Penn State death followed others blamed on hazing in US fraternities

— -- The recent charges filed against fraternity members in the death of Penn State student Timothy Piazza during a fraternity pledge ceremony have stoked interest in the detailed allegations of inaction among group members in coming to his aid, but fatalities of this nature are not uncommon on U.S. college campuses.

Here are some similar deaths that occurred in recent years:

April 20, 2013: Virginia State University

Four men who belonged to Men of Honor, an unsanctioned fraternity on campus at VSU, were convicted for manslaughter after hazing two students by making them walk into the Appomattox River, resulting in their drowning deaths.

The students -- Marvell Edmondson of Portsmouth, and Jauwan Holmes of Newport News, both 19 -- were "submerged nearly as soon as they entered the river" and were immediately swept downstream, according to a report in The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Cory D. Baytop, Eriq Benson, Charles E. Zollicoffer III and James A. Mackey Sr. all agreed to plea agreements in the two deaths, the paper reported.