Kendall Park teen dies at college fraternity party
Toxicology report to determine cause of death
BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Family and friends are mourning the death of an 18- year-old Kendall Park native who recently died at a fraternity party.

Brett Griffin graduated from South Brunswick Township High School earlier this year and was pledging Sigma Alpha Mu when he died at a home outside of the University of Delaware on Saturday.

Lt. Brian Henry, of the Newark, Del., police department, said that the medical examiner would determine the cause of death when the toxicology report is complete in a few weeks. No signs of trauma were found on his body.

"We don't know the cause of death yet," Henry said. "Right now we are working on the assumption that it was alcohol poisoning."

Newark police received a call for help and were dispatched to 28 Annabelle Street at 2:52 a.m. The college freshman was in cardiac arrest when medical personnel arrived and they were unable to revive him.

Griffin lived on campus in a dorm and the party he attended was held at a house outside of campus, where some fraternity members reside. Police are waiting for the toxicology report and it is too soon to tell whether charges would be filed against anyone related to providing alcohol to a minor.

There were 40 partygoers at the house during the incident. Police had no record of prior complaints or noise violations at the house since March 2007.

"I ran a premise history and I wasn't able to find anything similar to this," Henry said.

Tim Matheny, the principal of South Brunswick Township High School, said Tuesday that everything was being done to ensure that students and faculty receive the support they need. George Scott, head of the Middlesex County Traumatic Loss Coalition, met with Griffin's former teammates on the wrestling team to help them process their emotions, Matheny said.

"Yesterday, we had counselors available throughout the day for any students who felt a particular impact by Brett's passing," Matheny said.

"In addition, we did have a faculty meeting immediately prior to the start of school yesterday where I offered support to our staff and an outline of a plan to support the school community at this time," he said. "We pulled together our high school crisis team Sunday afternoon. We met for about an hour to plan our response to the loss."

Aaron Girson, executive director of the Sigma Alpha Mu, released a statement on the fraternity's Web site, extending condolences to Griffin's family and friends.

"Our thoughts go out to Mr. Griffin's family and to his friends in the fraternity and campus community," Girson said. "His loss is a blow to his friends in the Delta Lambda Chapter."

Contact Michael Acker at

macker@gmnews.com.