Ryan P Delanty: Ex-Mizzou frat member faces jail after pleading guilty in hazing that left fellow student permanently blind

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

MANCHESTER, MISSOURI: Ryan P Delanty, a former member of the University of Missouri fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, has pled guilty to charges related to a hazing incident that left a fellow student, Danny Santulli, with severe and permanent injuries. 

Due to the October 2021 hazing incident, Santulli is permanently blind, unable to speak, and unable to walk.

Danny Santulli was made to consume excessive amounts of alcohol while pledging the fraternity

Delanty, hailing from Manchester, Missouri, admitted to the charges of supplying liquor to a minor and misdemeanor hazing on Friday, May 10. 

As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors recommend a six-month jail sentence followed by six months of house arrest for Delanty. His sentencing is slated for May 24.

During the fraternity event in October 2021, Santulli, a freshman, was coerced into consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, including a 1.75-liter bottle of Tito's vodka, and was force-fed beer through a tube.

Despite the victim becoming visibly ill, no one called for medical assistance. Santulli's blood alcohol content was recorded at 0.486, six times the legal limit, according to authorities, as per Daily Mail.

The consequences of the hazing were severe, with Santulli sustaining irreversible brain damage. He now requires round-the-clock care and faces medical bills exceeding $2 million.

His family has been deeply impacted by the incident, prompting them to file a civil lawsuit against the fraternity and 23 members, which was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2022.

Danny Santulli was ordered to climb inside a trash can containing broken glass during the month-long hazing process

According to allegations from Santulli's family, the fraternity culture promoted dangerous hazing rituals, including excessive alcohol consumption and exposure to hazardous conditions. The victim had been subjected to a month-long hazing process. 

The lawsuit stated, "He was sleep deprived, was having to buy things for the fraternity brothers with his own money and was repeatedly ordered to clean the brothers' rooms and bring food, alcohol, and marijuana to them at all hours of the night."

It added, "Making matters worse, during the pledging process, Danny had been ordered to climb inside of a trash can that had broken glass in it."

The lawsuit further alleges that at the time of the incident, the accused students were under scrutiny from the school due to a prior hazing episode, leading to legal proceedings against those implicated.

Another fraternity member, Thomas Shultz, pleaded guilty to supplying liquor to a minor in the case and received a 30-day jail sentence, probation, community service, and mandatory drug and alcohol education.

Samuel Gandhi and Alec Wetzler, both of whom were implicated in the family's lawsuit, entered guilty pleas in 2023.