Parents of Clemson Frat Pledge Still Don't Know Why He Died
On September 2, Clemson University sophomore Tucker Hipps was found floating under a bridge near the school's campus after an early morning run with his Sigma Phi Epsilon pledge brothers. It's now over two months later, and Hipps' parents still have no idea why their son died.
Yesterday, Hipps' parents Cindy and Gary gave their first televised interview since their son's death to WSPA in South Carolina and they made it clear that they're still looking for answers regarding the circumstances of Tucker's death.
Tucker's parents think someone has information that can provide the answers they so desperately need.
"If I had something on my heart that I knew and I didn't tell it I know that would destroy me and if you know something like that it's going to destroy you," his mother told Amy Wood.
Tucker's dad: "It's an awful heavy burden to carry around." His mom adds, "And I wouldn't want someone to live with that burden."
His dad said, "We hope that somebody, who was told by somebody that somebody did something will speak up and help us find closure for our son."
Hipps was reported missing by a pledge brother after he didn't return with the rest of the group following a 5:30 a.m. run. He was later found under a highway bridge that runs over Lake Hartwell—police determined that he died from blunt force trauma. But the questions of how and why Hipps, a 19-year-old with no medical issues, went over a bridge during what should have been a routine run have not been answered—publicly at least.
As we highlighted a few days after Hipps' death, the scuttlebutt among Clemson students at the time was that Hipps died during some sort of hazing activity. Those claims have not been proven, and Clemson police have not charged anyone nor do they seem like they will, but Hipps' parents seem to think Tucker's pledge brothers are still withholding information. In the interview, they said that they know the results of the post-mortem toxicology report, but said they could not reveal them because the investigation is still ongoing.
As one might expect, Hipps' parents did not have kind words regarding the entire notion of fraternities. They also, his dad says, did not want him to join one in the first place, but Tucker insisted.
"As close a relationship as Tucker and I had his whole life there were some things that he was not going to tell me and there was nothing about that fraternity that he was going to tell me," his dad said.
"I tried my best to dissuade him I wasn't part of a fraternity in college."
"I told him I'm not going to say you can't do it but I am not going to pay for it."
So Tucker Hipps got a job to pay for it himself.
"I can tell you that last time I saw him he was both tired and worn out he looked like he hadn't had much sleep," his dad told 7 On Your Side.
After Hipps' death, fraternity activities at Clemson were suspended, and according to Hipps' parents the school is still conducting an investigation into his death.
Last week, Nolan Burch, a freshman at West Virginia University, died of alcohol poisoning at the school's Kappa Sigma house.
[image via Facebook]