Posted on 04/18/2006 3:26:57 AM PDT by Mad-Margaret
DURHAM -- A day after a grand jury indicted two Duke University lacrosse players in connection with a reported rape, two men emerged from a sheriff's deputy vehicle and were led, handcuffed, into the magistrates office at the Durham County Jail at 4:54 a.m. today.
The arrests stem from a party that began March 13. The accuser, who is a mother of two, an N.C. Central University student and an escort service dancer, told police March 14 that she was sexually assaulted by three men in a bathroom at an off-campus house shared by three lacrosse team captains. The accuser is black; she said her rapists were white.
Defense lawyers said players maintained that there was no sex at all. They said the accuser concocted the story, that she was drunk and injured late March 13 when she arrived at the three-bedroom house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd.
"... Two young men have been charged with crimes they did not commit. This is a tragedy," Bob Ekstrand, who represents team players, said Monday in a prepared statement. "For the two young men, an ordeal lies ahead. They do not face it alone; they face it with the love of family and friends and strengthened by the truth. They are both innocent."
Superior Court Judge Ronald Stephens sealed a manila envelope containing the indictments shortly after the grand jury finished its business Monday. The judge cited a state law that requires everyone involved in a case, including witnesses, to keep the indictment secret until a suspect is arrested.
Last month, a judge ordered DNA tests on the team's 46 white players; he excluded the only black team member. The players' attorneys say the tests showed none of the players' genetic material on or in the woman.
Nifong, bolstered by a medical exam that found injuries on the woman consistent with sexual assault, says he is confident that she was assaulted in the university-owned house. Nifong said last week at a forum at NCCU that the accuser identified at least one of her attackers.
Until Sunday night, the only other witness, the second woman hired to dance at the party, had remained silent. In television interviews, she told her story.
The woman's attorney, Mark Simeon of Durham, declined Monday to make her available for an interview. She spoke on the MSNBC cable news network, which did not identify her and showed her in silhouette. Simeon confirmed that it was his client on MSNBC.
The woman told MSNBC that she did not witness a rape and does not know whether one occurred.
The woman said she arrived thinking that she would be dancing at a bachelor party of 15 people. She was not expecting a party of lacrosse players, many of whom she said were in a drunken stupor. The woman said she was infuriated to learn that some players photographed her dancing.
The accuser did not appear to be on drugs or to have been drinking when she arrived, the second dancer said. She was "absolutely fine and in control of herself."
When the accuser left, less than an hour after she arrived, she was incoherent and stumbling, the second dancer said.
"She couldn't really walk on her own," the woman said. "She really couldn't get her thoughts together enough to answer any questions. ... She was a different person than I met at the beginning."
The second woman said she was the person who called 911 as the party was breaking up, to complain that some lacrosse players had used racial slurs. "The boys hollered the 'N' word," she said. "I was upset and called 911."
She said she pretended to be a passer-by because she didn't want people in her life to know about her job as an escort service dancer.
It is unclear how that woman's story would affect the case. Players' attorneys have said she would only help them. By day's end Monday, Nifong left without talking to reporters; it remains unclear what evidence he has.
Throughout Monday, there were many more reporters on the sixth floor of the courthouse than the 18 members of the grand jury panel. Reporters tracked the district attorney's movements in minute detail. Just after noon, Nifong emerged from his office and walked across the hallway to the bathroom.
Reporters surrounded the bathroom door in a crowd that included five television cameras, three still photographers, sound men with boom microphones and at least a dozen print reporters. At the sound of flushing, the group tensed, raised cameras and prepared. Nifong did not emerge with news.
"I no longer get to go anywhere in my community without people knowing who I am," said Nifong, who faces two challengers in a primary election May 2. Staff writer Anne Blythe can be reached at 932-8741 or ablythe@newsobserver.com.
Not sure ... I hope we hear more.
I agree that if a rental is not owned by the college and is off campus, it is none of the college administration's business. However, my understanding was that Duke bought this house with the thought of concentrating the lacrosse team and its loutish behavior in one place where they could exercise some control; if the university owned it, they can control the behavior of its inhabitants quite easily.
Whoa!!!!
I have to leave at 10:50 for about an hour so I hope that press conference happens before I leave.
My 18 year old son was home from college this past weekend. After relaying the facts and circumstances I knew aboutthis case, I warned him to beware of situations he may find himself in. Ultimately, he is responsible for his behavior, his reputation, and his future. I don't expect college administrators to look after him apart from his education.
Only 3 of the lacrosse players lived in that rented house, not the whole team.
Photographs show the strippers clothing was not torn.
Also, I believe that Kim says she was in the bathroom with the accused for those 27 minutes. I'm quite certain that is correct, but maybe someone can help out with that.
Yup.
Does this mean that the Durham DA Nifong doesn't believe in dna evidence? Is this DA aware that convicted but innocent men are being released from prison around the country based on dna? Or is Nifong saying that now is the time for the nation's prosecutors to challenge all dna evidence as invalid?
"It is not "senseless gossip" to discuss the lack of DNA evidence or time stamped photographs that disprove the allegations of the accuser."
In the absence of any evidence the police hold and most likely presented to the Grand Jury.
I'll ask again, since you're so very, very offended by our "gossiping", why are you on this thread?
Well said and thank you.
No, I haven't heard Kim say she was with the accuser in the bathroom.
I see that you have been on FR for two years now....in those two years you must have noticed threads for ongoing trials and crimes that we follow and dissect evidence from both sides....examples....Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Natalie Holloway....and many many more.....this is what we do and if you don't like these types of threads, don't click them...
Actually, Duke bought the house in February with the intent of renting it out to non-students. They had to wait until this lease by the lacrosse players ended to rent to a family.
Because it is clearly irritating to the gossipers :)
I'd think if a drug was used on the stripper, the charges would include that. This party took place on 3/13 (?) so there's plenty of time for tox tests to come back.
So they paid $800. for 3 minutes of actual stripping? And that was OK by them?
This thread is calm and considerate compared to the Terri Schiavo threads from a year ago or even the Katrina threads.
"I see that you have been on FR for two years now....in those two years you must have noticed threads for ongoing trials and crimes that we follow and dissect evidence from both sides....examples....Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Natalie Holloway....and many many more.....this is what we do and if you don't like these types of threads, don't click them..."
Wow. You must be really unhappy if you start investigating my Freeper account.
Really folks - this can't be news that the police would know more than you do about this case.
Why is this so troubling for some of you to hear?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.