Posted on 11/04/2006 1:31:54 AM PST by abb
Joseph Neff, Benjamin Niolet and Anne Blythe, Staff Writers DURHAM - Four days after she said she was raped, the accuser in the Duke lacrosse case told co-workers at a Hillsborough strip club that she was going to get money from some boys at a Duke party who hadn't paid her, the club's former security manager said.
"She basically said, 'I'm going to get paid by the white boys,' " H.P. Thomas, the former security manager at the Platinum Club, said in an interview Friday. "I said, 'Whatever,' because no one takes her seriously."
On March 14, the woman said she was assaulted and raped by three men at a lacrosse team party that began late on the night of March 13. Three players -- David Evans, 23, of Bethesda, Md.; Collin Finnerty, 20, of Garden City, N.Y.; and Reade Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells N.J. -- have been charged with rape, sexual assault and kidnapping. All three have declared their innocence and called the accusations lies.
Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong declined to comment on Thomas' recollections. Thomas said he had not previously come forward on the advice of lawyers.
Nifong has said in court that nearly a month after the party, the woman was in his office and appeared too traumatized to talk about what had happened to her. Nifong said that throughout the April 11 meeting with Nifong and police investigators, the woman seemed near tears and had trouble making eye contact.
But less than a week after the party, Thomas said, the woman seemed fine, and weeks later, he realized a friend of his had a video of her dancing at the club in the early hours of March 26.
The accuser never gave any indication that the party was a bad time, let alone that she was assaulted or raped, Thomas said.
"She was as regular as pie," Thomas said. "She didn't do anything different."
The News & Observer generally does not identify the complainants in sexual assault cases. The woman could not be located for comment Friday.
On March 17, the woman showed Thomas a hospital bracelet and paperwork. While she talked about being owed money, the accuser never gave any word or indication of being hurt, he said.
"The other girls would have known if something had happened," Thomas said. "If another dancer had been beat up or raped by a bunch of white boys, there would have been a ruckus."
Records show she had been seen at Duke and UNC Hospitals on March 14 and 15.
Thomas said dancers must sign in when they take guests into the club's VIP room. He said those sheets show that the woman had signed in March 17 and 18. He said she also danced the following weekend.
The club's owner, Victor Olatoye, said the club's records show the woman was dancing at the club March 23, 24, 25 and into the early hours of March 26. Olatoye has no record of her working the previous weekend.
Olatoye said he had given a sworn statement to an investigator in Nifong's office last month initially saying that he had not seen the woman since February.
That night at the club, Olatoye checked his records and called the investigator back to change his sworn statement.
Olatoye said he has not seen the woman since March.
Thomas said he worked as security manager at the club from January through April. He said he had little to gain by coming forward because of a pending cocaine possession charge. Staff writer Joseph Neff can be reached at 829-4516 or jneff@newsobserver.com.
OK guys, more research to do :
(first spotted and then posted about on another board by a member of a well-known Jersey crime family...)
http://forums.talkleft.com/index.php/topic,613.0.html
"Federal prosecutors Monday sought to seize a Durham house they say was bought as part of a scheme that skimmed more than $1 million from a government contract to boost democracy in Iraq.
(snip)
Rudi, an Estonian citizen who has not been charged in the case, quit the Research Triangle Park nonprofit in August 2005, according to the statement.
(snip)
Several months before Rudi's resignation, RTI discovered on invoices that Rudi approved "questionable amounts" paid to a Dubai software company and other firms.
(snip)
In addition, the Dubai subcontractor received a portion of an $80,000 payment Rudi directed to a human resources and payroll software company owned by Steve Mangano, whom Rudi met while both were taking business courses at UNC-Chapel Hill, according to Schofield's statement. Mangano introduced Rudi to Houssam Hatoum, operator of the Dubai subcontractor.
Hatoum, Rudi, Rudi's wife and Jan Jogis-Laats, a fellow Estonian working as an accountant for the Dubai subcontractor, also set up a company, Tanbay LLC, according to Schofield's statement. . .
Jogis-Laats was also managing member of South Bay Partners LLC and Exford Management LLC, two firms involved in the purchase of the house on Birnham Lane, according to Schofield's statement. . .
In March 2004, Exford paid $300,000 to a Durham attorney's trust account, (which attorney??)
payments described as earnest money and purchase payment for the house. . .
Johnsville News entry: 11/6 - Bios of the Defense Team - http://johnsville.blogspot.com/2006/11/duke-case-defense-team.html
...as lacrosse as of yet does not mean that the Universtiy is violating TV contract by canceling games.
What happened after the party is obviously more germane to the case, but I agree with you - it's odd indeed that LE obtained a statement from Jarriel but not Taylor.
Re: Brian Taylor - It is as if he was given a pass by the cops and the media..
Perhaps you are right. The problem with being an armchair detective is that it is too easy to go off on an interesting, yet irrelevant tangent. Now about that white car.....
At 10 am in Raleigh it's raining with a predicted hight of 55F. This has historically been thought to suppress the votes of the the Democrats as their voters are generally thought to be somewhat less motivated. We'll see.
As far as a good cleansing, Durham is the The Augean Stables with no Hercules in sight.
mark
Turnout appears high so far in Durham.
Source? Let's hope it's highly motivated Nifong haters.
"As far as a good cleansing, Durham is the
The Augean Stables with no Hercules in sight."
Even Katrina could not purge New Orleans.
The roots are very deep- think Kudzu.
Channel 14 reports Durham results will not
be reported until 8:30 pm citing problems
opening poll in precinct 23 one hour late.
A cold steady drizzle envelopes a dark
overcast Trinity Park. Miserable weather is good.
http://www.wral.com/wxmap/886675/detail.html
OFFICIAL SUMMARY REP PRIMARY ELECTION OFFICIAL SUMMARY REPORT
RUN DATE:05/08/06 DURHAM COUNTY, NC
RUN TIME:05:44 PM MAY 2, 2006
(DEMOCRATIC) WITH 59 OF 59 PRECINCTS REPORTING
DISTRICT ATTORNEY 14
You may vote for 1
01 = Mike Nifong 11,206 45.15 %
02 = Keith A. Bishop 3,293 13.27 %
03 = Freda Black 10,323 41.59
NIF BIS BLK
0001 W J BROGDEN MIDDLE SCHOOL 140 17 63
0002 GEORGE WATTS ELEMENTARY S 152 32 61
0003 E K POWE ELEMENTARY SCH 230 22 77
0004 N C SCHOOL OF SCIENCE & 254 15 124
0005 W I PATTERSON RECREATION 42 31 49
0006 LAKEWOOD SCHOOL 204 21 139
0007 DURHAM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 170 20 64
0008 MOREHEAD MONTESSORI MAGNE 171 56 56
0009 FOREST HILLS CLUB HOUSE 347 68 234
0010 C C SPAULDING SCHOOL 60 52 41
0011 WEAVER STREET CENTER 218 122 97
0012 W G PEARSON ELEMENTARY SC 58 36 27
0013 BURTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 72 51 43
0014 Y E SMITH SCHOOL 72 56 107
0015 MT CALVARY HOLY CHURCH GY 41 36 52
0016 HOLY INFANT CATHOLIC CHUR 138 36 119
0017 DURHAM COUNTY MAIN LIBRAR 80 53 52
0018 FIRST UNITED ANTIOCH BAPT 97 55 84
0019 AMERICAN LEGION POST #7 168 61 150
0020 DURHAM COUNTY AGRICULTURA 234 36 99
0021 CLUB BOULEVARD HUMANITIES 150 25 134
0022 VFW POST 2740 166 110 128
0023 THE RIVER CHURCH 353 180 281
0024 DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL STAF 240 44 357
0025 NORTHERN HIGH SCHOOL 110 19 342
0026 ROUGEMONT STA - BAHAMA VO 62 9 156
0027 CREEKSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHO 163 23 108
0028 BAHAMA RURITAN CLUB 146 13 302
0029 GLENN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 110 50 194
0030 OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHO 134 74 226
0031 BETHESDA RURITAN CLUB 116 37 213
0032 NEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL 42 5 148
0033 LOWES GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL 58 23 69
0034 PEARSONTOWN ELEMENTARY SC 458 177 261
0035 CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS CO 470 156 411
0036 YATES BAPTIST CHURCH 202 42 168
0037 COLE MILL CHURCH OF CHRIS 271 33 512
0038 HOPE VALLEY BAPTIST CHURC 266 48 179
0039 ST. STEPHENS EPIS. CH-PAR 377 55 353
0040 ROGERS-HERR MIDDLE SCHOOL 193 32 114
0041 WHITE ROCK BAPTIST CHURCH 209 79 97
0042 JAMES E SHEPHARD MAGNET S 138 113 74
0043 FOREST VIEW ELEMENTARY SC 511 74 493
0044 CARRINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL 271 68 440
0045 TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH 336 59 470
0046 EDISON JOHNSON COMMUNITY 166 47 198
0047 I R HOLMES SR. REC. CTR A 208 138 142
0048 CHRIST THE KING MORAVIAN 171 37 135
0049 NCCU MILLER-MORGAN BLDG 32 20 10
0050 MCMANNEN UNITED METHODIST 222 33 258
0051 SOUTHWEST ELEMENTARY SCHO 305 72 264
0052 EVANGEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD 146 75 151
0053 TRIANGLE PRESBYTERIAN CHU 99 27 83
0054 PARKSIDE AT WOODLAKE 268 120 217
0055 SOUTHERN HIGH SCHOOL 209 108 210
0056 TRIANGLE CHURCH 177 22 108
0057 ONE STOP 582 124 472
0058 ABSENTEE MAIL 25 5 26
0059 PROVISIONAL/TRANSFER 96 41 81
Precinct 23 is in the north of county.
This will favor the opposition.
One more hour in evening to vote in a squeaker.
http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/gis/precincts/voter_precinct__23.pdf
The 5/27 N&O article "Accuser seemed OK early on, driver says" wherein they interviewed Taylor doesn't address that issue directly (go figure).
Hmm, however, the article does mention right at the end that the police did interview Taylor "weeks ago" (late April / early May at that point??). Are we sure that we haven't seen a statement by Taylor in the discovery?
And... getting back to that 'diffuse edema', what's the timeline say about the performance with the vibrator? I guss that took place in the afternoon / early evening since she apparently didn't get to Taylor's place until ~9pm.
Perhaps you are right. The problem with being an armchair detective is that it is too easy to go off on an interesting, yet irrelevant tangent.
http://www.wral.com/apncnews/10262708/detail.html
Nifong once again tries to shake hands with people who don't like him...
Excerpt from AP this am.-- [Good for Bob Harris]
There was robust turnout in Durham County, Bartlett said, where the race for district attorney was enlivened by debate over incumbent Mike Nifong's prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players on rape and kidnapping charges. Nifong sought a four-year term against two challengers.
Nifong had a brief run-in at the polling place with Bob Harris, the play-by-play voice of the Blue Devils, when the prosecutor attempted to shake his hand. The radio announcer jumped into his car and was visibly upset when he noticed a television cameraman filming the exchange. He called county sheriff's deputies, who took no action after they arrived.
"The majority have been very friendly. There have been a few people who have not," a cheerful Nifong said later as he greeted voters in the parking lot of Temple Baptist Church. "There was one guy who came by with a lacrosse T-shirt. I didn't talk to him. I might have prejudged him . I'm not sure."
As he waved at a passing car, he noted with a grin: "That guy just looked at me and shook his head."
Nifong has insisted that the election should not be a referendum on the Duke case. But some voters made it clear that it was.
John Straffin, an information technology analyst at Duke, voted for Steve Monks, a private attorney and fellow Republican who is running a write-in campaign.
"It was just looking at what each person had to offer and what each person was standing for, and not him," Straffin said, nodding at Nifong nearby.
A single polling place in Durham County opened about an hour late, and officials decided to keep that station open until 8:30 p.m. to make up for the lost time. All other polling places in Durham will close on time at 7:30 p.m., but results from the county won't be released until after 8:30 p.m.
http://www.wral.com/apncnews/10262708/detail.html
Keyholder Holds Up Voting For Nearly An Hour In Durham, POSTED: 10:37 am EST November 7, 2006
DURHAM, N.C. -- A polling place at a church in Durham County opened 50 minutes late because the person with the key to the building didn't show up on time, elections officials said Tuesday.
The Durham County Board of Elections said Precinct 23, which was supposed to have opened at 6:30 a.m., would remain open an hour after other polls in the state closed at 7:30 p.m. to make up for the late start. Results from the entire county will be held until 8:31 p.m., when all precincts are closed.
County elections director Michael Ashe said about 100 voters were waiting when the building was finally unlocked. He said the delay was "human error."
"(The) man from the church with the key was late," Ashe said.
Twenty of the waiting voters went to the county's Board of Elections office to cast ballots, which would be taken to the precinct and tabulated there, he said.
There was robust turnout Tuesday morning in Durham County, where the race for district attorney was enlivened by debate over incumbent Mike Nifong's prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players on rape and kidnapping charges. Nifong sought a four-year term against two challengers.
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/10263411/detail.html
I did not note anything in my origional post. You were responding to mey FIRST post on the discussion concerning canceling this season.
Good point. Link to the article is here - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1732077/posts?page=255#255
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