Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault and violence. Reader discretion is advised.
ID’s Murder Under the Friday Night Lights will look into the hazing death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion. The upcoming episode, titled “Killing a Champion,” will air this Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET.
The official synopsis states, “Drum major Robert Champion suddenly dies in the back of the Florida A&M marching band bus, mystifying authorities; an autopsy points to foul play, leading to an investigation that exposes a secret inside one of America’s premiere marching bands.”
On November 19, 2011, Robert Champion’s fellow band members fatally beat him on a bus as part of a hazing ritual. CNN reported that at first, he felt thirsty and tired but soon lost his eyesight and went into cardiac arrest. The Medical examiner’s office confirmed that the 26-year-old “collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident.” The report stated that “he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body.”
Multiple band members involved in Champion’s hazing faced charges such as felony hazing and misdemeanor hazing. Three defendants stood trial, resulting in convictions, while others received probation, per USA Today.
How many people were convicted in Robert Champion’s hazing death?
According to CBS News, 15 people faced criminal charges stemming from the FAMU drum major’s hazing death. Following the incident, FAMU suspended their famous band called Marching 100. Moreover, their longtime director was ousted.
CNN stated that the Robert Champion’s death occurred on November 19, 2011. He and the rest of his band members were in Orlando for the Florida Classic football game, the last of the season. He had to go through the hazing process to complete his initiation into the band.
Witnesses claimed that the hazing began with the “hot seat,” in which band members pummeled Champion with fists and bass drum mallets. Next came the “cross over,” in which he suffered from punches and drumstick and mallet beatings.
ABC News reported that a female band member held Champion back throughout the hazing to prolong the beatings. Once he collapsed into a seat, a band member jumped up and down on him for about 15 seconds. However, the punches continued.
After the beating, Champion “collapsed and died within an hour. He complained of thirst and fatigue; minutes later, he noted loss of vision and soon after had a witnessed arrest,” reported The New York Times. According to the medical examiner, these are the symptoms consistent with extremely low blood pressure or shock.
The New York Times further stated that Robert Champion died of “blunt force trauma” that caused hemorrhaging. The medical examiner’s report mentioned that this also left deep bruises on his chest, arms, shoulders, and back. The victim’s parents believed he was so brutally beaten for voicing concerns about the band’s hazing culture. They further said that he also faced bullying for being gay.
Per CBS News, three individuals facing charges in the case, namely Benjamin McNamee, Darryl Cearnel, and Aaron Golson, stood trial in April 2015. A jury convicted the defendants of manslaughter and hazing that resulted in Champion’s death. All three received 10 years of supervised probation,
CBS News further stated that only Dante Martin, the purported ringleader, received prison time of six-and-a-half years in January 2015. Two former band members, Jessie Baskin and Caleb Jackson, pleaded no contest to manslaughter. Baskin received 51 weeks in county jail, while Jackson received 48 months. Several others entered plea deals in exchange for probation.
Murder Under the Friday Night Lights will revisit Robert Champion’s tragic death on February 7, 2024.
