearly 12 hours later by men seen in a video concealing their identities and driving a vehicle with no license plate. TCU Fraternity on Probation After Investigation Into Car Crash. Somebody killed him," Nikki Gilfedder told the Little Rock TV station. 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. went to a party with the schools baseball team prior to his death. The College Post is part of Globe Post Media, a US digital news organization publishing the worlds best targeted news sites. The resident assistant claimed they found him very intoxicated and wandering the campus, so they brought him back to his room, the document states. At the time of Gilfedders death, the president of the college shared a news release confirming the death, and confirmed the college was cooperating with the police department. 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California was attending Lyon College to play first base on the men's baseball team. Students said they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. BATESVILLE, Ark. Somebody hurt him. The house was being rented by other members of the baseball team. He only drank a fifth of vodka that would not kill my son, Nikki said. The Gilfedders were especially saddened to learn the circumstances surrounding their son's death. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All rights reserved. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. Gilfedder, a freshman student-athlete at Lyon College, was found dead in his dorm room earlier this year. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. To find out more about the aforementioned records, call the California Department of Public health at 916-445-2684. The college reminded students about the colleges counseling center and chaplains office offering support following his death. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Learn how your comment data is processed. Have a news tip or event to promote? Gilfedder went to a friend's house on Friday night, Jan. 29, and at some point in the night, consumed alcohol, according to police. 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 KABC. Giles mother is planning to fly to California to attend her daughters memorial service. The autopsy is designed to determine the cause of death, properly document findings, and collect evidence. The home is believed to have been partially owned by Lyon College's baseball coach Jacob Huffman, documents state. The documents say the college and the coach were aware of the hazing of new teammates, including Gilfedder. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Warsaw, Poland and Fairbanks, Alaska. 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. 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. A 19-year-old Lyon College student was found dead in his dorm on Saturday, Jan. 30, according to police. Police are Investigating the On-Campus Shooting Death of a UArizona Sophomore as a Homicide. 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. Officers and emergency medical services arrived on scene and pronounced 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California dead at the scene, according to Cockrill. An hour and a half later, it was determined that Gilfedder was unresponsive and students notified the resident assistant, the documents state. Yes, I think it was an initiation that went out of control, James said. Somebody did something. Here are 67 side hustles perfect for hard-working college students with tight student budgets! "Gilly" was a kind and charismatic young man who was a team favorite and genuine friend to many. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The family of James Gilfedder III filed suit Thursday, Jan. 27 in Independence County Circuit Court against Lyon College, Huffmania Ventures, LLC, Jacob Huffman (a pitching coach at Lyon College), five John Doe Insurance Companies and 10 John Does in the case. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Police in Batesville have now released the name of the person found dead in a dorm room at Lyon College this weekend. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill told KATV that Gilfedder went to a party with the schools baseball team prior to his death. 10 min away.. The Batesville Police Department arrived on the scene around 12:38 pm and began an investigation. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The family got a call from Batesville police on Saturday that their son had died after going to a party with the baseball team. Gilfedder was a freshman at the. (202) 351-0510 | 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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." Investigators say they have identified three persons of interest, but there were no signs of foul play at the scene. An hour and a half later, it was determined that Gilfedder was unresponsive and students notified the resident assistant, the documents state. Free community college programs have become more and more popular. And dont forget to download the White River Now mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Its destroyed our whole family. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! (202) 351-0510 | 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. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill told White River Now the results from the Arkansas State Crime Labs autopsy on James Gilfedder were recently received. Print Headline: Family sues in student's death, Copyright 2023, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Students claim they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said an autopsy showed Gilfedder died of severe alcohol intoxication and that the. With no formal autopsy result to determine what happened, Nikki Gilfedder, the victims mother, is suggesting that something more sinister is at play because the information presented to them didnt all match up.. After attending the party, where he consumed alcoholic beverages, he was found deceased, lying on the floor in his dorm room. The court filing noted that the Gilfedder family is represented by two law firms: Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, P.A. "It means a lot to us that our daughter touched so many in her short, but yet wonderful, extraordinary life," she said. Who can say no to quick money? The resident assistant said Gilfedder was found "very intoxicated" and wandering the campus, so he was brought back to his room, the document states. 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. An hour and a half later, it was determined that Gilfedder was unresponsive and he was blue and purple in color, so students notified the resident assistant, the documents state. The family is asking anyone with information about what happened to come forward. Various underage baseball and softball players were present and drinking alcohol at the party, and Gilfedder became visibly intoxicated after being supplied with alcohol, which the coach witnessed, the filing states. He was born in Palm Springs, California on July 19, 2001 to parents James II and Nicole Gilfedder. The move is a sort-of coming home for us, said Nuwer. 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. 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. Model Christy Giles Is Dead And Family Suspects Foul Play, A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to. 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. Media said the house where he parties was owned by an assistant coach. "Somebody did something. Ive got all the messages that she exchanged with anybody else that night and she was texting Marcela, the girl that she was with, at 5:30 saying lets get out of here with a wide eye emoji, Cilliers said. Gilfedder had attended a pre-season party at a house on Boles Street in east Batesville, near the Lyon College campus. Click below for more info from White River Now. All rights reserved. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to People that the case is . The suit alleges Gilfedders death could have been part of a hazing on the night in question (Jan. 30, 2021), causing him to drink a massive amount of alcohol in a very short period of time, the suit said. A student at Lyon College in Arkansas, 19-year-old James Gilfedder, was found dead inside his dorm room on Saturday. I havent been able to sleep. Region 8 News will have more details as they become available. Cilliers said their iCloud account shows that no further messages were sent or checked from Giles phone. (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. For COVID-19 information from the Arkansas Department of Health,click here. The younger James Gilfedder, who was 19, died Jan. 30 after attending a party with the Lyon College baseball team. 19-year-old James Gilfedder of California. Mystery continues to surround the model and aspiring actress death after the 24-year-old and her designer friend, Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26. 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 college said it provided counseling to students after the death and would work to help people impacted by the death. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Therefore, a person or entity can be held liable for providing alcohol to a minor for damages sustained by the intoxicated minor.. The family believes that Gilfedders death is the result of a hazing event that went wrong.

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