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AG: No Hazing Charges in Penn State-Altoona Frat Suicide

PITTSBURGH ― A state grand jury is recommending no criminal charges for fraternity hazing that one family claims led to the suicide of a Penn State-Altoona student.

The grand jury report released Tuesday indicates 18-year-old Marquise Braham left notes indicating he had contemplated suicide since he was a child. It also says there’s no evidence linking Braham’s hazing by the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and his death.

Finally, while several witnesses described hazing – including sleep deprivation, alcohol binging, and other abuse – the grand jury says “there is both conflicting evidence and a lack of direct evidence” that could lead to successful prosecutions.

Braham’s family sued the school and the fraternity last month, blaming the hazing for his March 204 suicide.

A spokesman says the family is preparing a statement. The school and fraternity didn’t immediately comment.

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