Five charged with providing alcohol to teen who fell from Bemidji State dorm

Beltrami County prosecutors have charged five men in connection with the September death of a 19-year-old man who fell from a seventh floor window of a residence hall at Bemidji State University. 

At 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, Bemidji police officers found Isaac Morris of Cokato lying on the ground bleeding in front of Tamarack Hall. He appeared to have fallen out of a seventh floor window. 

Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and Morris was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner determined he died of significant internal head trauma. 

Morris was not a student at the university, but was visiting friends for the weekend. Police learned he had been drinking alcohol at a large house party on the 2500 block of Calihan Avenue Northeast earlier that evening. 

The Beltrami County Attorney’s office has now charged Zachary Morse, 21, of Bemidji, Jack Mathison, 18, of Bemidji, Bryce Mattson, 18, of New York Mills, Jordan Swan, 21, of Bemidji and Aaron Trebelhorn, 19, of Faribault with two gross misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor for their role in either hosting the party or procuring alcohol for it. 

A friend told investigators he and Morris had been at the party for 90 minutes and paid $5 for a cup, according to the charges. 

Several witnesses saw Morris at the party and confirmed he had been drinking there. 

If convicted, the suspects face up to one year in prison and a $3,000 fine per count.