Dartmouth sorority, 2 fraternity members charged in student's drowning death

A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity are facing charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party this summer.

Won Jang, a 20-year-old student from Delaware, was reported missing after a July 6 party that took place at an off-campus apartment building which was being rented by several members of the Alpha Phi Sorority. State and local emergency responders searched the Connecticut River and found Jang's body the next day.

On Friday, police in Hanover, New Hampshire, where Dartmouth is located, announced that an investigation into Jang's death found probable cause to charge Matthew Catrambone and Samuel Terry with one misdemeanor each for providing alcohol to persons under 2l years of age. Both are members of the Beta Alpha Omega Fraternity, the same one Jang belonged to.

Alpha Phi has been charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house, police added.

All parties were served with summons to appear at Lebanon District Court regarding these charges. It wasn't immediately clear if they had obtained attorneys.

According to police, the July 2024 party Jang attended was hosted by the Alpha Phi sorority; alcohol was purchased and provided by the Beta Alpha Omega fraternity members. Most of those at the party were under 21 and consuming alcoholic beverages, including Jang.

At the end of the party, police said several attendees spontaneously decided to swim in the river. While at the river, a heavy rainstorm hit the area and many people left in "various groups."

No one in these groups noticed that Jang was left behind or otherwise unaccounted for, according to police. Multiple people, including Jang's family, told authorities that he could not swim.

Jang's body was found in the water the following evening, about 65 feet offshore. Police said at the time that they were investigating whether hazing was a factor. An autopsy report by the NH Chief Medical Examiner's Office determined that Jang's cause of death was drowning. The toxicology report found that Jang's blood alcohol level was .167.

At the time of the incident, Dartmouth suspended the sorority and fraternity and those suspensions remain in effect pending the results of the school's ongoing internal investigation.

"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.

Jang, from Middletown, Delaware, was a member of the class of 2026 and was majoring in biomedical engineering.

The Associated Press contributed to this report