Duke Lacrosse Accuser Made Previous Report

AP ^ | Apr 27 2006 | AARON BEARD

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

The woman who says she was raped by three members of Duke's lacrosse team also told police 10 years ago she was raped by three men, filing a 1996 complaint claiming she had been assaulted three years earlier when she was 14.

Authorities in nearby Creedmoor said Thursday that none of the men named in the decade-old report was ever charged but they didn't have details why.

A phone number for the accuser has been disconnected and her family declined to comment to The Associated Press. But relatives told Essence magazine in an online story this week that the woman declined to pursue the case out of fear for her safety.

The existence of the report surprised defense attorneys, one of whom has sought information about the accuser's past for use in attacking her credibility.

"That's the very first I've heard of that," said Bill Cotter, the attorney for indicted lacrosse player Collin Finnerty, who along with fellow Duke sophomore Reade Seligmann is charged with first-degree rape, kidnapping and sexual assault. He declined additional comment.

Attorneys for Seligmann asked the court this week to order the state to turn over the accuser's medical, legal and education records, and hold a pretrial hearing to "determine if the complaining witness is even credible enough to provide reliable testimony."

The accuser, a 27-year-old student at North Carolina Central University in Durham, told police she was hired to perform as a stripper at a March 13 party, where she was raped by three men.

According to the Creedmoor police report in August 1996, when the woman was 18, she told officers she was raped and beaten by three men "for a continual time" in 1993, when she was 14. She told police she was attacked at an "unspecified location" on a street in Creedmoor, a town 15 miles northeast of Durham.

The report lists the names of the three men, but no other details. Creedmoor police Chief Ted Pollard said Thursday he had no recollection of the report, and his staff has been unable to find any additional information about it.

Durham police Officer Brian Bishop, who interviewed the accuser in 1996 while working on the Creedmoor force, said Thursday he had a vague recollection of the report but couldn't remember any details.

When asked about the accuser's previous report of rape, Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong declined to comment.

Before Seligmann and Finnerty were indicted, attorneys for the players pointed to the accuser's criminal history when answering questions about their clients' legal troubles. The woman pleaded guilty to several misdemeanors in 2002.

[Alia]

Yeknew.. there's the old wives tale that daughters tend to pick "mates" kinda like ole dad...

John Mayer - "Daughters"

[Alia]

He's gotta be hiding something. Could be as simple as "he doesn't know anything" but likes the attention.

[Alia]

Your speculation is as good as any posted thus far.

There's also speculation that she wasn't supposed to be driving, in the first place (DUI, Tickets, driving a vehile under the influence, etc.).

And, I don't know what color her car or her father's car is, either.

[Dante3]

It sure would leave scars. Maybe she had a flashback at the lacrosse players house.

[Alia]

Hell of a story, TSO.

OTOH, in CA, the Dems keep trying to lower the agent of "consent".

And yours in re "child molestation" is bang on. I did field work with molested children, many years ago.

Bio (blood) molestation is far rarer than stepfather/mother, relative molestation in families. Knew a family. The bio dad had sexually molested the daughter beginning at her age 2. It was bad. But worse? The Mother and Grandmother felt so damned compelled to tell everyone about it. The girl was brought to me for some mentorship when she was about 11. The child kept acting out. Badly. And was violent. Sure, sure, she'd been through therapy -- ongoing since her molestations (which the father admitted to, especially after being caught doing it); but her family just wouldn't let her heal. They were more upset by it than she was.

The grandmother, in particular, made a point of "talking about the molestation" in order to EXCUSE the girl's bad, bad behavior. "Well, yes, you know she was sexually molested..." blah blah.

I had it out with the Grandmother. The girl and I yet remained in a mutually respectful friendship way. She knew she could come to me.

Her grandmother warned her off, said I was just a troublemaker. Long story short, the girl got herself pregnant; but after having to be committed to an institute for a time, for violent behaviors towards others.

Her family drove her crazy. I think their crime was worse than the molestation.

[Alia]

Crystal needs help. If not for herself, then for her kids...

Absolutely, yes. And she might need to get away from her family -- they don't sound very "centered" to me.

[Alia]

lol! I bet it does.

[Dante3]

The more I read about this Nifong, the more he sounds mentally unstable and vindictive, perhaps forgets to take his meds, and not just stupid and incompetent.

In the long run, his mishandling of the case will hurt legitimate rape victims.

[Alia]

Thank you for pulling all those together. I know it takes time.

And those facts put altogether? Tells me more about the father, than anything that may or may not have happened.

[Alia]

Another question: has *anybody* tracked down the current boyfriend? If all her old beaus have criminal records and beat her, no doubt the current one does too.

Current boyfriend is the only one not blabbing to the press. Why? Perhaps he's involved up to his ears? Perhaps he's a dealer? Perhaps he beat the AV the night of the party? Maybe current boy friend is a policeman? politician?

I'm 100% with you there in this "wondering".

At one point in the shifting sands of this story... the boy friend was the one who drove her to hospital.

[GAgal]

Hasn't the mother been quoted recently as saying the accuser and her children were living with her when the alleged Mar. 14 rape happened? Why would the daughter then say she wanted to leave her car at their house for awhile, as if that wasn't where it normally was kept?

[snarkytart]

It sure would leave scars. Maybe she had a flashback at the lacrosse players house.

________________
She did not have a flashback at the house. SHe did not even mention rape until the cop who came to the Kroger parking lot to remove Mangum from Kim's car was sending her to some mental health/drug facility.

Mangum most likely cried rape, because she was trying to not go to jail or go back to the mental ward.

[Alia]

What do you suggest?

[Alia]

Wouldn't surprise me to discover this "case" is being pushed by "higher up".

[Alia]

More:

On August 22, reporters from The News & Observer interviewed both chief-designate Watkins and city manager Conner about some of their findings that the Oldani firm had missed. They asked about the fact that Watkins had been married six times; about Missouri court documents from 1992 in which his fourth wife alleged a pattern of physical and psychological abuse; about Kansas court documents from that same year showing that Watkins' girl friend had accused him of threatening her and damaging her car, leading a judge to enter a restraining order against him; and about criminal charges, later expunged, stemming from the girlfriend's accusations. That afternoon, two weeks before he was to be sworn in, Watkins resigned the office he had yet to hold. In light of all that's happened, it's easy to understand why some Durham officials might question whether their way of selecting high-profile public appointees indeed is the right way. After all, Conner is embarrassed. Oldani is embarrassed. Watkins is embarrassed. And as of today, Durham still doesn't have a police chief.

[Krodg]

Does her dad own some kind of garage? Just wondering since she asked him to store her car for a few days.

[Repub4bush]

This is off this topic but I have a question...

Did the AV know the names (addresses) of the LAX players before she looked at the line up? Had she seen pictures with names prior to identifying?

I recall a talking head saying that the defense team said she picked 2 of the wealthier(est) team members.

Just an interesting fact.... the Seligmann's house was for sale up until last May 2005 and was then withdrawn off the market. It was listed at 2.5 mill.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"Cops? City/County/State employee?"

Somebody nifong is beholden to, NOT NECESSARILY someone superior to him in Govt.....he could be compromised and therefore controlled by someone who has embarrasing evidence on him for some indiscretion he (nifong) committed in the past....maybe he made a "deal" while doing the traffic court duties and was recorded during "reciprocity"?

[toldyou]

Wouldn't surprise me if goes on the market again so they could pay the attorneys. Can you imagine the fees? How sad for this to have happened.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

If someone does not pay personal property tax on a car, does the state go after the car?