Interviews continue, charges possible in death of FSU fraternity pledge

Andrew Coffey, 20, found dead Friday morning

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Four days after a Florida State University student was found unresponsive, police in Tallahassee released a highly redacted eight-page report, showing four initial interviews that were conducted following the death of Andrew Coffey.

Police in the state capital continue to conduct interviews tied to the case of 20-year-old Coffey, a Pi Kappa Phi pledge who was confirmed dead after an off-campus fraternity party.

Charges in the case might be coming sooner rather than later.

Neighbors have said that five people lived at the property where Coffey was discovered Friday morning. Police have since done more than 50 interviews, and more are planned.
 
Dozens of high school students were touring the campus Tuesday morning with their parents. None of the parents said Coffey’s death would deter them from sending a child to Florida State.

“I feel like it can affect any school, anywhere. Any home. Any family,” said Dana Andrews, a mother from Oviedo.
 
“I hope that my daughter has better judgement,” said Victor Krasynskyy, a father from Cape Coral.
 
University President John Thrasher said a temporary ban on all Greek activity on campus was the right thing to do. 
 
“I didn’t see another way (to get) attention -- their attention, without doing that,” Thrasher said. “We want to take a pause and try to figure out what to do as a community. (As an) FSU community, (a) Greek community (and) FSU at large, to try and solve these problems.”
 
Fraternity and sorority members had one response when asked of the ban: “No comment.”
  
Even Thrasher admitted to going through a ritual when he joined a fraternity in the 1960s. Most non-Greek students were glad some action was taken.
 
“We can’t just let innocent children die,” FSU graduate student Jacob Kon said. “Some response is a good response. I think less drinking is a good response.”
 
Thrasher said he was hopeful the investigation would be completed by the week’s end or early next week.
 
FSU also made its second drug trafficking arrest Tuesday. A member of the same fraternity that Coffey was pledging, 22-year-old Daniel Charles Martin, was charged with a second-degree felony sale of a controlled substance.

The undercover operation was in progress before Coffey’s death.

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Inside News4Jax:

FSU student found dead after off-campus fraternity party

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