Police documents reveal event drinking a factor in Hartnett's death
Michael Hartnett visited Central Michigan University for the third time on Oct. 3. He planned on making lasting memories with his friends during Homecoming Weekend.
What followed was a typical Chippewa weekend, but underage drinking played a part in what resulted in tragedy. Using police records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Central Michigan Life can finally show the events that led to Hartnett's death.
Roughly 300 pages of interviews, surveillance camera footage, phone records and autopsy reports were compiled by CMU police and submitted to the Isabella County Prosecuting Attorney's office in January. The office announced no charges would be filed Jan. 12.
CM Life has spent the months since conducting a detailed investigation that charts Hartnett's arrival on campus to when he was found dead in the Fabiano Botanical Garden.
The 18-year-old man Dearborn Heights drove to Mount Pleasant with friends Brandon Esseily and Emily Koller, planning on staying with his longtime friend, freshman Andrew Murray in Herrig Hall. They arrived around 1:30 p.m., heading to the Intramural Sports fields to watch Murray compete with the Exiles Rugby Club team. Sophomore Saoirse Haughney met the group at the game.
That night, the rugby team had a social event for friends of players at 4910 S. Crawford St. where six players live. Hartnett, Koller, Haughney and Murray arrived at 11:30 p.m.
When interviewed by police, team members said they do not check guest identification at parties. None of the team members said they remembered seeing Hartnett at the party or meeting him.
Hartnett and Murray drank at the party until about midnight before returning to Herrig Hall at 2 a.m.
Tailgate
According to statements Murray made to police, he and Hartnett woke up at 10 a.m. Oct. 4 to prepare for a day of tailgating before CMU played Ohio University.
They began the day with breakfast at the Fresh Food Company dining hall. Hartnett bought a CMU crew neck sweatshirt at the CMU Bookstore to prepare for the brisk fall weather before arriving in Lot 63 around 12:30 p.m.
Matt Silski and his girlfriend Shelby Thompson arrived in Mount Pleasant at 2 p.m.
Hartnett texted Silski, a friend of his since elementary school, asking if he could buy him alcohol for the weekend.
According to their police testimony they went to “The Store” on 2128 S Mission St. and spent $70-$80 on alcohol before meeting Hartnett at the tailgate.
Thompson purchased one fifth of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, two fifths of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and one fifth of tequila.
At the tailgate Hartnett acquired beer from others partying in the lots. He and Murray met Silski around 2:45 p.m. behind the scoreboard. He gave Hartnett the fifth of 66 proof whiskey Thompson purchased, according to police.
The trio later received more beer from tailgaters. Murray told police they stood by a fraternity group in Lot 63 who gave them cans of beer, and each consumed about six Jell-O shots, which were obtained from an unattended cooler that held around 100 1 oz shots.
The Chippewas took the field against the Bobcats 3:30 p.m. at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Hartnett and his friends sat in the student section until halftime. They left to eat at Menna’s Joint on 1418 S Mission St.
Silski told police Hartnett’s speech was slurred at the tailgate, and estimated he had close to 20 liquor drinks and beers throughout the day.
Homecoming Night
Harnett went back to Murray's room in Herrig Hall. He left Murray to socialize in Cobb Hall at 5:30 p.m., visiting freshman Allison Irving in her residence hall room with friends.
Irving would later tell police she could tell Hartnett was experiencing an alcohol buzz because he was sarcastic and in good spirits, but he did not seem drunk. She told police she considered Hartnett to be a heavy drinker, but was conscious of his diabetes. She told police he was usually cautious while drinking.
After socializing for about 30 minutes, Irving left Hartnett with others in her room to see a friend in Kulhavi Hall.
Hartnett and a small group of friends left to visit Valerie Dynda in Larzelere Hall, where they met with Silski, Thompson and others to resume drinking in preparation for the night. Hartnett left to get alcohol out of Silski’s vehicle and moved it closer to Larzelere.
Temperatures stayed in the 40s that night, averaging 46 degrees with 3 mph winds throughout the day. According to weather reports from The Weather Channel, Oct. 4 had been the coldest day in several weeks.
Hartnett told Murray he was going to Main Street and assured Murray he would call when he was getting close to his residence hall.
Haughney received texts from Hartnett around 11:08 p.m. letting her know he was on his way out for the night. Later that night she received texts that said he was lost. The last text she received from him was “:(“ texted at 12:08 a.m.
The group was denied entrance to a few houses on Main Street but found success in a sorority house where Hartnett was given shots.
Thompson told police they had trouble being admitted to parties. The group became separated among the crowds as the night waned.
Hartnett, Silski and Thompson continued partying past midnight, taking shots in several houses in the area before deciding to head home for the night. At this point, surveillance camera footage from cameras outside Grawn Hall shows Hartnett had trouble walking. His friends steadied him on their shoulders as they began walking back to where Silski’s car was parked.
CMUPD surveillance camera footage shows the trio heading south on the west side of Grawn Hall to return to the dorms at 12:33 a.m. Hartnett is stumbling as he holds a bottle of liquor, before handing the bottle to Thompson, who put it into in a bag they carried that night.
Hartnett staggered along the way but refused help. Surveillance camera footage shows Silski attempting to direct Hartnett in the right direction, helping him up after Hartnett fell several times.
Silski later told police this frustrated him. This was the most drunk he had ever seen Hartnett, Silski said.
A camera outside Grawn Hall captured the last video surveillance of Hartnett, with Silski and Thompson, at 12:47 a.m.
The alcohol eventually took its toll. Hartnett began vomiting on the street, according to the police report, prompting the others to leave to find the car and come back for him. Thompson later told police she didn’t think he was able to walk another block.
They told Hartnett to wait on the corner of South Wahsington and East Preston Streets while they went to the Towers to retrieve the car.
Irving talked to Hartnett on the phone soon after and couldn’t understand his slurred words. She missed a call he placed to her at 1:10 a.m. but Harnett didn’t leave a message.
Worried about her friend, Haughney tweeted Hartnett’s description and a photo, asking if anyone had seen him on the streets.
Sophomore Alexis Munoz and her boyfriend Nick Pitre told police they found Hartnett smelling like alcohol, intelligible and hardly on his feet at 1:30 a.m. in the middle of the street on Library Drive.
At 1:30 a.m., the temperature had dropped to a chilly 40 degrees, with wind gusts up to 10 mph increasing the effects of the cold fall night.
Munoz and Pitre offered Hartnett a ride in their cab. Hartnett told them “I will figure it out,” swaying until he steadied himself on a nearby tree. Pitre put his arm around Hartnett’s hip to guide him to the car, but Hartnett turned and walked away.
Munoz responded to Haughney’s tweet the next day and later told police she received messages from others on Twitter after the incident that she should have done more to help. Munoz told police she sees kids drunk on campus like that often.
Thompson and Silski stopped briefly in Kesseler Hall to warm up and made it back to the lot where they left Hartnett around 1:50 a.m.
He was gone.
