Eight more arraigned in Penn State fraternity death

Eight more members of a now-disbanded Penn State fraternity were arraigned Tuesday, raising to 18 the number of at Beta Theta Pi brothers and pledges criminally charged following the death of a pledge who fell down a flight of steps after a night of drinking.

Among those arraigned was Ryan McCann, a senior who called 911 about 12 hours after Timothy Piazza fell — and after googling "binge drinking" and "bruising or discoloration, cold feet and cold hands," authorities say.

Details from the call, made at 10:48 a.m. on Feb. 3, were released Monday. McCann sounds calm as he tells the dispatcher "we have a friend who’s unconscious. He’s... probably going to need an ambulance." McCann acknowledged that drinking was involved but did not mention the fall.

Piazza died the next day.

McCann is charged with one count of tampering with evidence, accused of attempting to clean up Piazza before emergency responders arrived. Several students face more serious charges, including involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault.

The judge set bail at $50,000 for the eight arraigned Tuesday. They were ordered not to consume any alcohol and drugs, cannot leave their home state without court permission, must turn in their passports within 10 days and cannot contact witnesses. Ten other defendants were arraigned on Friday.

Read more:

The shocking final hours of Penn State pledge Timothy Piazza's life

8 charged with manslaughter in fraternity hazing death at Penn State

Penn State frat member told 911: ‘We have a friend who’s unconscious’

A grand jury issued a chilling report last week concluding that fraternity members were indifferent to clear signs that Piazza was in trouble, then later engaged in a vigorous effort to conceal evidence of hazing and underage drinking. Text messages were deleted and members discussed erasing video from the fraternity's extensive security system, the grand jury report said.

The cameras recorded Piazza drinking vodka and beer on the night of Feb. 2, and an hour later he needed help walking. Video showed Piazza struggling throughout the night, and falling multiple times. At one point, while he was on a couch, members put a backpack full of books on his back to keep him from rolling over and choking on his vomit, the report said.

Another who encountered Piazza on the floor stepped over him, according to the report.

A doctor calculated that Piazza's blood-alcohol content at the time he fell down the stairs was .28 to .36 percent, the report said. That's about four times the legal limit for driving. Doctors concluded Piazza suffered from multiple traumatic brain injuries, including a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen.

Piazza died as a "direct result of the extremely reckless conduct of members of the Beta fraternity," aided by the permissive atmosphere fostered by Penn State's Interfraternity Council, the grand jury found.