First of WSU fraternity members appears in court

One of the 15 fraternity members charged with crimes related to the 2019 death of Washington State University freshman Sam Martinez made his first appearance in court Wednesday.

Jeremy McAteer appeared in Whitman County District Court before Judge John Hart. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of furnishing liquor to minors, a gross misdemeanor.

McAteer could face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. His pre-trial hearing will take place July 22 in Pullman. Hart released McAteer on his own recognizance given that he has no criminal history.

The other current or former 14 members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity will make their first appearance in court July 9. They have also been charged by the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office with furnishing liquor to minors.

According to a news release from Tracy in early June, the men supplied liquor to one or more pledges at a fraternity event that was part of an initiation process at the fraternity.

According to a February Associated Press report, police learned that Nov. 11, 2019, had been “Big/Little Night,” an event when older fraternity members called “bigs” for “big brother” join their “littles” in drinking.

Martinez, a 19-year-old freshman from Bellevue, Wash., participated in this event and was found dead the next day from alcohol poisoning. The police investigation found he died four hours before the fraternity members called 911.

The coroner found Martinez had a blood alcohol content of 0.37.

Police interviewed approximately 75 people and pulled information from cell phone forensics. The investigation was turned over to Prosecutor Denis Tracy in February 2021.

In the wake of Martinez’s death, Alpha Tau Omega lost its recognition for six years and Martinez’s family filed a lawsuit against WSU and the fraternity.

In a Seattle Times op-ed, Martinez’s mother Jolayne Houtz said her son was hazed to death by his fraternity brothers.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.