The former LSU frat member at the center of the hazing death of fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver receives a five-year prison sentence, half of the sentence is suspended, so Matthew Naquin is set to serve two and half years. Max’s mom, Rae Ann Gruver, says Naquin showed no remorse when he addressed the court.
“He does not take any accountability for killing our son, I think it was clearly obvious with what he said today,” said Rae Ann Gruver.
Naquin was found guilty in July of negligent homicide. He was also sentenced to one-thousand hours of community service and three years probation.
Judge Beau Higginbotham must write a letter of apology to the Gruvers and speak to high school students about the dangers of hazing. Maxwell’s mother says Naquin is not the right person to lead an anti-hazing campaign.
“If he can’t take accountability with what he did to our son, there’s no way he’s going to go out to a high school and tell a bunch of high school seniors that hazing is wrong,” said Rae Ann Gruver.
Naquin is expected to bond out of prison today as he’ll remain free on bond pending appeals.
Naquin’s attorney John McLindon says he was disappointed in the sentencing as he felt it should have been more on par with others that had received lesser sentences in connection to Gruver’s death.
“It’s not directly Matthew Naquin. He was up there along with ten other boys who all engaged in the exact same conduct. The lady from LSU got it right when she said, ‘Matthew, your fraternity brothers threw you under the bus,” said McLindon.
McLindon says not enough blame was put on Gruver who had established a history of heavy drinking.
“Max Gruver was drunk 23 out of 28 nights that he was at LSU. We’ve not been able to say this for two years. He’s got some responsibility in this,” said McLindon.
