Alcohol-related death Subpoenas

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Subpoenas have been issued to some members of a University of Oklahoma fraternity to testify before a multicounty grand jury investigating last month's alcohol-related death of

Saturday, October 16th 2004, 11:55 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Subpoenas have been issued to some members of a University of Oklahoma fraternity to testify before a multicounty grand jury investigating last month's alcohol-related death of a pledge.

Members of the Sigma Chi fraternity haven't cooperated with police in the investigation of Blake Hammontree's death, Cleveland County District Attorney Tim Kuykendall said Friday.

Hammontree, a 19-year-old Medford freshman, was found dead Sept. 30 inside the Sigma Chi fraternity house. An autopsy showed he had a blood-alcohol content of .42, more than five times the legal intoxication limit.

``This is a tool to compel those who remain uncooperative to testify about what happened the night Mr. Hammontree died,'' Kuykendall said.

The panel, which meets in private, has sessions scheduled for Monday through Wednesday in the Oklahoma County office building.

Kuykendall said he and other investigators will be on hand when the fraternity members are questioned.

Prosecutors already have charged Sigma Chi member Cody Barrington with furnishing alcohol to a minor on the night Hammontree died.