Wilder’s alcohol level was six times U.S. legal limit

[thedrifter]

Wilder’s alcohol level was six times U.S. legal limit
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, March 16, 2008



An hour or two before Spc. Donald Anthony Wilder’s death on Jan. 8, 2006, the alcohol level in his body reached 0.50, according to medical documents.

That’s more than six times the 0.08 blood-alcohol concentration that will get you arrested for drunken driving in America. Lethal levels are considered anything higher than 0.35 blood-alcohol concentration.

Officially, Wilder died of “acute alcohol intoxication,” according to his autopsy. Plainly put, the 21-year-old died of alcohol poisoning.

Wilder was found — blue and unresponsive — in a Mannheim barracks shower after a night at the bars with friends. On the evening of Jan. 7, he drank at a Masonic initiation and then hit downtown Mannheim bars.

At one bar when Wilder was already “pretty intoxicated,” a friend saw him take seven or eight shots of rum and drink two to four rum and colas, according to Criminal Investigation Command documents.

Wilder’s alcohol problem began months before his death.

Wilder drank up to 20 12-ounce beers up to three times a week plus he drank one 12-ounce beer a night, according to medical records. Wilder had alcohol tolerance and withdrawal symptoms and reported that he could not stop drinking until passing out or blacking out, according to records.

In October 2005, he referred himself to the Army Substance Abuse Program in Mannheim where counselor Hope Daniels initially diagnosed Wilder with alcohol dependence, according to records.

“Patient has limited skills in coping with the self-destructive pattern of heavy alcohol consumption,” according to Daniels’ summary dated Oct. 17, 2005. “Outpatient group would provide him the context of preventing relapse and developing goals for continued sobriety and quality of life.”

Wilder’s diagnosis was changed to alcohol abuse on Oct. 20, 2005, by Timothy Holloman, the acting clinical director.

“[Wilder] attended all scheduled sessions, both individual and group, and met all of his treatment goals,” according to Daniels’ Jan. 24, 2006, statement. “By self-report and command report, Spc. Wilder remained abstinent for the period of enrollment.”

Wilder left the program as a “treatment success” on Dec. 19, 2005.

But on the night of Jan. 7, 2006, after being hazed and initiated into a Masonic group, Wilder went on a drinking binge.

The two soldiers who went drinking with Wilder that night both knew he had a drinking problem. A specialist from Wilder’s unit told investigators that Wilder’s death could have been avoided if his friends and supervisor had stopped him from drinking, avoided the bars or took him home early.

A CID agent’s questioning of the specialist who was with Wilder that night at the bars gives some insight into Wilder’s mood.

“What was [Wilder’s] demeanor after the ceremony?” an agent asked, according to records.

“Ready to party,” the specialist replied. “He was glad the ceremony was over.”

“What did Spc. Wilder do after the ceremony?” the agent asked.

“He wanted to go to downtown Mannheim to party,” the specialist said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Timeline in Spc. Donald Anthony Wilder’s death
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, March 16, 2008



6 p.m., Jan. 7, 2006: Spc. Donald Anthony Wilder arrives at Mannheim High School gymnasium to set up for an initiation to become a Knights Templar within a Masonic organization. Wilder is already a member of the Prince Hall Masons with the Perfect Square Lodge No. 88 in Mannheim and has gone through the first three Masonic degrees.

7 p.m.: The ceremony starts when nine Masons and the three initiates, including Wilder, are present.

7-10 p.m.: The candidates are taught about the Knights Templar. At some point in the ceremony, the initiates go outside the gym to drink the “five libations,” which involves sipping liquor from a cup. The initiates are outside in front of the high school and asked by a civilian Mason if they want to leave or not be paddled. All three say they would be hit. They are blindfolded, told to take off their shirts, pants and shoes and brought inside the gym to “walk a line.”

The line consists of Masons paddling or “touching” the initiates with wooden paddles, ranging in size from 6-by-8 inches to 4-by-15 inches.

“I think (Wilder) was hit about 20 times,” according to the statement of a sergeant in Wilder’s unit whose name was redacted from the investigation report. “I know one time he was hit one (sic) in the right leg. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I think he saw it coming and moved out of the way.”

A specialist from Wilder’s unit said he hit him a few times along with other people.

“The line was sort of like a staggered line — you walk down one line, turn and walk down another line,” according to the specialist’s statement to investigators. “As the person walks down the line, he is hit with the paddle two times. Spc. Wilder walked through the line and was hit with the paddle. Only four or five people hit Spc. Wilder with the paddle.”

The paddling lasts three to four minutes, after which Wilder says his last obligation, finishing the ceremony.

10 p.m.: The ceremony ends.

“After the ceremony was over, Spc. Wilder was happy he finished, happy he was a Sir Knight, but at the same time, he seemed a little sad he was leaving Germany,” according to the statement of a staff sergeant present at the ceremony. “He was giving everyone his e-mail address so we could stay in touch with him. Spc. Wilder even hugged most everyone who was there.”

Ten days later, the staff sergeant is shown a photograph of Wilder’s injuries and asked by investigators if the paddling was excessive. The staff sergeant replies: “A little, yeah.”

The investigator then asks the staff sergeant, based on the photo, how many times he thought Wilder was hit.

“More than 10,” the staff sergeant answers. “It also depends on your complexion. It does look bad.”

10 p.m.-1 a.m., Jan. 8, 2006: Wilder, a sergeant and a specialist go to some bars in downtown Mannheim, including the Pavilion and Murphy’s Law Irish Pub. Wilder wants to party. At the first club, the sergeant sees Wilder drink four shots of rum. He also sees Wilder having mixed drinks at other clubs.

By the time Wilder leaves the first bar, he is already “pretty intoxicated.” At the next bar, Wilder has seven or eight shots of rum and then drinks two to four rum and colas.

When they leave the last bar, Wilder throws up twice on the sidewalk, one right after the other.

“The vomit looked like food,” the sergeant stated. “No blood or anything else in it. He got some on the front of his PT jacket. He was staggering and slurring his words. I had to help him.”

1 a.m.-5:30 a.m.: The men return to the barracks, but Wilder is passed out in the car. The sergeant and specialist carry Wilder up to the second floor of the barracks.

“We dragged him down the hall,” according to the sergeant’s statement. “We used his arms to drag him.”

Because Wilder has vomit on his clothes, the soldiers strip him down, put him in the shower, wash him off and dry him. They leave him in the shower. They later wrap Wilder in a blanket and place him on his right side.

The sergeant and specialist check on Wilder repeatedly throughout the early morning until they fall asleep.

11 a.m.: The sergeant wakes and checks on Wilder.

“He was in the same position as last night,” the sergeant stated. “I pulled his arm up and noticed it was stiff. His face was also blue.”

12:05 p.m.: Donald Anthony Wilder is pronounced dead.

“The levels of alcohol as determined by toxicologic analysis are greater than reported lethal limits,” according to Army Col. (Dr.) Kathleen Ingwersen, who performed Wilder’s autopsy. “The blunt force injuries are relatively superficial and noncontributory to the cause of death.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Soldier died of alcohol poisoning. Was anyone else to blame? <br />
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes <br />
European edition, Sunday, March 16, 2008 <br />
<br />
MANNHEIM, Germany — Seven soldiers and two civilians...

[thedrifter]

An initiation, a night of drinking, a lonely death
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, March 16, 2008

Shortly after noon on Jan. 8, 2006, Spc. Donald Anthony Wilder was declared dead in his Mannheim, Germany, barracks. The 21-year-old soldier and Iraq war veteran died from alcohol poisoning.

Wilder, who referred himself for treatment for an alcohol problem, was diagnosed in October 2005 as suffering from alcohol abuse. He was found dead in a shower in Room 230 of Building 1586 on Spinelli Barracks. His death was ruled accidental.

Wilder was a radio communication security controller repairman with the 512th Maintenance Company. Fellow soldiers described him as a fun-loving person who tried to get along with everyone.

In March, Wilder was set to transfer to Fort Hood, Texas. Wilder dreamed of opening a dive shop and becoming a scuba diving instructor after his Army career.

In the hours before his death, Wilder participated in a Masonic ritual during which he drank and was repeatedly hit with several wooden paddles.

Photos of his body taken the day he died show bruises and scrapes to his buttocks, thighs and scrotum. Stars and Stripes recently obtained a copy of his autopsy, witness statements and the Criminal Investigation Command report of what happened to Wilder.

Today in Stars and Stripes, an account — based on a review of hundreds of pages of documents — of Wilder’s final hours.

— Steve Mraz

Ellie