Nightly News   |  May 02, 2012

13 charged in FAMU hazing death

Eleven of the 13 people charged in the death of drum major Robert Champion are facing third degree felony charges in what the prosecutor calls a case of ‘homicide by hazing.’ NBC’s Kerry Sanders reports.

Share This:

This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> sad case that shed light on hazing. 13 people were charged today in the death of a florida a&m murd death, but none are charged with murder and that has people asking why.

>> the famed florida a&m marching band has been temporarily silence his robert's death 13 months ago. now 13 people on his fam u band bus are accused of pummeling him to death. 11 of them are charged with third degree charges.

>> i have come to believe that hazing is a term for bullying. bullying with a tradition that we cannot bear in america.

>> the 26-year-old's parents said they were hoping for a harsher indictm, murder or manslaughter.

>> there needs to be something more harsh, something to send a message we won't tolerate it anymore.

>> why no charge of murder? legal experts say prosecutors would need to know who threw the fatal blow, but they say it was not one but many punches that led to his death.

>> robert champion died as a result of hemorrhagic shock due to soft issue injury.

>> if kikted, those charged in his case could face up to six years in prison. florida has rarely used its seven-year-old hazing resulting in death statute. current and former fam u members said this has revealed a nasty secret that has been quiet lad accepted as tradition. last week, two music professors at fam u resigned amid reports they were present during hazing of other band pledges. their lawyers say they deny any involvement in hazing occasions and three others were charged with beating a freshman band member, breaking her leg. follow the charges, they issued statement saying they would initiate proceedings against those involved.

>> kerry sanders , thanks.