James Aaron Gilfedder III, 19, of Batesville, Arkansas, formerly Yucaipa, California, passed away on January 30, 2021. Im just sick to my stomach. The family said that Rainwater Holt & Sexton to are set to represent them. 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. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. James "Big Country Gilfedder" played for Yucaipa HS his senior year, 2020. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! His new book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. To find out more about the aforementioned records, call the California Department of Public health at 916-445-2684. When people finally see and hear about this evidence this town is going to be furious and disgusted, Gilfedder said. James Gilfedder, 19, of Lyon College in Arkansas was found dead in his dorm room from alcohol intoxication. 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. Chief Cockrill said the victim was identified as James Aaron Gilfedder. The family said they havent received many answers. Students said they left Gilfedder passed out on the floor of his Lyon College dorm room around 2 a.m. Jan. 30, 2021. Cabrales-Arzola allegedly responded Yes. Giles mother is planning to fly to California to attend her daughters memorial service. 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. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The documents do not specify a quantity or a time frame of the incident in question. . Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Gilfedder, a freshman student-athlete at Lyon College, was found dead in his dorm room earlier this year. I mean he wasnt innocent, but that wouldnt have killed him. 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. All rights reserved. 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. There are plenty of cheap colleges in the US here are the most affordable public and private ones. 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. 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 best part-time jobs for college students will beef up your resume (and, more importantly, your wallet) without sacrificing your grades. Somebody reach out to us and tell us what happened, tell us what happened, Nikki said. Investigators are waiting on autopsy results before submitting their evidence to the prosecutor for possible charges. Yes, I think it was an initiation that went out of control, James said. Read his musings in his column "Golden Heart Tales" in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Get the latest news about higher education in the US straight to your inbox. 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. I feel like I participated in his murder because I brought him here, James said. We were hoping because it was a dry county, no alcohol, that things were going to be good, Nikki said. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal). James Gilfedder, 19, of California was found unresponsive on Saturday around 12:38 p.m. according to Cockrill's statement. LITTLE ROCK (KATV) 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. Somebody killed him," Nikki Gilfedder, James' mother, said. Gilfedder (pictured below) was a freshman baseball player at Lyon College. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Have a news tip or event to promote? 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The suit does not cite a specific monetary figure. inside his dorm room on Saturday. While still waiting for the autopsy results, Gilfedder's family suspects his death is the result of a hazing event gone wrong. The documents say the college and the coach were aware of the hazing of new teammates, including Gilfedder. Somebody hurt him. 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. The younger James Gilfedder, who was 19, died Jan. 30 after attending a party with the Lyon College baseball team. The college reminded students about the colleges counseling center and chaplains office offering support following his death. KATV asked James if he believed it was a hazing event. "He only drank a fifth of vodka; that would not kill my son." 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 . Somebody had a lot of hate or something because from what we have seen no one should have ever went through that no one.. An autopsy showed that Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was .357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. 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. Family of Lyon College student who died of alcohol poisoning files suit, Lawsuit filed against Summit Utilities over price gouging, NWS: EF-2 tornado confirmed in Arkansas storms, 2023 4A State Tournament: Blytheville boys beat Farmington, advance to state title game, Razorback signee Jenna Lawrence leads Farmington girls to 4A state title game, 2023 3A State Tournament: Manila boys beat Dumas, advance to state title game, 2023 6A State Tournament: Jonesboro boys beat Cabot, advance to state title game. He wanted to be a doctor or (a) professional baseball player, Nikki said. "Somebody did something. 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. 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. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. All rights reserved. He only drank a fifth of vodka that would not kill my son, she, Virginia House Bill to Offer Scholarships to Descendants of Enslaved Workers, United Steelworkers Call Out University of Pittsburgh Anti-Union Efforts, 26 Best Part-Time Jobs for College Students to Earn Extra Cash, 15 Most Expensive College Majors (And If Theyre Worth It), Top 27 College Party Themes for a Night to Remember, Is Community College Free? White River Now updates are also aired weekday mornings on93 KZLE,Outlaw 106.5, andYour FM 99.5. KATV reached out to Batesville police and they said no new information would come out until the autopsy was complete. White River Now updates are also aired weekday mornings on93 KZLE,Outlaw 106.5, andYour FM 99.5. The autopsy is designed to determine the cause of death, properly document findings, and collect evidence. James and Nikki Gilfedder had no idea when they dropped their 19-year-old son off in Batesville two weeks ago that it would be the last time they saw him alive. Somebody killed him. I want my son back, Gilfedder said. Batesville police say he had last attended an off-campus party at a home rented by a few of his teammates. "Gilly" was a kind and charismatic young man who was a team favorite and genuine friend to many. Gilfedder was a freshman at the. The autopsy results said Gilfedder died from alcohol intoxication an accidental death. The Batesville Police Department arrived on the scene around 12:38 pm and began an investigation. While still waiting for the autopsy results, Gilfedders family suspects his death is the result of a hazing event gone wrong. The family got a call from Batesville police on Saturday that their son had died after going to a party with the baseball team. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to People that the case is . Another way to request for California Death Records is through online public databases. The Gilfedders were especially saddened to learn the circumstances surrounding their son's death. Batesville police say they have interviewed students, but will not have much information until the toxicology report comes back. Now the family is left with just their memories, anger and so many questions. The resident assistant did not check on him again that night and found him dead the next day, according to the document. The 27-page lawsuit says this is an action for injuries, conscious pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of life and wrongful death.. In Arkansas, it is the public policy to protect minors as a special class of citizens from the adverse consequences of alcohol consumption, the lawsuit says. 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. Click below for more info from White River Now. "Somebody did something.. 2023 Hank Nuwer Unofficial Hazing Clearinghouse. 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. 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. 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. He only drank a fifth of vodka that would not kill my son, she told KATV. The house was being rented by other members of the baseball team. Looking for James Gilfedder online? Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his After Darke column in the Early Bird. Batesville police told KATVs content partner KAIT Region 8 News, that student-athletes were interviewed and there are three persons of interest. After attending the party, where he consumed alcoholic beverages, he was found deceased, lying on the floor in his dorm room. Kim Kardashian looked delighted as she joined James Corden to film a skit for his Carpool Karaoke segment on The Late Late Show this week.. Gilfedder had attended a pre-season party at a house on Boles Street in east Batesville, near the Lyon College campus. 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. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Warsaw, Poland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said the. LITTLE ROCK (KATV) The Batesville Police Department has identified a Lyon College student that was found dead in his dorm room over the weekend. 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. 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. Has your state launched one yet? 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. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal). 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. Police are Investigating the On-Campus Shooting Death of a UArizona Sophomore as a Homicide. 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. An autopsy showed Gilfedder's blood alcohol content was 0.357% and that the cause of his death was acute alcohol intoxication. Somebody hurt him. They dont have one person in jail right now. James said his son hoped to bring the town of Batesville a championship. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This is a difficult time with an enormous disruption and I promise you that we will come together as a community to appropriately mourn this loss, the statement noted. 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.. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The attorney for the Gilfedder family, Denise Reid Hoggard of Little Rock and Tony L. Wilcox and Chris A. Averitt of Jonesboro, allege that Lyon College and Huffman knew the baseball team was engaged in hazing new players like Gilfedder and had a right to protect those college students. Chief Cockrill said the victim was identified as James Aaron Gilfedder. When the family arrived in Arkansas from California, they said the pieces didnt all match up. Email White River Now atnews@whiterivernow.com. However, no proof of foul play has been confirmed as of now, since Batesville police and Lyon College have not released any new information. The bruised body of James Gilfedder is undergoing an autopsy at this time while his teammates continue to play. Free community college programs have become more and more popular. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. 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