PROBATION REVOKED IN FATAL '94 HAZING

One of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity members responsible for killing a student during hazing rituals in 1994 was sent to prison for probation violations.

Michael Q. Williams, 24, of north St. Louis County, will spend at least 120 days in prison for drug and work-related violations of his probation on an original charge of manslaughter, said St. Louis Circuit Judge Robert H. Dierker Jr.

Williams was one of 16 fraternity members charged with hazing in the death of Michael Davis, a 25-year-old junior. The two were not related.

Fraternity members had punched, kicked and body slammed pledges during a week of hazing that led to the pledge's death.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said the state Board of Probation and Parole had recommended that Williams' probation be revoked, and he concurred with the recommendation. He said the judge gave Williams every opportunity to stay out of prison, and Williams failed to take advantage of it.

Williams pleaded guilty in 1994 to hazing and involuntary manslaughter. He pled guilty without seeking a plea bargain, leaving sentencing up to the judge. At that time Dierker sentenced Williams to 90 days in jail for the misdemeanor of hazing and five years probation for involuntary manslaughter.

Last September Dierker had revoked Williams' probation due to a violation and given him seven years in prison with a suspended sentence.

"I decided to give him another chance," Dierker said.

However, in November, Williams' probation officer reported that he was violating his probation agreement in three areas: failure to find permanent employment, failure to complete a drug treatment program, and use of a controlled substance

Even though Williams' urine test had shown a negative result for drug use, he had volunteered information to his probation officer that he had used marijuana, Dierker said.

"Now he's on his way to the penitentiary," the judge said.

Based on Williams' behavior in prison, he could be returned to his probation status within 120 days, Dierker said.

The original conditions of Williams probation required him to perform 500 hours of community service over five years, with the type of community service left up to his probation officer.

At one point, Williams had spoken to a group of 200 Greek pledges in 1996 at Southeast's Academic Auditorium as part of his probation.

"I think the key word we're missing here is responsibility," Williams told the audience. "We're definitely being held accountable for our actions. The sentence we've got is living with the death of a friend."