Rape Accuser Had Photo ID'd Possible DNA Match

NBC CHANNEL 17 ^ | 5/11/06

[TexKat]

DURHAM, N.C. -- A Duke lacrosse player whose DNA may match tissue found under the fake fingernails of an exotic dancer who claims she was raped was identified in a photo lineup with 90 percent certainty, sources tell NBC-17.

The Durham Herald-Sun reported Thursday tissue found under the accuser's acrylic fingernail came from the same genetic pool and was "consistent" with the bodily makeup of one of 46 lacrosse players who gave DNA samples for testing.

The paper cites several sources and said scientists also ruled out a possible match with any of the other 45 students, according to the sources.

If accurate, the fingernail tissue match would offer the first DNA evidence potentially linking the dancer and an alleged attacker.

But because a complete DNA pattern was not obtained from the tissue, it was not possible to match it with the nearly 100 percent certainty that DNA results usually offer, the sources added.

90 Percent Certainty

Now, NBC-17 has learned that the player is not one of the two already accused in the case -- Reade Seligmann, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Collin Finnerty, of Garden City, N.Y. He is, however, a player that the alleged rape victim picked out in a police lineup with 90 percent certainty.

The 27-year-old North Carolina Central University student told police she was beaten and raped by three lacrosse players while she performed at a March 13 team party. She said she clawed at the players in an effort to fight them off.

Never Applied?

Defense attorneys claim, however, that nothing about the reported possible DNA match means anything to the case if you look at the type of fingernails, where they were found, and if you look at a picture of the accuser's hand shortly after she arrived at the party.

According to defense attorneys, police found four stick-on acrylic fingernails in a trashcan at 610 Buchanan Street, the house where the party took place. The tissue connected to the possible DNA match was found under one of those fingernails.

But defense attorneys said the third player accused lived at the house and it is no surprise that trace amounts of his DNA could be found inside his own trashcan. They also said they don't believe the type of fingernails that were found -- the kind that are applied with an adhesive strip -- actually ripped off during an attack. They don't believe the fingernails were ever applied and they say they have pictures to prove it.

NBC-17 has seen a picture of the dancer's hand at the house when she performed her dance routine. It appears that long, fake fingernails were on some of her fingers in that photo, but not all of them.

Other photos show what defense lawyers believe is red fingernail polish on the walls of the house and on the railing outside the house. They believe the accuser was painting and applying her nails while at the party.

Defense attorneys admit that none of them have seen the DNA report the Herald Sun article is based upon, but they said if District Attorney Mike Nifong has the DNA report, their clients are entitled to see it.

Accuser's Father Responds

The accuser's father called reports of a DNA break in the case long overdue.

"I wasn't surprised to hear that. I feel like we should have learned it before," he said.

Kim Roberts, another dancer who performed at the party where the alleged attack took place, paid an emotional visit to the accuser's parents on Thursday.

"It was real emotional -- she was crying, my wife was crying. She said that she was sorry she left (outside) the house before my daughter did," the accuser's father said.

Authorities said they would know what the DNA shows by early next week.

[I want to know]

Dean Wasiolek did notify her immediate supervisor, VP for Student Affairs, Larry Moneta, and those initial rounds of communications reached EVP, Tallman Trask, but the Duke Allegations report said that President Brodhead was not contacted until much later. Brodhead first learned of the incident on March 20 from an article in The Duke Chronicle (the student paper).

By the way if anyone wants some interesting reading concerning this case, go to the Chronicle archives starting with the March 20 paper.

[Howlin]

Nothing more than is in the papers.

[TexKat]

Video link: Duke Police, Durham Official React To Committe's Report

[Howlin]

Thanks, VN.

Sac, ping to 154.

[toldyou]

ROTFLMAO!

[Howlin]

Oh, I see you're here already!

[Howlin]

That's the way the Grand Jury works!

I am finding out a lot of stuff abuot NC Courts that is less than impressive.

I did not know that there are no pre-trial hearings and that there is no right to a speedy trial in North Carolina.

[snarkytart]

They've raised it to a new level involving K street. I think I'll drop Libby Dole a line as a fellow alumni and see if she might want to contact the governor and ask about Nifong's behavior.
___

I think that is a great idea.

Somebody needs to oversee this man.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

I just found this:


DNA Testing: An Introduction For Non-Scientists
An Illustrated Explanation

by DONALD E. RILEY, Ph.D.
University of Washington
(Copyright 1997-2005)

Revised Edition Posted April 6, 2005

http://www.scientific.org/tutorials/articles/riley/riley.html

[Howlin]

At least I hope so.

Oh, me, too. It's about time for sanity to reign.

If I wake up Tuesday morning to another indictment, I'm really going to start wondering what is wrong over in Durham.

[Howlin]

K Street? Are you talking about Bob Bennett?

[ladyjane]

You're going to start wondering what is wrong over in Durham? LOL

[Sacajaweau]

Thanks Howlin...I'll go back and try and find the site I saw yesterday. It was very easy to comprehend and referenced FBI standards.

[snarkytart]

K Street? Are you talking about Bob Bennett?

____

I think she was referring to one of the player's dad works as a lawyer on K Street, ans the mom is a lobbyist.
The one with the charges reinstated last week.

[Howlin]

I keep holding out hope that the people in Durham will get in sync with the rest of this state.

Maybe I just don't have a clue how the Durhamites think.

[txrangerette]

Everyone assumes tissue means human tissue, from what I've seen of the reports.

Translated, they are saying they have human flesh (squaring with her story that she scratched someone) and have matched (or maybe not, according to accepted standards of matching. ? ) it to one of the guys not yet indicted but expected to be indicted soon. If it was just some DNA, but not a piece of human flesh, it could easily be that the DNA was picked up by the fingernail while it was in the bathroom trashcan.

They would never get away with using the term tissue for what was actually nothing more than the fake nail sticky part...not in court anyway and probably not even in the Media.

Since I don't trust Nifong, I am questioning everything he leaks to the Media. The Defense seems to have gotten quiet. Wonder what the lawyer for the soon-to-be-indicted (?) player will have to say, if anything?

[GAgal]

I wonder how much turning a blind eye to Nifong and the Durham PD investigation is a result of a town perenially deemed inferior to its wealthier Raleigh/Chapel Hill neighbors, just as NCCU is obviously inferior to Duke?

I different community with more to be proud of wouldn't have circled its wagons around a flawed accuser, an unethical DA, and an incompetnet PD.

[ltc8k6]

I wonder if the nails in the trash can even belong to the AV? Maybe they are from the 3rd guy's girlfriend?

[Howlin]

Does anybody have a bookmark or a link to the thread where we watched the Defense press conference where they talked about the first DNA results?

I am positive I posted word for word what they said about this "material" but I cannot find it.

[Jezebelle]

For what Bob Bennett gets paid, he must be doing something more than just watch the process.