Duke Attack Story Shifts (accuser changes her story)

[pnwmom]

Here's only one example of the NUMEROUS changes in her testimony in her December interview with the prosecutor's office.

http://www.newsobserver.com/1185/story/531580.html

SNIP

In the latest statement, the woman says she arrived at the party at 11:10 p.m. on March 13, that she had a drink and danced for several minutes, and that the rape began at 11:40 p.m. and ended at midnight.

Her cell phone records included in court filings show that she was on the phone much of this time.

If her latest account is true, she made a seven-minute call to someone at her father's house while she was performing an erotic dance at the party, and was on the phone up to one minute before she says the assault started.

In all previous accounts, the woman said the attack ended shortly before she left in the car driven by Kim Roberts, the second dancer. Roberts called 911, reporting that she was the target of racial epithets as they left at 12:53 a.m., police records show.

The new account leaves 50 minutes unaccounted for between the end of the attack and the departure from the party.

The accuser's assertion that the assault ended at midnight contradicts time-stamped photos showing the two women dancing between midnight and 12:04 a.m.

SNIP

[truthisfreedom]

1. If someone asked me what time an attack happened, I probably wouldn't have been

staring at my cell phone or watch to keep track. Unfortunately for this woman, she's got much bigger problems with her case.

[pnwmom]

2. If she didn't know what time it was, she should have said that.

As it is, she said that she arrived at the house around 11:10. (You'd expect she'd know when she arrived, wouldn't she? For a scheduled appointment?) And that she did the dance around 11:30 and was attacked after that.

The problem for her (besides the contradictory cell phone evidence) is that the next door neighbor (who dislikes the Duke students) has already testified that he saw her going in the house around midnight. And the video camera shows that the dance was performed after midnight. And Kim Roberts agrees.

You are right that she has other major problems with her case. I hardly knew where to begin in "snipping" from the article. For example, she now claims that two of the students used a total of four aliases, and that they used the SAME aliases. Therefore, any of the actions she attributed to "Matt," for example, could have been carried out by either of the two students. And now, for the first time, she says that Finnerty didn't use a name at all, which is convenient because his physical description doesn't match ANY of the named attackers. And she now says that Seligmann didn't actually assault her, that he just stood there and said he was engaged. That's a complete contradiction of her earlier testimony.

[NorthernSpy]

3. one hallmark of a fishy story: shifting details

As we've seen time and time again: when someone's account of events keeps mutating, we should really start to wonder whether they might be lying.

When can we expect to read of this woman's arrest for false accusation, I'd like to know?

[pnwmom]

4. Me, too. I was feeling somewhat sympathetic toward her -- thinking

that she was mostly a pawn of Nifong's -- but if she's going to keep lying, she loses my sympathy. They should both be prosecuted. She, for filing a false accusation; and Nifong for colluding with the lab director to keep the full DNA results out of the "final" report.

[Triana]

20. I am beginning to agree w/ you pnwmom...

...there's plenty of blame for bad behavior on the part of the accuser, Nifong, and the Lacrosse players. What a clusterf*ck this is.

[GemMom]

21. The accuser ...

has pretty much lost all credibility.

[JuniperLea]

8. BIG FAT BINGO!!!

The truth is the truth. It does not change. If someone's story changes, they are lying without question. And then how do you know if they are ever telling the truth again?

I hate a changing story more than just about anything else in the world.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. ...

"When can we expect to read of this woman's arrest for false accusation, I'd like to know?"

Can it be proved that the accusation is false?

[pnwmom]

10. It is certainly more difficult to prove a false accusation

than it is to be certain that defendants should be found "not guilty." For the latter, all you have to do is show that there's reasonable doubt, and in this case, there is a mountain of doubt.

I don't know how these cases tend to go in court, but there is more weighing against the woman than simply the fact of her many contradictory statements. For example, there is the assertion by one of her co-workers that, after the "rape" (now, "assault") she spoke of intending to make some money from the "white boys." And that she may have had a motivation to make a false claim (she was on probation for felony charges and may have acted to avoid alcohol consumption charges that would have violated her probation.)

And that she has a history of making charges of gang rape, and then dropping them.

[brentspeak]

5. This Nifong guy sounds like a total idiot

Did he really think he was going to get far with such an obviously bogus case?

[Lance_Boyle]

6. He got as far as reelection.

I find it totally unsurprising that he (a politician) thought no further ahead than that.

[pnwmom]

7. The scary thing to me is that this case is still going on, after almost a year.

What these families have had to endure, for a case that should never have been brought even to the indictment stage.

[tammywammy]

27. I really think Nifong's going to be disbarred

I don't see how the bar could allow this one to slide. He admitted to conspiring with the DNA lab to withhold that evidence. There's no excuse for that.

[nealmhughes]

11. This is getting as tiring as was Tawana Brawley.

I wonder where she is now? Hopefully she changed her name, because everyone in NYC Metro is still tired of hearing it or reading it!

[pnwmom]

12. But the grand jury refused to indict in the Tawana Brawley case.

Whereas this jury was bamboozled by Nifong last April, and no one in the state seems able or willing to take action since then.

[marshall]

15. That will be the final nail in Nifong's coffin

I suppose in the inevitable fallout to this case the grand jury testimony will eventually come forth and be used against Nifong. The only fig leaf he has to cover himself with now is that the grand jury indicted. If however it turns out he concealed evidence and/or lied to the grand jury then he will be completely without an excuse.

I just wonder how many other cases Nifong has prosecuted like this. How many men and women sit in jail cells now based on Nifong's trumped up evidence and lies?

[pnwmom]

17. Unfortunately, it appears that they don't keep any kinds of

transcripts or recordings of grand jury proceedings. So he could have told them anything -- it wouldn't matter.

What a great system they've got in N.C. -- so much less paperwork. Of course, their prosecutors are so trustworthy, they don't need to keep records.

:sarcasm:

[CRF450]

13. They need to just drop the whole damn case...

The more this goes on, the more retarded its gonna get. Those duke players she accused of should sue the shit out of her.

[pnwmom]

14. Welcome to DU, CRF450!

[CRF450]

24. Thank you for the welcome!

[salin]

16. Isn't it time for this case to be dropped, already?

eom

[pnwmom]

18. If it feels that way to us,

imagine what it must feel like to the families that have been going through this -- the thought of decades in prison for their sons -- since March.

[DiverDave]

19. The players have a GREAT case against the D.A.

and they should sue the shyster for every penny he has.
Absolutely DESPICABLE what he has done to these kids.
Better get used to the phrase "you want fries with that"? mister D.A.

[IndianaGreen]

22. NC Attorney General's press conference at 2:30 PM ET today (MSNBC)

He will discuss the Duke case and Nifong's request to be recused.

[tammywammy]

23. Nifong asks to be taken off Duke lacrosse case

Nifong asks to be taken off Duke lacrosse case
District attorney requests to be recused from prosecuting players

Updated: 8:11 p.m. CT Jan 12, 2007

RALEIGH, N.C. - Facing ethics charges that could lead to his disbarment, the embattled district attorney in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case asked the state attorney general Friday to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case.

Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, said District Attorney Mike Nifong made the request in a letter.

Nifong’s attorney insisted the veteran prosecutor was not running from a weak case and said Nifong was disappointed he would not be able to take the matter to trial.

“He feels, as a result of the accusations against him, that he would be a distraction, and he wants to make sure the accuser receives a fair trial,” attorney David Freedman told The Associated Press. “He still believes in the case. He just believes his continued presence would hurt her.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16599880/

[oneinok]

25. What, no protests?

Where did all those protestors go? When this story broke there were protests that looked like lynch mobs. What happened to them?

[tammywammy]

26. Well, it's been a while since I've seen any of them

This is why I like to wait and see the whole story. :)

Those men will have this hanging over their heads. I hope there's some retribution from either the State or the woman that accused them.

[superconnected]

28. you mean all those people saying wait and see what happens

while others were on here attacking the woman and calling her Ho?

Well, we're still waiting.

Many women get rapped in college and out, and many men get away with it.

It's also a sad truth that sometime a screwed up woman will lie.

It does not however mean that women do not get raped in college. Or that all or even most women lie about rape when they report it.

The people that look bad here are not the people the heard the story and decided to wait and see what came of it. The people that look bad are still the people who attacked the woman from the beginnng, or the players.

It shows their character. And it's not a pretty picture.

Now, I'm going to wait and see what happens to the woman who keeps changing her story. Something may or may not have happened with the duke lacrosse players, I don't know. I won't exonerate/hang any of them or the woman. I'm still letting it all come out. The woman is a flake, that's the only thing I've seen that I feel I "know" at this point.

I'll let the law sort it out.

I should also mention, that we shouldn't forget the players also changed their story - and lied to cover up some events. They really shouldn't have. This whole thing stinked from both sides because of all the lying.

[oblivious]

29. If the accuser was drugged, it's not unreasonable that she was confused about the details.

With 50 some lawyers working on the case for the accused, it's also not surprising that their side of the case is dominating the media.

I'd still like to know the real story.

[oneinok]

30. what??

"I should also mention, that we shouldn't forget the players also changed their story - and lied to cover up some events. They really shouldn't have. This whole thing stinked from both sides because of all the lying."

Got a link on this?