University officials confirmed Thursday that Penn State freshman Joseph Dado did not smoke marijuana or consume any other drugs in the hours leading up to his death.
Court documents stated Dado, 18, smoked marijuana at Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity, 319 N. Burrowes Road, before his death. However, Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers has maintained that toxicology reports found no traces of marijuana or any other illegal
substance in Dado's system.
Penn State Police and the State College Police Department released a joint statement Thursday to clarify the discrepancy between the toxicology report and court documents that cited interviews conducted during the investigation.
Penn State spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz said there was a misunderstanding in what the police report said.
"The toxicology report never had any drugs in it," Mountz said. "The truth is that he did not
consume any marijuana."
Dado's blood alcohol content at the time of his death was .169 percent, according to the toxicology report.
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, Fiji fraternity, Fiji member John Townsend and student Jennifer E. Clifford were all charged Oct. 29 with furnishing alcohol to Dado in the time leading up to his death, according to court documents.
Maintenance workers found Dado's body at the bottom of an exterior stairwell near the Steidle Building on Sept. 21.
Police said Dado attended events at two fraternities: Alpha Tau Omega, 321 E. Fairmount Ave., and Fiji.
Dado and three friends arrived at Alpha Tau Omega at about 12:10 a.m. wearing Interfraternity Council (IFC) recruiting bracelets, police said. While there, they each consumed a can of Natural Light beer that was in a plastic bin for anyone to take, police said.
The group also played beer bong at the fraternity and ultimately drank four or five beers each while at Alpha Tau Omega, police said.
Before Dado and his friends attended Alpha Tau Omega, they drank alcohol in Dado's room, police said.
Clifford, 21, of Gibsonia, Pa., purchased Vladimir vodka for Dado and his friends Sept. 18, which they drank the following night before going to the fraternities, police said.
After leaving Dado's Tener Hall dorm room, the group went to Alpha Tau Omega, then to Dado's sister Natalie's Burrowes Corner apartment to use the bathroom, police said. The group ultimately arrived at Fiji at 1:50 a.m., according to court documents.
Townsend, 21, who lives at the Fiji fraternity house, offered Dado a place to stay the night, but Dado declined, police said. Townsend told police that when Dado left Fiji, the freshman was not sure he was going "and had to be pointed in the right direction," according to court documents.
Townsend's attorney Andrew Shubin declined to comment on the police statement Thursday.
