McCormick student charged in freshman’s alcohol death
McCormick student Alexander Krzyston has been arrested regarding the alcohol-related death of SESP freshman Matthew Sunshine, police said.
Krzyston, 22, has been charged with felony unlawful delivery of alcohol liquor to a minor, and has a Jan. 14 court date at the Skokie Courthouse, according to an Evanston Police press release.
Sunshine was found dead in his Foster House dorm room early in the morning of June 10, at which time Evanston Police, University Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office began a joint investigation, Cmdr. Tom Guenther said.
Interviews revealed that Sunshine participated in a drinking game on the night of June 9, and that Krzyston provided the alcohol, Guenther said. Sunshine was brought back to his room — “due to his intoxicated status,” according to the release — and students checked on him at various times during the night. When Sunshine was found unresponsive, students alerted authorities.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said that Sunshine’s .396 blood-alcohol level directly contributed to his death. Because Sunshine was a minor, Krzyston is directly culpable for Sunshine’s death, Guenther said.
Under Illinois law, a person who gives alcohol to a minor is guilty of a Class 4 felony — and thus can be sentenced to 1-3 years in prison — if the minor dies from consumption of that alcohol.
Krzyston is the only person charged at present, Guenther said, but that doesn’t preclude the possibility of future arrests.
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holy shit.
Angelica
December 18, 2008 at 9:08 pm
OMG.
B
December 19, 2008 at 11:35 am
omg that is ridiculous…
N
December 19, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Honestly, if the boy didn’t get it from him, he would’ve gotten it from someone/somewhere else. He, unfortunately, made his own bad decision. And wasn’t he 19? A minor, really?
Y
December 23, 2008 at 1:37 am
Absolutely unfair to Krzyston.
L
December 23, 2008 at 10:51 am
Alam- doing better things than going on facebook as in reading an article about what facebook profiles say about you….
lizzie
December 29, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Lizzie,
I’d be insulted, but you posted on the wrong topic. How embarrassing.I feel bad for Krzyston, this is unfair to him, but I suppose someone has to be held responsible in these sad situations.
Alam
January 1, 2009 at 6:33 am