1 00:00:01,300 --> 00:00:03,367 [commentator] The incomparable Marching 100. 2 00:00:03,367 --> 00:00:05,100 [crowd cheers] 3 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:09,834 The Florida Classic was a rivalry of the Rattlers versus the Wildcats. 4 00:00:12,767 --> 00:00:15,367 I performed at every game this season. 5 00:00:15,367 --> 00:00:18,567 But this game is different. This is a big game. 6 00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:24,066 That morning, I read the caption. 7 00:00:24,133 --> 00:00:27,367 The HBCU band community was in shock. 8 00:00:27,433 --> 00:00:30,367 I kept thinking, what would make my child collapse and die like that. 9 00:00:30,433 --> 00:00:32,166 We don't know what's happened yet. 10 00:00:32,233 --> 00:00:34,767 Everybody's trying to cover their butts right now. 11 00:00:34,767 --> 00:00:37,367 There was a lot of deception that was going on. 12 00:00:37,367 --> 00:00:39,967 He pulled back the rug, 13 00:00:40,033 --> 00:00:42,667 so that everybody could see the dirt 14 00:00:42,667 --> 00:00:44,667 that exists in this band. 15 00:00:44,667 --> 00:00:47,867 Any time you lie to the police, I call it the monster mistake. 16 00:00:47,934 --> 00:00:50,767 [woman] You have to look at the evidence and everything, 17 00:00:50,767 --> 00:00:53,867 to know that that's torture. That's murder. 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,433 [band music playing] 19 00:01:20,967 --> 00:01:23,066 [commentator] It's showtime. 20 00:01:25,700 --> 00:01:29,867 When I think of football, I automatically think of the Marching 100. 21 00:01:29,934 --> 00:01:33,567 You can't have the football team, without the Marching 100. 22 00:01:33,634 --> 00:01:36,867 The two go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly. 23 00:01:36,934 --> 00:01:39,867 [commentator speaking indistinctly] 24 00:01:39,867 --> 00:01:45,467 The ninth wonders of the world, the incomparable Marching 100. 25 00:01:47,300 --> 00:01:51,000 The Marching 100 are the flagship band for FAMU, 26 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:52,967 which is the Florida A&M University. 27 00:01:53,033 --> 00:01:57,333 It's a very flamboyant band that marches incredibly well. 28 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,634 And it's a very elite squad. 29 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:03,166 For a school pride, it's great. 30 00:02:03,166 --> 00:02:06,266 You have all of these alumni from all over the world, 31 00:02:06,333 --> 00:02:09,867 that pack out the stadium, to come see Marching 100. 32 00:02:09,934 --> 00:02:13,367 It's often said that the band is a bigger part of the show than the football team. 33 00:02:13,433 --> 00:02:14,667 [chuckles] 34 00:02:14,667 --> 00:02:17,266 There's a half time, and by the way, there's a football game. 35 00:02:17,266 --> 00:02:21,767 It's a unique style, it's an exciting style, and we own it. 36 00:02:21,767 --> 00:02:23,867 [Keon] People gonna hear their favorite songs, 37 00:02:23,867 --> 00:02:27,367 they're gonna hear their pride songs that university plays. 38 00:02:27,367 --> 00:02:29,667 And it's just a big, one big party, right? 39 00:02:29,734 --> 00:02:34,000 So, obviously, like, marching band is, is where it's at. 40 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,467 [commentator] You gonna learn today. 41 00:02:40,767 --> 00:02:45,567 The Florida Classic is traditionally the last game the FAMU plays every year. 42 00:02:45,567 --> 00:02:49,333 And it's against our in-state rival, Bethune-Cookman College. 43 00:02:51,867 --> 00:02:56,567 After a wonderful game, after a great show, great half-time performance, 44 00:02:56,567 --> 00:03:01,367 nobody would have expected somebody to die that night. 45 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,433 [police siren wailing] 46 00:03:31,900 --> 00:03:33,967 When I got to the hotel, 47 00:03:34,033 --> 00:03:37,166 the buses were parked in the rear parking lot. 48 00:03:37,233 --> 00:03:40,967 Looks like three buses parked there, the motorcoach type buses. 49 00:03:40,967 --> 00:03:43,000 [indistinct dialogue over police radio] 50 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,667 [Detective Voyles] One of the FAM members, Robert Champion, 51 00:03:45,667 --> 00:03:48,367 was at the back of the bus, frothing at the mouth when we got there. 52 00:03:51,266 --> 00:03:55,333 We were being told that Robert Champion had just passed out on the bus. 53 00:03:57,066 --> 00:03:59,734 So we initially thought he came down with heat exhaustion. 54 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,467 [Detective Voyles] The fire department came in, 55 00:04:02,533 --> 00:04:04,834 and relieved one of the student who was doing CPR. 56 00:04:05,867 --> 00:04:08,066 And we transported him to the hospital after that. 57 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,667 [Pam] We got a call. 58 00:04:19,667 --> 00:04:23,734 And the call was from the band director, Dr White. 59 00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:27,100 And he said Robert was no longer with us. 60 00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:30,433 I remember saying, "What?" 61 00:04:32,300 --> 00:04:35,467 And then, my husband took the phone. 62 00:04:35,533 --> 00:04:39,767 I couldn't... I couldn't see my husband anymore because... 63 00:04:42,367 --> 00:04:45,433 I had so much tears in my eyes, I couldn't see. 64 00:04:48,300 --> 00:04:52,467 [Robert Sr.] The director of the band told me that, he just fell out. 65 00:04:52,467 --> 00:04:57,066 And, I couldn't understand why a young man, 66 00:04:57,066 --> 00:05:00,333 physically fit, just fall out. 67 00:05:03,066 --> 00:05:07,133 And I kept thinking what... what would make my child collapse and die like that. 68 00:05:17,867 --> 00:05:20,667 [Peter] Investigators must try to figure out why 69 00:05:20,667 --> 00:05:22,567 an apparently healthy young man 70 00:05:22,567 --> 00:05:24,433 would suddenly die like this, on the back of a bus. 71 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:29,467 [Detective Phelan] The bus was processed that night, 72 00:05:29,533 --> 00:05:31,634 the 19th and early morning of the 20th... 73 00:05:32,100 --> 00:05:34,433 at the scene, by the CSI. 74 00:05:36,100 --> 00:05:38,066 We spoke to every student that was on that bus. 75 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,533 [Peter] They have to piece together, exactly what happened. 76 00:05:45,066 --> 00:05:46,533 There's a lot of, um... 77 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,734 you know, memories that suddenly don't work. 78 00:05:53,467 --> 00:05:54,867 [Detective Voyles] It's very much close lipped. 79 00:05:54,867 --> 00:05:56,166 It's like, oh, we don't know what happened. 80 00:05:57,467 --> 00:05:59,967 We get a lot of students saying, "I wasn't there." 81 00:05:59,967 --> 00:06:03,967 Well, I'm sorry. We have a bunch of witness testimonies says you were. 82 00:06:04,033 --> 00:06:06,066 So, everybody's trying to cover their butts right now. 83 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,667 We don't know what's happened yet. 84 00:06:09,667 --> 00:06:11,734 But, we know something bad has happened. 85 00:06:22,900 --> 00:06:29,000 [Pam] Robert was born July 13th, 1985. 86 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:34,266 I'll never forget that day when we actually got to see each other, face-to-face. 87 00:06:35,266 --> 00:06:39,867 When he grabbed and wrapped his hand around my finger, 88 00:06:39,867 --> 00:06:41,667 he was so sweet. 89 00:06:41,734 --> 00:06:43,767 You know, just, my little man. 90 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:46,567 I was hooked. 91 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:52,767 When Robbie was seven-eight years old, he started playing the clarinet. And he was good. 92 00:06:52,834 --> 00:06:54,967 You could tell he was feeling the music. 93 00:06:55,867 --> 00:06:58,066 It was just in him. 94 00:06:58,066 --> 00:07:01,066 The music, it was his gift. 95 00:07:01,133 --> 00:07:04,867 Robert attended Southwest DeKalb high school. 96 00:07:04,867 --> 00:07:09,967 Southwest high school had one of the best band in the state of Georgia that time. 97 00:07:10,033 --> 00:07:12,634 He was excited being there. 98 00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:17,033 When he gets on the field... 99 00:07:18,467 --> 00:07:19,634 he is a whole another person. 100 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,667 [Pam] I had no problem spotting my Robert. 101 00:07:23,667 --> 00:07:26,333 If they jumped, he jumped higher. 102 00:07:27,100 --> 00:07:31,467 If they hunkered down, he went down lower. 103 00:07:31,533 --> 00:07:35,066 He put everything he could in his margin. 104 00:07:36,100 --> 00:07:39,066 It's like he came alive on that field. 105 00:07:39,133 --> 00:07:40,967 I was so, so proud of him. 106 00:07:41,367 --> 00:07:42,767 So proud of him. 107 00:07:46,266 --> 00:07:50,967 The day Robert received his acceptance letter from Florida A&M, 108 00:07:50,967 --> 00:07:55,967 he opened it and he just jumped full of joy. 109 00:07:56,033 --> 00:07:58,066 The whole family got into it. 110 00:07:58,133 --> 00:08:00,567 And we were just excited for him. 111 00:08:00,634 --> 00:08:01,867 He wanted to go off to college, 112 00:08:01,867 --> 00:08:04,567 come back, be a band director at Southwest DeKalb high school. 113 00:08:04,634 --> 00:08:07,767 So that was his goal. So I knew, wherever he went, 114 00:08:07,834 --> 00:08:10,333 he will eventually be in a band. 115 00:08:12,100 --> 00:08:15,934 Robert wanted to be in that Marching 100 band. 116 00:08:16,967 --> 00:08:19,133 [Donovan] The band is an integral part of football. 117 00:08:20,100 --> 00:08:22,266 It provides entertainment before the game, 118 00:08:22,266 --> 00:08:25,967 during the game, during half time and after the game. 119 00:08:27,066 --> 00:08:30,767 The 100 has a very vigorous audition process. 120 00:08:30,834 --> 00:08:34,000 When Robert Champion came to FAMU, he went through that process. 121 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,266 And he was accepted into the band. 122 00:08:37,266 --> 00:08:42,433 He became section leader, in charge of the whole clarinet section. 123 00:08:43,467 --> 00:08:46,767 [Keon] At the level of Robert's musicianship, 124 00:08:46,834 --> 00:08:50,333 you can definitely tell that he started at a young age. 125 00:08:50,867 --> 00:08:53,166 He was really good. 126 00:08:53,166 --> 00:08:57,667 He was definitely somebody that you can look up to, as a band member. 127 00:08:57,667 --> 00:09:01,367 He always knew his music. He was always on time. 128 00:09:01,433 --> 00:09:04,233 He was always the perfect example of leadership. 129 00:09:07,567 --> 00:09:12,467 He was very much focused on being the top dog in the Marching 100 for sure. 130 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:26,967 For Robert, being a drum major that year, it was everything. 131 00:09:26,967 --> 00:09:28,867 He was a clarinet section leader already. 132 00:09:28,867 --> 00:09:32,133 But, there was something that he really wanted to achieve. 133 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,967 [Detective Voyles] The drum major is the head of the line. 134 00:09:36,967 --> 00:09:38,867 He's got a cape, he's got a baton, 135 00:09:38,867 --> 00:09:40,667 he's marching, he's doing all the dance moves. 136 00:09:40,667 --> 00:09:43,533 He is the lead person on that field. 137 00:09:44,767 --> 00:09:47,767 Being a drum major is like being a captain of a football team, right. 138 00:09:47,767 --> 00:09:50,066 Everyone looks at you on a higher platter. 139 00:09:51,266 --> 00:09:54,667 [Keon] FAMU was known for having ten drum majors. 140 00:09:54,667 --> 00:09:57,433 It's... It's literally a wall of leadership. 141 00:09:59,300 --> 00:10:02,834 But it was hard. You had to go through an audition. 142 00:10:05,467 --> 00:10:08,266 The 100 pride themselves on being very selective, 143 00:10:08,266 --> 00:10:10,967 and detail oriented and precise. 144 00:10:10,967 --> 00:10:16,066 When Robert got the news he made drum major, he was so excited about it. 145 00:10:16,066 --> 00:10:19,367 Over the phone, you knew he was excited. 146 00:10:19,367 --> 00:10:22,734 [Robert Sr.] Drum major uniform, they make it a certain size. 147 00:10:23,367 --> 00:10:24,834 And Robert was a big guy. 148 00:10:25,467 --> 00:10:27,834 So, he had to work himself down... 149 00:10:28,700 --> 00:10:30,834 to get into the uniform. 150 00:10:32,367 --> 00:10:34,867 [Keon] All of the other drum majors, they were on the staff, 151 00:10:34,934 --> 00:10:37,266 or getting ready to graduate. 152 00:10:37,266 --> 00:10:41,567 So it was gonna be up to Robert, to be able to carry the mantle for next season. 153 00:10:48,567 --> 00:10:51,767 But I feel like, for Robert, people were just so against him, 154 00:10:51,767 --> 00:10:53,567 because, that didn't like the fact 155 00:10:53,567 --> 00:10:56,767 that he was about to be the head drum major for the band. 156 00:10:56,767 --> 00:11:00,734 Which means, he was gonna have all the authority over the band. 157 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,166 Robert did mention to me that, um, 158 00:11:07,233 --> 00:11:12,567 some people wanted him to do something. This is how he said it. 159 00:11:12,567 --> 00:11:15,000 He said, "Mom, some people just keep asking me to do something." 160 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,266 He said, "But if I did it, I'd never get any sleep." 161 00:11:19,266 --> 00:11:23,667 And my reply to him was, "Robert, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. 162 00:11:23,734 --> 00:11:25,667 You don't have to do anything." 163 00:11:25,734 --> 00:11:28,567 And he said, "Yeah. I know, Ma." 164 00:11:28,567 --> 00:11:32,133 But I didn't know the Marching band had a secret. 165 00:11:35,266 --> 00:11:38,133 We were involved in something that was illegal. 166 00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:41,967 That we shouldn't have been doing. 167 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,066 And, it cost him his life. 168 00:11:56,500 --> 00:12:00,667 [Peter] FAMU is one of the larger historically Black colleges for HBCUs. 169 00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:04,100 Football at FAMU, the games have this, 170 00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:06,066 family reunion kind of vibe to 'em. 171 00:12:07,100 --> 00:12:08,767 [Terry] The community is very involved. 172 00:12:08,834 --> 00:12:11,266 You know, you have people in their 70s, 80s, that still 173 00:12:11,333 --> 00:12:13,333 enthusiastic about coming to the football games. 174 00:12:16,300 --> 00:12:20,767 There's a unique electricity, energy, 175 00:12:20,767 --> 00:12:27,567 spark, and a relationship that HBCU band has with the student body, 176 00:12:27,567 --> 00:12:29,266 alumni, and fans. 177 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,467 FAMU's football team definitely benefits 178 00:12:34,467 --> 00:12:37,667 form the popularity of the Marching 100. 179 00:12:37,667 --> 00:12:40,100 I mean, the Marching 100, they've done so many famous events. 180 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:41,834 They've done the Super Bowl. 181 00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:44,467 Presential inaugurations. 182 00:12:45,767 --> 00:12:48,834 So they are a big part of the show at a football game. 183 00:12:51,667 --> 00:12:56,467 The last time my son, Robert and I spoke... was on the 17th. 184 00:12:56,467 --> 00:12:58,634 The Florida Classic was coming up. 185 00:12:59,767 --> 00:13:02,266 This would be the first time Robert would march, 186 00:13:02,333 --> 00:13:05,333 in the Florida Classic as a drum major. 187 00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:08,266 That brought some excitement for him. 188 00:13:11,266 --> 00:13:14,934 Little did I know that was gonna be the last time I talk to my son. 189 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:17,433 Little did I know... 190 00:13:18,667 --> 00:13:20,133 that would be the last time. 191 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,667 [woman reporter] FAMU drum major, Robert Champion, dies suddenly... 192 00:13:32,734 --> 00:13:34,367 [Pam] The TV was going. 193 00:13:34,367 --> 00:13:39,066 And for the first time I heard my son's name from a reporter on a TV. 194 00:13:40,767 --> 00:13:44,333 And they was talking about... his death. 195 00:13:45,367 --> 00:13:48,367 And I stopped... in my tracks, 196 00:13:48,433 --> 00:13:50,433 and I turn back and I look at the TV. 197 00:13:52,100 --> 00:13:54,667 The thought hit my mind. 198 00:13:54,667 --> 00:13:57,567 What they did to my child on that bus. 199 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:08,266 [Donovan] That morning, I turned on the news. 200 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:15,767 First thing that popped up... a big picture of the FAMU band bus. 201 00:14:15,767 --> 00:14:17,333 And I read the caption. 202 00:14:20,767 --> 00:14:23,266 The HBCU band community was in shock. 203 00:14:26,467 --> 00:14:29,934 [Keon] Me and Robert tried out for drum major together. 204 00:14:30,867 --> 00:14:34,266 Everybody knew who the new drum majors were, right? 205 00:14:34,333 --> 00:14:36,667 They knew it was me, they knew it was Robert. 206 00:14:36,667 --> 00:14:38,767 And when they found out what happened, 207 00:14:38,767 --> 00:14:41,767 they instantly started calling me, texting me, 208 00:14:41,767 --> 00:14:43,634 asking me a bunch of questions. 209 00:14:45,767 --> 00:14:48,066 [Terry] Robert's death definitely affected the football team. 210 00:14:49,166 --> 00:14:51,033 We were just trying to get a hint of what happened. 211 00:14:52,166 --> 00:14:54,867 So that was the issue that was circulating the campus. 212 00:14:54,867 --> 00:14:57,734 Oh, why did it happen? And where did it come from? 213 00:14:58,667 --> 00:15:01,367 [Peter] The initial report was very bare-bones. 214 00:15:01,433 --> 00:15:04,834 It was just that a drum major died after the Florida Classic. 215 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,567 But Robert Champion has all these injuries 216 00:15:08,567 --> 00:15:10,533 that don't have a good explanation. 217 00:15:17,367 --> 00:15:21,767 When the autopsy comes back, they discover some disturbing information. 218 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,867 He died of blunt force trauma. 219 00:15:25,934 --> 00:15:28,066 And hemorrhaging to soft tissue in his back. 220 00:15:29,567 --> 00:15:33,667 His body, arms, legs, back, head, 221 00:15:33,667 --> 00:15:36,066 multiple contusions everywhere around his body, 222 00:15:36,066 --> 00:15:39,533 till the point that it was almost like a mush, underneath the tissue. 223 00:15:40,867 --> 00:15:42,867 It's clear that he was beaten to death. 224 00:15:51,066 --> 00:15:53,634 We talked to all the students from the bus. 225 00:15:54,667 --> 00:15:58,367 The story was that, they went to the game, he came back. 226 00:15:58,367 --> 00:16:00,934 They found him on the bus, passed out. 227 00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:04,266 But, based upon the autopsy, 228 00:16:04,266 --> 00:16:07,734 we knew that the kids have been telling us, not the full truth. 229 00:16:10,300 --> 00:16:14,533 There's a lot of back and forth, you know. I wasn't there. I didn't see it. 230 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,533 [Keon] There was a lot of deception that was going on. 231 00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:22,567 For whatever reason, why people chose to lie, 232 00:16:22,634 --> 00:16:25,567 whether they were trying to lie to cover up what happened, 233 00:16:25,567 --> 00:16:27,667 or protect themselves, or they were scared, 234 00:16:27,667 --> 00:16:29,767 there was a lot of lying. 235 00:16:29,767 --> 00:16:32,934 But any time you lie to the police, I call it the monster mistake. 236 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,000 It raises a question of foul play. 237 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:37,934 And this is where a murder investigation begins. 238 00:16:41,667 --> 00:16:48,266 The band director, Dr. White, called me that night to tell me, 239 00:16:48,266 --> 00:16:51,233 that my child just collapsed and died when he didn't. 240 00:16:54,266 --> 00:16:57,333 I just really didn't know what to believe. 241 00:16:58,667 --> 00:17:01,667 [Pam] So you're trying to figure out what's going on. 242 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,166 After that initial night, 243 00:17:04,233 --> 00:17:06,266 on November 19th, we got the call. 244 00:17:06,266 --> 00:17:07,967 We heard nothing else from the school. 245 00:17:08,567 --> 00:17:10,767 No one contacted us. 246 00:17:10,767 --> 00:17:14,367 Nor did we hear anything from the district attorney office. 247 00:17:14,367 --> 00:17:15,867 Um, we heard nothing. 248 00:17:20,567 --> 00:17:24,266 One of the big breaks in the case, is when Robert's roommate, 249 00:17:24,266 --> 00:17:26,734 Keon Hollis, started talking to police. 250 00:17:28,367 --> 00:17:31,367 [Detective Phelan] We interviewed Mr. Keon Hollis. 251 00:17:31,367 --> 00:17:35,533 One of the drum majors and who is a friend of Robert. 252 00:17:37,166 --> 00:17:38,967 Mr. Hollis held nothing back. 253 00:17:40,567 --> 00:17:43,066 [Keon] You have to take accountability. 254 00:17:43,066 --> 00:17:47,967 And I personally feel, we all need to live in our truth. 255 00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:54,967 I still just thought I needed to, not only speak up for Robert, 256 00:17:54,967 --> 00:17:57,333 but for myself as well. 257 00:18:04,767 --> 00:18:07,233 [Pam] When you look at what was done to him... 258 00:18:08,367 --> 00:18:10,367 by a bus load of people... 259 00:18:11,767 --> 00:18:13,834 it had to be intentional. 260 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:18,834 If they weren't trying to kill him... 261 00:18:20,066 --> 00:18:23,634 they were certainly trying to set an example. 262 00:18:25,166 --> 00:18:26,767 [Detective Voyles] Robert was beaten to death. 263 00:18:26,767 --> 00:18:29,433 But, everyone was saying, oh, he just passed out of heat exhaustion. 264 00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:33,066 It wasn't until we spoke to Keon Hollis, 265 00:18:33,133 --> 00:18:35,834 he was like, this is a bunch of [bleep]. This is what happened. 266 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,166 Keon Hollis, he said that it was a ritual. 267 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:43,533 Ritual in the marching band. 268 00:18:44,867 --> 00:18:46,767 That's when things ramped up. 269 00:18:46,834 --> 00:18:48,867 Like, okay, this isn't what we thought it was. 270 00:18:48,934 --> 00:18:51,533 We learned the ritual is called Crossing Bus C. 271 00:18:57,667 --> 00:18:59,767 [Keon] In the band program... 272 00:18:59,834 --> 00:19:05,867 everybody knew Crossing Bus C is when you literally have to run, 273 00:19:05,867 --> 00:19:10,333 as fast as you can through the middle of the bus, and push through everybody. 274 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,467 There are other band members on the bus, 275 00:19:14,533 --> 00:19:17,166 punching you, kicking you, hitting you. 276 00:19:18,867 --> 00:19:20,567 It's something that you can say, 277 00:19:20,567 --> 00:19:24,266 I have this, certain level of respect from the band members. 278 00:19:24,266 --> 00:19:30,467 Because, I then wanted the most challenging rituals in the band. 279 00:19:30,467 --> 00:19:34,567 [Detective Phelan] He told us, a young lady went through the process and followed him. 280 00:19:34,567 --> 00:19:36,767 Then he went though the process, 281 00:19:36,767 --> 00:19:39,233 and then Robert Champion went through the process. 282 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,867 Three people went through that night, one person died. 283 00:19:44,867 --> 00:19:47,567 Why did Robert Champion die? 284 00:19:47,567 --> 00:19:50,166 There has been speculation that there could have been, 285 00:19:50,166 --> 00:19:52,634 some specific motive to target Robert that night. 286 00:19:56,900 --> 00:20:00,934 Robert made it very known that he didn't condone hazing in any sort. 287 00:20:01,867 --> 00:20:03,467 He said, "I feel like it's stupid. 288 00:20:03,467 --> 00:20:08,567 I feel like I've already became the drum major, the leader in the band. 289 00:20:08,567 --> 00:20:12,367 Why should I have to put myself through something like that, 290 00:20:12,433 --> 00:20:15,100 to show that I'm a leader?" 291 00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:19,767 A lot of the band members were feeling like, he wasn't tough enough, 292 00:20:19,767 --> 00:20:22,467 or he wasn't macho enough. 293 00:20:22,533 --> 00:20:26,433 They would scream out, oh, hey, he's gay. He's this and that. 294 00:20:28,166 --> 00:20:30,934 [Pam] His sexual preference was his. 295 00:20:31,567 --> 00:20:33,433 What does that have to matter? 296 00:20:34,567 --> 00:20:39,166 It still do not give an excuse as to what was done to him. 297 00:20:41,467 --> 00:20:44,834 My son was literally tortured to death. 298 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,767 So, to stop and say, Oh, because he was gay, 299 00:20:49,767 --> 00:20:51,467 no, no. Uh-uh. 300 00:20:57,667 --> 00:21:00,166 [Detective Voyles] The Bus C ritual is basically hazing. 301 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,000 When the member of an organization 302 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,967 commits any active violence, has been initiation, 303 00:21:06,033 --> 00:21:09,266 and you told them they had to do it, to be a part of this group, that's hazing. 304 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:14,000 [Detective Phelan] The Florida law states, during a hazing, 305 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:19,467 whether you are the participant, you are the victim, 306 00:21:19,467 --> 00:21:21,166 you are guilty of hazing. 307 00:21:21,166 --> 00:21:24,333 And if someone dies, then it becomes a felony. 308 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:29,333 [Donovan] Hazing has been a problem... 309 00:21:30,266 --> 00:21:32,467 with some of our HBCU bands. 310 00:21:32,467 --> 00:21:34,867 All of us has experienced 311 00:21:34,934 --> 00:21:38,467 students trying it at some point of time. 312 00:21:38,533 --> 00:21:40,467 It's entrenched in our culture. 313 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,100 [Keon] In 2011, when this happened, 314 00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:48,166 a lot of organizations were hazing people. 315 00:21:48,166 --> 00:21:50,567 It was more than just a band. 316 00:21:50,567 --> 00:21:53,233 We talking about organizations across the country. 317 00:21:54,767 --> 00:21:58,367 Greek organizations, sports, anything, you know, 318 00:21:58,367 --> 00:22:01,166 people are involved in hazing. 319 00:22:02,467 --> 00:22:04,967 Any time you get introduced to any type of organization, 320 00:22:04,967 --> 00:22:07,266 I think there are some type of hazing. 321 00:22:07,266 --> 00:22:09,734 Just for you to wow at the organization. 322 00:22:11,100 --> 00:22:13,867 There's two sides of the coin to hazing. 323 00:22:13,867 --> 00:22:19,333 There's a very strong impulse for young people to wanna belong. 324 00:22:21,100 --> 00:22:22,467 And then on the flip side, I would say, 325 00:22:22,467 --> 00:22:24,266 there's the people exerting the pressure. 326 00:22:24,333 --> 00:22:25,834 It's essentially a form of bullying. 327 00:22:30,767 --> 00:22:32,967 Bus C was technically the recursion bus. 328 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,867 And, the leader of the recursion station 329 00:22:36,867 --> 00:22:40,367 is the president of Bus C, Dante Martin. 330 00:22:42,667 --> 00:22:45,100 The night of the Florida Classic, 331 00:22:45,100 --> 00:22:47,667 there was a text from Dante Martin, 332 00:22:48,467 --> 00:22:49,834 asking if... 333 00:22:50,967 --> 00:22:52,367 I was gonna cross Bus C. 334 00:22:54,266 --> 00:22:58,367 And I remember undoubtedly saying to myself, 335 00:22:58,367 --> 00:23:00,133 yes, I'm gonna cross Bus C. 336 00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:08,567 When we got back to the room, 337 00:23:08,567 --> 00:23:11,867 I told Robert that I was gonna cross Bus C. 338 00:23:11,867 --> 00:23:13,233 He didn't plan on doing it. 339 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,066 But when I told him that I was going to cross, 340 00:23:18,066 --> 00:23:19,867 he changed his mind. 341 00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:25,233 He was the type of person that he wasn't gonna let his brother go do anything alone. 342 00:23:26,900 --> 00:23:28,467 [Pam] Robert is a care giver. 343 00:23:28,533 --> 00:23:31,166 A known care giver. He was big in stature, 344 00:23:31,233 --> 00:23:32,934 but he had a soft heart. 345 00:23:33,767 --> 00:23:36,634 I believe Robert went there as a protector. 346 00:23:38,066 --> 00:23:40,567 He went down there to say, look, y'all need to stop this. 347 00:23:40,634 --> 00:23:42,033 Y'all need to stop this now. 348 00:23:50,667 --> 00:23:53,567 [Keon] It was probably a little after nine, 349 00:23:53,567 --> 00:23:56,834 when Robert and myself, we walked down to the bus. 350 00:23:59,567 --> 00:24:03,667 The bus is parked in the back of the parking lot. 351 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,867 We get on the bus. It's really dark. 352 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,000 It's like, walking into a haunted house. 353 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,667 Because it's just pitch black, and all you see are these figures of people, 354 00:24:18,667 --> 00:24:20,533 in almost like, the shadows. 355 00:24:23,867 --> 00:24:25,734 I cross Bus C first. 356 00:24:27,166 --> 00:24:31,734 People are hitting me with mallets or whatever they have. 357 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:36,533 I was literally on the break of damn near passing out. 358 00:24:39,266 --> 00:24:40,567 And Robert went last. 359 00:24:47,667 --> 00:24:49,834 The stages of Crossing Bus C, 360 00:24:50,667 --> 00:24:52,333 first there's a hot seat. 361 00:24:53,667 --> 00:24:57,166 That's when you are hunched over in the seat, 362 00:24:57,166 --> 00:24:59,867 and other people are hitting on you, 363 00:24:59,867 --> 00:25:01,834 with sticks or whatever they have. 364 00:25:03,567 --> 00:25:05,867 From the back, I can literally see 365 00:25:05,867 --> 00:25:08,367 everybody just welling on Robert, 366 00:25:08,367 --> 00:25:10,166 as he's going through his hot seat. 367 00:25:12,166 --> 00:25:15,667 It felt like his hot seat lasted longer than mine. 368 00:25:15,667 --> 00:25:17,567 Because I felt as though, 369 00:25:17,567 --> 00:25:21,367 people have personal reasons for why they wanted to harm him. 370 00:25:22,867 --> 00:25:28,367 After the hot seat, you get up, you hold the railings of the bus, 371 00:25:28,433 --> 00:25:32,934 and people will hit you on your chest and on your back. 372 00:25:37,166 --> 00:25:40,100 He was crying out during the whole process, 373 00:25:40,100 --> 00:25:42,834 of them hitting on him with sticks and mallets. 374 00:25:46,100 --> 00:25:48,967 And I remember them holding him. 375 00:25:51,667 --> 00:25:56,734 I see them literally smacking him as hard as they could, 376 00:25:57,500 --> 00:25:59,467 on front of him and behind him. 377 00:26:00,967 --> 00:26:06,066 After that part, then you have to push forward to the back of the bus... 378 00:26:06,066 --> 00:26:11,066 through the middle aisle, through everybody that's trying to push you, punch you. 379 00:26:11,133 --> 00:26:15,066 And as he made a little leg way, 380 00:26:15,133 --> 00:26:18,567 getting closer to the back, they literally would drag him 381 00:26:18,567 --> 00:26:20,767 back to the front and make him start over. 382 00:26:24,967 --> 00:26:28,100 There were people hanging from the luggage rack, 383 00:26:28,100 --> 00:26:32,166 stomping on Robert as hard as they can, like a street fight. 384 00:26:32,166 --> 00:26:34,467 Like it was a backyard brawl or something. 385 00:26:36,867 --> 00:26:40,567 And I just remember feeling like, damn, like, well, why? 386 00:26:41,467 --> 00:26:44,367 They wanted to beat on him, 387 00:26:44,367 --> 00:26:47,266 to hit on him, to make sure that he felt pain, 388 00:26:47,266 --> 00:26:48,867 going through this process. 389 00:26:48,867 --> 00:26:52,033 Because they didn't like the fact that he was against hazing. 390 00:26:53,266 --> 00:26:55,066 I remember hearing him scream. 391 00:26:55,133 --> 00:26:57,533 And I'll never forget this for the rest of my life. 392 00:26:59,567 --> 00:27:02,634 Like they personally wanted to harm him. 393 00:27:04,066 --> 00:27:07,867 It made me want to literally get up and push through 394 00:27:07,867 --> 00:27:09,066 and pull him to the back. 395 00:27:09,767 --> 00:27:11,533 And, it wasn't allowed. 396 00:27:13,700 --> 00:27:16,467 They didn't go this hard for me. 397 00:27:16,467 --> 00:27:19,367 They didn't go this hard for anybody else. 398 00:27:19,767 --> 00:27:21,133 It was personal. 399 00:27:27,066 --> 00:27:30,066 [Pam] Robert had to be about five when we took him to a parade. 400 00:27:30,133 --> 00:27:33,266 And he was so impressed with the drum majors. 401 00:27:33,266 --> 00:27:35,634 He couldn't take his eyes off of 'em. 402 00:27:36,767 --> 00:27:40,166 Ever since he saw that first marching band in a parade, 403 00:27:40,233 --> 00:27:41,867 he had in his head, 404 00:27:41,867 --> 00:27:43,634 that this is what he was gonna do. 405 00:27:45,166 --> 00:27:47,333 [Robert Sr.] Robert liked to entertain. 406 00:27:48,967 --> 00:27:53,867 He had a broomstick, because he seen a drum major with his baton. 407 00:27:53,934 --> 00:27:57,567 So he thought that his broom was the baton. 408 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:03,166 [Pam] He did eventually become a drum major in the high school. 409 00:28:03,767 --> 00:28:05,934 I was so, so proud of him. 410 00:28:07,667 --> 00:28:10,967 Each one of my children brought something different. 411 00:28:10,967 --> 00:28:12,734 Robert brought me music. 412 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,467 [Keon] When Robert finished Crossing Bus C, 413 00:28:25,533 --> 00:28:27,066 I asked him if he was okay. 414 00:28:27,066 --> 00:28:29,834 He just kept saying like, "Man, I'm tired. Man, I'm tired." 415 00:28:32,166 --> 00:28:34,266 We were all get off the bus. 416 00:28:34,266 --> 00:28:37,867 I was just so exhausted, I was just ready to get back to the room, 417 00:28:37,867 --> 00:28:41,166 shower, change, that I didn't even look back. 418 00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:43,433 I just walked off. 419 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,233 I get back to the room, and I get a call. 420 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:51,400 Like, hey, something is wrong. 421 00:29:00,367 --> 00:29:03,100 [Peter] As the detectives were getting all of this from Keon Hollis, 422 00:29:03,100 --> 00:29:06,567 they realized that this Crossing Bus C ritual 423 00:29:06,634 --> 00:29:11,467 is very organized and yeah, there's a person at the head of it. 424 00:29:11,467 --> 00:29:15,467 The head of Crossing Bus C in a person determines when you've properly crossed 425 00:29:15,467 --> 00:29:17,567 is the president of Bus C. 426 00:29:18,700 --> 00:29:20,667 At the time of Robert Champion's death, 427 00:29:20,667 --> 00:29:22,634 the president was Dante Martin. 428 00:29:24,467 --> 00:29:27,867 Dante Martin was described by most of the students, 429 00:29:27,867 --> 00:29:30,734 as being the one that set everything up. 430 00:29:33,867 --> 00:29:36,266 [Detective Voyles] Dante Martin is the one that kept, you know, texting, 431 00:29:36,333 --> 00:29:37,767 going, are you gonna do it? Are you gonna do it? 432 00:29:37,767 --> 00:29:40,166 Dante is the person that sent the text out, 433 00:29:40,166 --> 00:29:42,667 to make sure that if it was gonna happen, 434 00:29:42,734 --> 00:29:44,533 this is where it's gonna happen, this is when it's gonna happen. 435 00:29:46,500 --> 00:29:48,667 He planned it. He orchestrated it. 436 00:29:48,734 --> 00:29:51,734 Because of that, he is the first one that gets charged. 437 00:29:57,367 --> 00:30:00,867 Aside from Dante Martin, there were specific students that had a... 438 00:30:00,867 --> 00:30:03,767 particularly important role in the hazing of Robert Champion. 439 00:30:04,767 --> 00:30:06,066 Jessie Baskin, 440 00:30:06,133 --> 00:30:07,166 Caleb Jackson, 441 00:30:07,166 --> 00:30:09,567 and Benjamin McNamee. 442 00:30:09,567 --> 00:30:11,467 [Detective Phelan] Students painted a picture of Jessie Baskin 443 00:30:11,467 --> 00:30:15,367 as being one of the most physical of the people on the bus. 444 00:30:15,433 --> 00:30:19,667 Baskin was hanging from the overhead rails, 445 00:30:19,667 --> 00:30:21,834 and was kicking Robert. 446 00:30:23,500 --> 00:30:26,367 Benjamin McNamee, like Jessie Baskin 447 00:30:26,433 --> 00:30:28,867 was described by other students, 448 00:30:28,867 --> 00:30:30,767 as being rather physical, 449 00:30:30,767 --> 00:30:34,133 against Robert as he was trying to progress to the back of the bus. 450 00:30:35,767 --> 00:30:37,667 Benjamin McNamee was singled out 451 00:30:37,734 --> 00:30:40,533 as having kicked Robert back in the seat when he was almost done. 452 00:30:41,567 --> 00:30:44,266 [Detective Phelan] Caleb Jackson, referred to as CJ, 453 00:30:44,266 --> 00:30:47,567 was described by many being very violent. 454 00:30:48,567 --> 00:30:51,166 One of the drum majors say, he had to try and rip 455 00:30:51,233 --> 00:30:53,367 Robert from Caleb Jackson's grip, 456 00:30:53,433 --> 00:30:56,033 in order to get Robert to the back of the bus. 457 00:30:57,767 --> 00:31:00,934 The other interesting thing about CJ, is that he's not a student at FAMU at the time. 458 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,266 He had been studying at Tallahassee Community College. 459 00:31:04,333 --> 00:31:05,967 And that made him eligible to march in the 100. 460 00:31:06,033 --> 00:31:08,467 But then, he'd have problems with his financial aid, 461 00:31:08,467 --> 00:31:10,667 and he wasn't in school at either institution. 462 00:31:10,734 --> 00:31:13,667 But, you know, he just didn't tell anybody and kept marching in the 100. 463 00:31:13,667 --> 00:31:15,266 And then participating at Crossing Bus C. 464 00:31:15,266 --> 00:31:16,634 He wasn't a student anywhere. 465 00:31:17,266 --> 00:31:18,634 It's extraordinary. 466 00:31:27,767 --> 00:31:30,967 [Keon] It's unfortunate that the marching band that he loved, 467 00:31:31,033 --> 00:31:33,967 that he led by as an example, 468 00:31:33,967 --> 00:31:37,867 turned around and brutally beat him and murdered him. 469 00:31:39,367 --> 00:31:45,634 The most disheartening thing was how FAMU handled the whole thing. 470 00:31:47,900 --> 00:31:53,266 Within the Florida A&M Marching 100, 471 00:31:53,266 --> 00:31:56,867 they had an epidemic of violent behaviors. 472 00:31:58,567 --> 00:32:01,934 People wanna call it hazing, but it's so past that. 473 00:32:06,367 --> 00:32:11,266 As a band director, my dear friend, Dr. Julian White, 474 00:32:11,266 --> 00:32:16,834 brought a lot of success at the Florida A&M University, Marching 100. 475 00:32:17,700 --> 00:32:20,266 But some band programs have been more successful 476 00:32:20,333 --> 00:32:22,533 in stopping hazing than others. 477 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,967 What have I done to eradicate hazing? 478 00:32:31,967 --> 00:32:34,266 Uh, if I... see-- 479 00:32:34,266 --> 00:32:37,266 If I have innuendos or suspicion of hazing, 480 00:32:37,266 --> 00:32:39,767 I will suspend the person from the band. 481 00:32:39,767 --> 00:32:45,567 But I'll let them know just what the consequences are regarding hazing. 482 00:32:45,634 --> 00:32:50,567 I'll have them to sign a document indicating that they will not participate 483 00:32:50,634 --> 00:32:55,266 in hazing, uh, as a hazer or hazee. 484 00:32:55,266 --> 00:33:00,367 We were hearing those same written that that every school gives you. 485 00:33:00,367 --> 00:33:02,367 We have policies in place. 486 00:33:02,433 --> 00:33:06,367 We are totally against what they called hazing. 487 00:33:08,367 --> 00:33:10,967 But the school knew what happened to my son. 488 00:33:14,500 --> 00:33:19,367 The school knew the violence that was going on in this band. 489 00:33:19,367 --> 00:33:22,166 [woman reporter] In 1998, FAMU clarinet player, 490 00:33:22,166 --> 00:33:24,367 Ivery Luckey's organs collapsed, 491 00:33:24,433 --> 00:33:27,567 after he was beaten by 25-30 people. 492 00:33:27,567 --> 00:33:30,433 He took about 300 blows in one night. 493 00:33:32,100 --> 00:33:34,867 Robert did not get justice. 494 00:33:34,867 --> 00:33:37,000 We did not get justice. 495 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,834 What we got was a lot of lies. 496 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:42,834 It was a cover-up. 497 00:33:47,867 --> 00:33:49,467 [Peter] Prior to Robert Champion dying, 498 00:33:49,467 --> 00:33:53,467 I mean, there were a lot of signs of hazing in the band. 499 00:33:53,467 --> 00:33:56,066 There was an incident where someone was paddled 300 times. 500 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,767 In that situation, as bad as it was, 501 00:33:59,834 --> 00:34:00,867 nobody died. 502 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:06,367 Dr. White could have shut that band down. 503 00:34:06,367 --> 00:34:11,567 Because... the epidemic was out of control. 504 00:34:11,567 --> 00:34:14,266 The school knew there was a culture of hazing, 505 00:34:14,333 --> 00:34:16,867 out in Bus C ritual. 506 00:34:16,867 --> 00:34:19,333 They knew about it. They failed to do anything about it. 507 00:34:21,100 --> 00:34:23,266 [Keon] Just the week before the Florida Classic, 508 00:34:23,333 --> 00:34:26,734 Dr. White suspended 26 band members for hazing. 509 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,567 [Detective Voyles] The students have to sign a documentation 510 00:34:30,634 --> 00:34:33,867 that you can't do this. Don't do this. It's dangerous. 511 00:34:33,867 --> 00:34:35,967 So, the school knows that stuff is happening. 512 00:34:37,367 --> 00:34:40,767 The way I knew that this school knew about the violence 513 00:34:40,767 --> 00:34:43,333 that went on in that band, 514 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,367 was because of the complaints. 515 00:34:46,433 --> 00:34:49,166 The thousand and thousand letters, 516 00:34:49,166 --> 00:34:52,867 that had been sent to not only the president, 517 00:34:52,867 --> 00:34:55,066 but the band director too, 518 00:34:55,066 --> 00:34:58,166 from parents of students in the band. 519 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:03,867 [Peter] The administration is definitely 520 00:35:03,934 --> 00:35:05,867 overly concerned about the death of Robert Champion, 521 00:35:05,934 --> 00:35:08,467 as a PR incident, that threaten their own jobs. 522 00:35:08,467 --> 00:35:12,467 Rather than just addressing the underlying problem, the hazing. 523 00:35:12,467 --> 00:35:16,233 An outsider might perceive some of what FAMU did as a cover-up. 524 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:22,667 [Keon] I feel like, because a lot of organizations that have been involved 525 00:35:22,734 --> 00:35:27,467 in these hazing incidents, generates so much revenue for the universities, 526 00:35:27,533 --> 00:35:31,467 that they almost kind of, maybe turn a blind eye, right? 527 00:35:31,533 --> 00:35:34,433 Because who wants to mess up their cash cow? 528 00:35:50,567 --> 00:35:55,166 [Pam] We got news that they were suspending the band for one year. 529 00:35:55,166 --> 00:35:58,767 And I thought, [scoffs] really? 530 00:35:59,667 --> 00:36:01,567 You wanna suspend them for one year? 531 00:36:03,166 --> 00:36:08,467 If a Greek organization at FAMU is found to be doing hazing, 532 00:36:08,467 --> 00:36:13,467 even if no one is injured, the school will shut down that for eternity. 533 00:36:13,533 --> 00:36:15,967 For seven to ten years. 534 00:36:15,967 --> 00:36:18,667 Knowing the violence that goes on in that band, 535 00:36:18,734 --> 00:36:21,567 and not doing anything, says I condone it. 536 00:36:22,367 --> 00:36:24,333 Their negligence was just... 537 00:36:27,567 --> 00:36:30,934 I don't even see how the people can look themselves in the face. 538 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,266 I've seen other colleges where something like this is happened, 539 00:36:35,266 --> 00:36:38,266 and that group is disbanded forever. 540 00:36:38,266 --> 00:36:42,967 But to say, it's gone forever, because of this group of students, 541 00:36:43,033 --> 00:36:44,667 I don't think that's fair. 542 00:36:44,667 --> 00:36:48,467 It's an institution. We should not erase that institution. 543 00:37:00,700 --> 00:37:05,266 [Peter] Robert Champion's hazing death was a major event for the entire HBCU community. 544 00:37:05,266 --> 00:37:08,467 There were a lot of schools that re-examined their policies. 545 00:37:08,533 --> 00:37:13,166 Everyone didn't wanna be the next school to have one of these types of tragedies. 546 00:37:16,567 --> 00:37:18,967 My husband and I said something need to be done. 547 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:23,066 And we decided to have a foundation. 548 00:37:23,066 --> 00:37:27,266 The name, Robert D. Champion Drum Major for Change, 549 00:37:27,266 --> 00:37:29,233 was given to the foundation. 550 00:37:30,166 --> 00:37:33,166 The message was to eradicate hazing. 551 00:37:50,967 --> 00:37:54,266 Hazing is something that definitely needs to be eradicated 552 00:37:54,266 --> 00:37:56,467 throughout all colleges and universities. 553 00:37:56,533 --> 00:37:59,567 I mean, we've seen several stories about 554 00:37:59,567 --> 00:38:04,467 hazing incidents have even taken place even after Robert's death, right. 555 00:38:04,467 --> 00:38:09,066 So, I mean, there's clearly... There's clearly something that needs to be done. 556 00:38:10,567 --> 00:38:14,166 We got to get the core system to take this serious. 557 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:16,266 It's murder. 558 00:38:19,767 --> 00:38:22,433 Dante Martin received the stiffest penalty. 559 00:38:23,300 --> 00:38:24,667 Because he was the ring leader 560 00:38:24,667 --> 00:38:27,166 of the hazing death of Robert Champion, 561 00:38:27,233 --> 00:38:29,667 he was sentenced to 77 months 562 00:38:29,667 --> 00:38:32,867 for felony hazing and manslaughter. 563 00:38:32,934 --> 00:38:36,066 Caleb Jackson received a four year sentence. 564 00:38:37,467 --> 00:38:40,100 Jessie Baskin was sentenced to just under a year, 565 00:38:40,100 --> 00:38:41,567 because of his involvement. 566 00:38:42,567 --> 00:38:45,467 Benjamin McNamee received probation. 567 00:38:54,100 --> 00:38:56,667 [Pam] Probation is what they got. 568 00:38:56,734 --> 00:39:00,533 None of 'em got felony attached to them. 569 00:39:01,367 --> 00:39:04,266 Which is the law in Florida says, 570 00:39:04,266 --> 00:39:07,834 hazing with death is a felony. 571 00:39:08,667 --> 00:39:11,233 Not one of the 'em got that. 572 00:39:34,500 --> 00:39:37,066 [Keon] A lot of fellow members of the band... 573 00:39:38,367 --> 00:39:44,233 kind of isolated me, because of how everything took place. 574 00:39:46,100 --> 00:39:48,266 And, for people to turn their back on me, 575 00:39:48,333 --> 00:39:50,767 the way that they did, didn't really sit well with me, 576 00:39:52,567 --> 00:39:56,066 Nobody wanted to step up and say anything for Robert. 577 00:39:56,066 --> 00:39:59,266 So I feel as though it was my duty to have his back, 578 00:39:59,266 --> 00:40:01,967 the same way that he had my back plenty times. 579 00:40:13,667 --> 00:40:15,367 If Robert was here right now, 580 00:40:15,367 --> 00:40:18,634 he'd probably be in a classroom teaching music. 581 00:40:22,867 --> 00:40:26,767 [Pam] What I like the world to know about my son, Robert... 582 00:40:27,967 --> 00:40:32,767 is that he was more than any man I know. 583 00:40:32,767 --> 00:40:36,467 To stand up against a culture 584 00:40:36,467 --> 00:40:41,367 that has been in this band for over half a century. 585 00:40:41,367 --> 00:40:43,367 To be the only one. 586 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:46,634 So he stood tall. 587 00:40:50,967 --> 00:40:52,533 He was a young man... 588 00:40:53,467 --> 00:40:55,333 that was pursuing his dream. 589 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,667 They cut his dream short. 590 00:40:59,667 --> 00:41:00,834 He didn't deserve what they did to him. 591 00:41:10,266 --> 00:41:13,066 [crowd cheering] 592 00:41:13,133 --> 00:41:15,567 This cheerleader went missing, like, out of the blue 593 00:41:15,634 --> 00:41:16,867 she just disappeared. 594 00:41:16,867 --> 00:41:19,567 REPORTER: Alicia Duvall was seen getting into a small black SUV. 595 00:41:19,634 --> 00:41:21,166 WOMAN: Was there jealousy? 596 00:41:21,233 --> 00:41:23,667 Was there rage? We wanted to know more. 597 00:41:23,667 --> 00:41:25,567 Do not put your hands in your pockets! 598 00:41:25,567 --> 00:41:28,967 You need to stop calling and texting my 14-year-old sister.