Student admits to hazing freshman leaving him permanently blind and unable to speak or walk
A student has pleaded guilty to supplying liquor to a minor and misdemeanor hazing after Daniel Santulli was left fighting for his life.
Daniel, a University of Missouri student, started college in 2021 and, like many students do when going to college, decided to join a fraternity.
But while pledging the fraternity, things went horribly wrong for Daniel in October of that year, and he ended up being rushed to hospital.
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As part of the pledge, Daniel (who was 19 at the time) was reportedly forced to drink a whole bottle of vodka, as well as being force-fed beer through a tube.
Footage shows the events of the night unfold, where Daniel's so-called frat brothers were seen driving him to hospital.
When he arrived, doctors found that the teen had alcohol poisoning. They also had to restart his heart as Daniel had gone into cardiac arrest.
The ordeal has left Daniel with severe brain damage and he's now permanently blind and unable to talk or walk.
He needs round-the-clock care from his family, who say his medical bills are in excess of $2 million, MailOnline reports.
Speaking out after the tragic incident, Daniel's family recalled seeing him in the hospital.
Nick Santulli, Daniel's brother, told ABC News in 2022: "I saw Danny in the medical ICU at the hospital at Mizzou. And it's just a bunch of tubes everywhere."
"That's an image that will probably never leave my head," he added.
Elsewhere, Daniel's mother gave an update of his condition at the time.
"He's still not talking or walking," Mary Pat Santulli, explained on Good Morning America. "He's in a wheelchair. He lost his vision. But he hears us, and he knows we're there."
His mom, who is now Daniel's full-time carer, went on to say that the family were 'not going to give up hope'.
Following the near-fatal ordeal, two students were charged in relation to Daniel's situation.
Ryan Delanty, who was one of the two students charged at the time, is now facing six months behind bars.
On Friday (May 10), Delanty pleaded guilty in Boone County to supplying liquor to a minor and misdemeanor hazing.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a six-month jail sentence followed by six months of house arrest.
Delanty is due to be sentenced on May 24.
The other student who was charged, Thomas Shultz, pleaded guilty in April to supplying liquor to a minor.
He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years of probation, and was ordered to perform community service and complete a drug and alcohol education program.
Niamh Shackleton