|| By FITSNEWS || Richland County (S.C.) coroner Gary Watts has confirmed excessive alcohol consumption led to the untimely death of University of South Carolina freshman Charlie Terreni, Jr. last month.
That confirms a big part of our prior reporting on the matter …
Terreni’s body was found at an off-campus home reportedly affiliated with the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. It was discovered a day after the organization held a “Big Brother” party in conjunction with St. Patrick’s Day. University officials and city of Columbia, S.C. police are continuing to investigate the incident – and the fraternity remains on suspension.
According to Watts, Terreni had a blood alcohol level of 0.375 – which is more than four times the legal driving limit of 0.08.
No mention was made of the alleged presence of Alprazolam (a.k.a. Xanax) in Terreni’s bloodstream, which would seem to indicate authorities do not believe it factored into his death.
It’s been a bad year for fraternities in the Palmetto State …
At Clemson University, Sigma Phi Epsilon was slapped with a five-year suspension in February following the mysterious September 2014 death of 19-year-old member Tucker Hipps. That case – which remains unsolved – has prompted a wrongful death suit.
And more than a little outrage …
Meanwhile back at USC, the Kappa Sigma fraternity saw its charter at the school revoked due to “hazing and significant drug problems” – news of which broke exclusively on FITS. Kappa Sigma later won an appeal restoring its charter, however.
Terreni – 18 years old at the time of his death – was the son of prominent local attorney Charlie Terreni. He attended Cardinal Newman, a Catholic private school, where he played soccer and was active in student government.
8 comments
This is a sad tale. Lots of “us” drank in school, and sometimes to excess. All sorts have done it; frat boys and independents, boys and girls …you get the picture.
He was a fine young man, from a fine family. Mistakes were made, as they say, but I suspect we have all put ourselves in harms way at some point of our lives but were lucky enough to survive.
Most of us had driven too fast or carelessly, texted while driving, drank to much etc, etc. but we were lucky. This kid wasn’t and he paid the ultimate price.
May the family find peace…
Did the coroner really put “Dumb Ass” in the cause of death box?
I wish I knew your past well enough to catalog your dumb ass activities. Your arrogance is offensive and you deserve a fate worse that this young mans.
Piss off Mr. Perfect.
Yes I’ll admit that I did some not so smart things when I was in my early 20’s. Yet I had the sense not to drink to deadly limits or mix drugs and alcohol. Darwin is someone who always wins.
Don’t we all hate to say it — but let’s say it. This blood is just fertilizer. The war goes on. In Columbia, in Charleston, in D.C. , in the Middle East, in every point on the compass.
Every bottle and can with alcohol sold. should have Poison written on the label.
I don’t think it was the alcohol that killed him, but mixing drugs i.e. Xanax.
Maybe both should be labeled? Not to mention the many OTC drugs, other prescription drugs and yes, I wish they would have had a label on cigarettes years ago – they will kill you.
My Great Uncle a WWII vet, smoked until somewhere around 50 and he died close to 90. It must have been those damn cigarettes ;)