Why do you have to drink a lot?”

That’s what Shari Foltz said she asked her son about his pledging a fraternity at Bowling Green State University, days before he died in what prosecutors call an alcohol-related hazing incident. Foltz was the first witness in the trial of two Central Ohio men accused of causing the death of her son Stone.

Jacob Krinn, of Delaware, and Troy Henricksen, of Grove City, are charged with a multitude of counts in the death of Stone Foltz, including involuntary manslaughter.

Stone told his mother about initiation events for the fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, including one where he was told by other members to prepare for a long night of drinking.

On the witness stand, Shari Foltz recounted a text exchange shortly before the event.

“‘Why do you have to drink a lot?’ He said, ‘It’s a ritual, I guess.’ And, I said, my comment was, ‘Well that’s stupid, doesn’t sound like a good frat.’ And he said, ‘That’s how every frat is,’” she said.

At the event, on March 4 of 2021, Stone drank an entire liter of whiskey in 20 to 30 minutes. He was found unconscious and not breathing and was taken to a hospital.

His mother was at her Delaware home and woke up to find she’d missed calls and messages.

“Obviously I started to panic,” she said. “I immediately hit redial on my phone. And when I hit redial it was actually the BG police. And then they said he was in cardiac arrest.”

Stone died in a Toledo hospital days later.

A former fraternity member, Niall Sweeney, also testified. He took a plea bargain in the case. His testimony shed light on the ceremonies and rituals of the frat and said pledges were obligated to finish a whole bottle of alcohol at the party.

“There was an expectation to try and finish the bottle,” Sweeney said. The prosecutor asked where the expectation came from.

“As far back as I know,” Sweeney answered.

On cross-examination, attorneys for Krinn and Henricksen noted that no one forced Foltz to drink. They also got Sweeney to admit that some members didn’t drink, but were still allowed to be admitted to the fraternity.