Bond set for person allegedly involved in Caleb Wilson hazing death
A Baton Rouge district judge has officially set the bond conditions for Caleb McCray, a key suspect in the hazing death of Southern University student Caleb Wilson. McCray faces the most severe charges in the case, including criminal hazing and manslaughter. During the bond hearing in March, the court set McCray's bond at $75,000 for the manslaughter charge and $25,000 for criminal hazing. Manslaughter, the most serious charge, carries a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison if McCray is convicted.
The judge also imposed specific conditions on McCray's bond. He is required to use a phone tracker instead of the traditional ankle monitor. Additionally, McCray is ordered to have no contact with any co-defendants involved in the case. Two other individuals, Kyle Thurman and Isaiah Smith, are also facing charges related to the incident but were charged with misdemeanor hazing, a lesser offense compared to the charges against McCray.
In February, Southern University student Caleb Wilson collapsed and died in an off-campus fraternity ritual for membership in the Omega Psi Phi fraternity chapter on Southern's campus. Information gathered after Wilson's death in late February revealed that members of Omega Psi Phi at Southern University misled police about where Wilson's death occurred during the ritual. Initially, they claimed Wilson and other pledges were at a park when the incident happened. However, sources now reveal the pledges were actually in a warehouse in Baton Rouge at the time.
According to a March report by WBRZ, based on information from a source, an unsanctioned event required pledges to stand in a single-file line. Each pledge was punched with a boxing glove before running to the back of the line, repeating the process for everyone. After being punched, Wilson ran to the back of the line but collapsed and began having seizures.
The pledges reportedly did not have access to their phones, and it's unclear if those overseeing the ritual had theirs. No 911 call was made. According to WBRZ's source, 15 minutes passed before Wilson was placed in a car and taken to Baton Rouge General, where he was pronounced dead.
In early March, McCray was charged with criminal hazing and manslaughter. His bond is set at $75,000 for the manslaughter charge and $25,000 for the hazing charge.
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