Two Dartmouth College fraternity members have been charged over the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party.
Beta Alpha Omega members Matthew Catrambone and Samuel Terry have been accused of providing alcohol to a person under 21, after Won Jang, 20, was found dead in the Connecticut River in early July.
Police in Hanover, New Hampshire, where the college is located, said officers have also charged the Alpha Phi sorority – a corporation – with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house for hosting the party.
The party Jang attended was hosted by Alpha Phi and alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Most people at the party were younger than 21.
After the event, police said several students went for a spontaneous swim in the river.
A heavy rainstorm hit while they were at the river, and most people left. Jang, a biomedical engineering student from Middletown, Delaware, was left behind.
His family say he could not swim. He was found in water that was about 20 feet deep, around 65 feet from shore.
Police previously said they had been contacted about the possibility that Jang’s death was caused by heavy drinking or hazing.
Won Jang, 20, who was a member of Beta Alpha Omega at the Ivy League institution, was found dead in the Connecticut River in early July. Two fraternity members have been charged
In January, Beta Alpha Omega was one of four frats at the school to be suspended over violations of community standards
Jang was reported missing on Sunday morning when he didn’t show up to an event and found dead that evening. Police said they were contacted about a potential hazing incident
‘We received some emails from the college that indicated alcohol may be involved or hazing may be involved,’ said Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis.
‘Certainly, we will look into that aspect, too,’ he added, though when he was found, authorities said they received no indication of foul play.
The toxicology report found that Jang’s blood alcohol level was 0.167 – more than twice the legal driving limit.
In January, Beta Alpha Omega was one of four frats at the school to be suspended over violations of community standards, according to The Dartmouth.
Suspensions can be handed out for ‘repeated misconduct, or for misconduct found to be sufficiently serious to warrant stopping all activity for a specified number of terms.’
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a statement that there was no indication Jang had left the river area when they investigated.
A toxicology report on Jang could take anywhere from three to six months to determine results.
His heartbroken father, Hongpil Jang, paid tribute to his son’s ‘deep love for music’ including playing Korean instruments.
‘He loved sharing what he had and was proud to be who he was,’ Hongpil Jang wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth.
‘He created a Korean club at school to teach his friends Korean and voluntarily taught Janggu, Korean drum, to adults in the Delaware Korean School, even performing with them.’
He added that his son also played piano, trumpet, electric guitar, and bass, and had won awards as ‘one of the top performers on the East Coast’.
Delaware native Won Jang, 20, was a member of Beta Alpha Omega at the Ivy League institution. Two Dartmouth College fraternity members and a sorority have been charged
Jang – a member of the Dartmouth class of 2026 – majored in biomedical engineering, with his profile on the fraternity website proclaiming him ‘The Won and only’
Jang’s college friend, Lydia Jin, remembered him for his infectious positivity.
‘He was such a friendly face on campus, and behind that smile he was just such a happy soul,’ Jin told The Dartmouth.
‘He just wanted to share that happiness with as many people as he could.’
‘He was genuinely just the nicest and [most] uplifting person ever — he always had a smile on his face no matter what he was going through,’ another friend, Sreeya Pittala, added. ‘He genuinely cared about other people.’
At the time of the incident, Dartmouth suspended the sorority and fraternity and those suspensions remain in effect.
‘Dartmouth has long valued the contributions that Greek organizations bring to the student experience, when they are operating within their stated values and standards,’ the college said in a statement.
‘These organizations, as well as all Dartmouth students and community members, have a responsibility to ensure Dartmouth remains a safe, respectful, equitable, and inclusive community for students, faculty, and staff.’
No one from Alpha Phi could be reached for comment.
