Posted on 04/13/2006 3:21:02 PM PDT by ghost of nixon
DURHAM, N.C. -- A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by members of Duke University's lacrosse team was described as "just passed-out drunk" by one of the first police officers to see her, according to a recording of radio traffic released by Durham police on Thursday and obtained by The Associated Press.
The conversation between the officer and a police dispatcher took place about 1:30 a.m. March 14, about five minutes after a grocery store security guard called 911 to report a woman in the parking lot who would not get out of someone else's car.
The officer gave the dispatcher the police code for an intoxicated person and said the woman was unconscious. When asked whether she needed medical help, the officer said: "She's breathing and appears to be fine. She's not in distress. She's just passed-out drunk."
The black woman, a 27-year-old dancer and college student, told police she was sexually assaulted and beaten by three white men around midnight at an off-campus party thrown by Duke's lacrosse team. The racially charged allegations have led Duke to cancel the highly ranked team's season and accept the resignation of its coach.
No charges have been filed, but district attorney Mike Nifong has said he believes a crime was committed. Attorneys for the players have said DNA tests failed to connect any players to the alleged attack, and they have urged Nifong to drop his investigation.
The radio recordings, obtained by the AP through a records request, are the first instance in which police or anyone connected with the investigation has said the woman appeared to be intoxicated.
Defense lawyers, however, have said time-stamped photographs taken by the players show that the accuser was drunk and had already suffered some injuries when she arrived at the house for the party.
The recording is consistent with "what I have seen of the photo evidence before," attorney Kerry Sutton said. Those photos, she said, showed that she was "way beyond where you would put somebody behind the wheel of a car."
The description of the woman's medical exam -- which Nifong has said is his basis for believing a rape occurred -- does not mention her being drunk. It states only that the woman's injuries and behavior were consistent with having been raped, sexually assaulted and having suffered a traumatic experience.
The woman has told police she and another dancer hired to dance at the party arrived at 11:30 p.m. March 13. The pair reportedly left the house a short time later, fearing for their safety. The accuser told police the two were coaxed back into the house with an apology, at which point they were separated. That's when she said she was dragged into a bathroom and sexually assaulted, beaten and choked for a half-hour.
At 12:53 a.m., police received a 911 call from a woman complaining that she had been called racial slurs by white men gathered outside the home where the party took place.
The defense has said it believes the second dancer at the party made that call. The 911 call from the grocery store security guard was placed at 1:22 a.m.
In it, the caller says, "Um, the problem is ... it's a lady in somebody else's car and she will not get out of their car. She's like, she's like intoxicated, drunk or something. She's, I mean, she won't get out of the car, period."
A police spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the radio traffic.
The case has focused intense national scrutiny on Duke and the lacrosse players and has sparked protests on the elite private university's campus and elsewhere in Durham. The school last week canceled the highly ranked team's season and coach Mike Pressler resigned after the release of a vulgar and graphic e-mail sent by a team member shortly after the alleged assault.
Several of the defense attorneys say they expect the district attorney to ask a grand jury on Monday to issue charges in connection with allegations.
"Rest up on Sunday," Sutton said.
There has been no official word, however, on whether Nifong intends to present the allegations Monday. His next opportunity would come two weeks later.
The pimps keep about one-third of the fee.
What isn't being said in the article is that this woman works as a call-girl. Without being too graphic, they "clean-up" between johns. Let's remember the Imette St. Guillen case going on in NYC. Suspect Littlejohn (which is quite a last name for a rapist, lol) "cleans up" his victim(s) in order to remove his DNA from his victim(s).
It may be that she just didn't want another alcohol-related arrest on her record for a variety of reasons, possibly to do with the kids, possibly to do with future employment opprtunities - we just don't know......yet.
Maybe they were the ones who called to book the gig, and she remembered those names from when she had been sober earlier. Drunks sometimes forget what was said or done while they were drunk, but not what was said and done when they're sober, unless they're just a really rummy drunk who stays at a low level of intoxication most of the time. Mangum's a little young for her brain to be that pickled unless she started drinking when she was around 10.
Thanks, Tommy, I was aware of the NC incidentt. But she apparently had an address in Concord, CA and also in WA. I just wondered if she has a record in those other states. It's a good thing I'm retired so I don't have to force myself to resist the temptation of running her through III, lol! :)
Great explanation, thanks.
I would add that no medical personnel can attest to a rape having occurred because the medical staff are only witnesses to the indicators presented. They are NOT witnesses to the alleged assault.
It's doubtful that this person "cleaned up" very well, considering she was "passed out drunk" according to the police. The more I read, the more I am convinced she was angry at the rejection of her audience (giving a "thumbs down" in one of the pictures) and another picture shows her falling back on the porch when she went back for her missing shoe. My guess is there was no sexual assault, but certain some self-inflicted injuries.
I've always believed you can't truly come to conclusion one way or the other until all the evidence has been heard.
Even then, you can't always come to a conclusion one way or the other.
I wasn't thinking she "cleaned up" at the house. I was thinking more along the lines that she had cleaned up before getting drunk or taking drugs. I believe she was a half-hour late. She may have had a "date" or two earlier, gone home to change into the dance costume, cleaning up during that time, and cracking open a bottle or taking drugs, then going out again to perform, driven there perhaps by her pimp or BF.
If a nurse has reason to believe that tests should be performed they can consult with a doctor to have the test performed, order the tests themselves or in most extreme cases, consult with the police if need be.
Forensic Nurses are called to testify in court in cases they handle. Because of this, their testimony needs to be accurate and back up with fact. They are considered "expert witnesses" and must perform on that level.
If I am testifying in court on a rape case that I am positive the women was raped, the evidence proved rape, let's say there was even an confession, and was asked did I believe the victim was raped, I'd have to reply..
"Evidence suggests, along with the statements of the victim to me that she was raped on such and such a day/night".
In a case where I was not sure, where I may not believe the woman was raped and there was little physical evidence of rape, I'd have to answer...
"The victims statements to me, along with a finding of (insert whatever physical evidence was found) is evidence that the victim was raped..."
It's up to the prosecution to prove rape.
Thanks for the well wishes in my studies.
Still, like it was said before, what are the odds that if three men actually molested her, that not one molecule of evidence was not left? Between semen, saliva, hair, skin cells, blood, perspiration, tears, clothing fibers, etc. there should have been SOMETHING there. There wasn't, because the accuser is lying.
Now it's even better. At first she claimed the "attack" lasted for approximately 30 minutes, now she's claiming 3 minutes.
Yea, I believe her, as much as I believe Santa is coming down my chimney tonight with the winning lottery numbers.
Oops. I've heard of "60 Minute Men", but this would make these guys "60 Second Men"...
Absolutely. It just didn't happen at all.
She's now saying it could have been as little as 3 minutes. The window of time between the two photographs of her on the porch and steps is 7 minutes. That's not enough time, either - not for three of them to have done what all she claims and cleaned up every morsel of their DNA - while they're all drunk.
She's now saying it could have been as little as 3 minutes. The window of time between the two photographs of her on the porch and steps is 7 minutes. That's not enough time, either - not for three of them to have done what all she claims and cleaned up every morsel of their DNA - while they're all drunk.
I know the perception of time can be skewed and when you're in a traumatic experience it seems like it's lasting forever, but--to believe that 3 minutes seemed like 30 minutes, I have a hard time buying that.
According to her statement now, she was raped, kicked, punched, strangled for 3 minutes.
According to the pictures from the party, she painted her fingernails while in the bathroom. ie no polish on before wet polish on after.
Let's say she's the quickest nailpainter in the country and it took her only 1 minute to do her nails. That gives 2 minutes for 3 men to rape her.
Yep, I believe that....
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