Family of Cornell freshman who died mysteriously after frat party offers $10K reward for information about his death

The parents of a Cornell University student found dead late last month are reportedly offering a cash reward for information about his unexplained death.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, 18-year-old Antonio Tsialas disappeared on October 24 after attending a fraternity party, and was found dead two days later in the Fall Creek Gorge on the upstate New York campus.

As CNN reports, the school’s president, Martha E. Pollack, said in a statement posted to the university website that Tsialas had attended “an unregistered fraternity-sponsored event” the night he was last seen. 

Alcohol was reportedly served at the event, though it is unclear what kind of condition Tsialas was in when he left the party. Before going to the party, the Miami native had dinner with his mother, who was visiting the campus for Parents Weekend, and his father was scheduled to arrive the next day.

His father, David Bianchi, told CNN that his family was taking out a full page ad in the campus newspaper, the Cornell University Sun, early this week, offering a $10,000 reward for information about their son’s death.

“Antonio got drunk, left the event and then he disappeared and we don’t know exactly how he died,” Bianchi said in an interview. “We’re hoping … that people will come forward with information from that night.”

Antonio’s mother Flavia Tsialas previously told the Miami Herald that her son was in good sprits when they met for dinner and that he was enjoying his time at Cornell. She posted a message on Facebook seeking more information about what happened to Antonio, and indicated she was frustrated with the many unanswered questions surrounding her son’s tragic death.

“We are asking anyone with information to please contact us and tell us anything they know about the events of that evening. We need to know. As a parent we want to know the TRUTH about what happened to him and who was with him that night,” she wrote in the Facebook post.

“What occurred at that fraternity party? Who left with Antonio that night? Who was with him when he died? Why was he found so far from his dormitory?”

Bianchi told CNN that an autopsy was still pending, and a university official told the news outlet that authorities do not suspect foul play.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.