Crystal Gail Mangum

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Crystal Gail Mangum (born 1978) is an African-American woman known for her controversial accusations[1] that three Duke University lacrosse players raped her in March 2006.[2] In December 2006, however, she said that she was "no longer certain whether she was penetrated vaginally," although the players are still charged with other sexual offenses and kidnapping.[3]

Contents

[edit] Duke scandal

Main article: 2006 Duke University lacrosse team scandal

In March 2006, Mangum and another stripper, Kim Roberts, were hired by members of the Duke University lacrosse team to perform as exotic dancers at a house in Durham. The residence was rented at the time by three members of the Duke University lacrosse team.[4] Mangum used "Precious" as her working name on the night she danced at the Duke house[5] Duke University purchased the property prior to the rape allegations.[6] After being involuntarily committed to the Durham Access Center (a mental health and substance abuse facility) later that night, she told somebody for the first time that she was raped by three members of Duke University's men's lacrosse team.[7][8] The investigation has led to the indictment of three members of the lacrosse team. David Evans,[9] Reade Seligmann, and Collin Finnerty were charged with first degree forcible rape, first degree sexual offense, and kidnapping. Duke's nationally ranked lacrosse team's season was suspended for the rest of the season as a result. As Mangum is black and the accused team members are white, the case highlighted racial tensions in the local North Carolina community and attracted national attention. It also led to intense criticism of the district attorney in the case, Michael Nifong.

At the time of her accusations, she was attending North Carolina Central University. She was also working as a stripper and escort for the Allure Escort Service[10][11] in Durham, North Carolina.

Timeline of events:

  • April 16, 2006, Jesse Jackson promised to pay for the rest of her tuition regardless of the outcome of this case.[12][13]
  • April 21, 2006, the talk show host Tom Leykis learned the name of the accuser and announced it on his radio show.[14]
  • December 14, 2006, defense attorneys filed papers in which they allege that DNA testing in the Duke lacrosse rape case found genetic material from several males in the accuser's body and her underwear, but none from any team member.[15][16]
  • December 15, 2006, it was reported that Mangum is pregnant and the judge in the case has ordered a paternity test.[17] Defense attorneys said, "It's impossible for any of these young men to have fathered that child," while the district attorney similarly stated that he has no reason to believe any of the players is the father of the woman's child. She is reportedly due in February 2007.[17]
  • December 22, 2006, prosecutors dropped the rape charges against all three suspects, due to Mangum withdrawing her claim of being penetrated. She had earlier claimed to have been penetrated vaginally, anally and orally, without condoms and with ejaculations, but there was no other evidence than her statement to corroborate this claim. The kidnapping and sexual assault charges remain pending.[18]
  • January 11, 2007, it was reported that Mangum gave birth to a premature girl the previous week. The judge issued an order for the paternity test.[19] Defense motions the same day also revealed that Mangum changed her account again during a December 21, 2006 interview about when the alleged gang rape occurred, how it happened, and who attacked her.[20]

[edit] Education and military background

[edit] Criminal history and credibility

In 2002, she stole a taxi from a man to whom she was giving a lap dance. A high speed chase then ensued, and when the deputy chasing her approached the stolen taxi on foot, she tried to run over him. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of larceny, speeding to elude arrest, assault on a government official and driving while impaired. She was sentenced to 3 weekends in detention.[23][24]

Lawyers for the Duke lacrosse players have said that Mangum was intoxicated and possibly under the influence of drugs.[25] Defense attorney Bill Thomas urged her to retract her statement, saying that the rape allegations were concocted to avoid a charge of public drunkenness. The Duke defense lawyers or media reports have said that:

  • DNA results revealed that the woman had sex with a man who was not a Duke lacrosse player. Attorney Joseph Cheshire said the tests indicated DNA from a "single male source" came from a vaginal swab taken from the accuser. Media outlets reported that this DNA was from her boyfriend.[26]
  • A DNA report released in December 2006 revealed that sperm from several males was found in the accuser's body and on her underwear; none of which was from any of the Duke players. Mangum has denied engaging in any sexual activity in the days before the assault, saying that she last had sex a week earlier. She also said that her attackers did not use condoms and ejaculated.[27][16]
  • She had made a similar claim in the past which she did not pursue. "On Aug. 18, 1996, the dancer - then 18 years old - told a police officer in Creedmoor she had been raped by three men in June 1993, according to a police document. She did not pursue the allegations. The officer who took the woman's report 10 years ago asked her to write a detailed timeline of the night's events and bring the account back to the police. "Apparently she never returned," Granville County DA Sam Currin said."[28]
  • The accuser told authorities that in 1998, her husband threatened to kill her. However, she did not appear at the court hearing and thus the charges were dropped.[29]
  • The accuser frequently passed out while performing as an exotic dancer at the Platinum Club in Hillsborough, according to the former club manager. The former manager also stated that Mangum had to be dragged out of the establishment onto gravel either one or two nights prior to the March 13 party: "She was heavy. It took four or five of us to carry her outside. She was dead weight. That's how passed out she was. She never woke up. We could have put the scratches on her. That could be how she got them."[30] The former manager went on to describe the accuser as "a club employee whose problems with other dancers and customers sometimes made it hard for her to make money," citing an event in which she started to pull a female customer's hair.[31]
  • According to the Platinum Club owner, the accuser danced at the club on March 23, 24, and 25. Those were the same dates she told doctors she was "in excruciating pain from the ... beating." The owner said the accuser did not say anything about being raped 10 days earlier.[32] Similarly, 60 Minutes released a video of her allegedly dancing at the club less than two weeks after the alleged incident, again leading to the media doubting how traumatized and in pain she actually was.[33]
  • The strip club's security officer said that the accuser told co-workers four days after the alleged incident that she "was going to get money from some boys at a Duke party who had not paid her," adding that she essentially said, "I'm going to get paid by the white boys." The security guard did not make a big deal of it "because no one takes her seriously."[34]

[edit] Inconsistencies in story

Police reports, media investigations, and defense attorneys' motions and press conferences have brought to light several apparent inconsistencies in Mangum's story, including:

  • Durham police said Mangum "kept changing her story and is not credible," reporting that she initially told them she was raped by 20 white men, later reducing the number to only three.[35]
  • Another police report states that the accuser initially claimed she was only groped, rather than raped, but changed her story before going to the hospital.[36]
  • The second stripper who performed at the house, Kim Roberts, said that Mangum was not raped. She stated that the accuser "obviously was not hurt ... because she was fine." Likewise, she refuted other aspects of the accuser’s story including denying that she helped dress the accuser after the alleged incident and saying that they were not forcefully separated by players like the accuser reported.[37]
  • Mangum did not consistently choose the same three defendants in the photo lineups.[38] Media reports have disclosed at least two photo lineups that occurred in March and April. In the March lineup, she did not choose Dave Evans at all. There was only one individual she identified as her assailant with 100% certainty during both procedures - Brad Ross. After being identified, Ross provided to police investigators indisputable evidence that he was with his girlfriend at North Carolina State University before, during, and after the party through cell phone records and a sworn affidavit from a witness.[39]
  • A police report released June 23, 2006, said that Mangum initially claimed she was "attacked by five men ... and changed her story several times."[40]
  • On December 22, 2006, Nifong dropped the rape charges after Mangum changed her story and stated that she "was no longer certain whether she was penetrated vaginally"[41]
  • On January 11, 2007, several more inconsistencies cames to light after the defense filed a motion detailing her interview on December 21, 2006.[42] For example, she changed details about when she was attacked, who attacked her, and how they attacked her:[42]
  • Mangum claims she was attacked from 11:35 p.m. to midnight, much earlier than her previous accusations.[43] This new timing is before the well-documented alibi evidence for Reade Seligmann that places him away from the house.[42] However, the defense revealed that this new timing would suggest Seligmann was on the phone with his girlfriend during the height of the attack.[42] Additionally, she received an incoming call at 11:36 p.m. and somebody stayed on the line for 3 minutes, which would be during the alleged attack according to the new timetable.[43]
  • The new statement contradicts time stamped photos that show her dancing between 12:00 and 12:04 a.m.[42] It would also mean that they stayed at the party for nearly an hour after the supposed attack since Kim Roberts drove her away at 12:53 a.m.[42] In her April statement, Mangum said they left immediately after the attack.[43]
  • Mangum changed the names of her alleged attackers, saying they used multiple pseudonyms. While Dave Evans went by "Dan, Adam and Brett," Reade Seligmann used the names "Adam and Matt," while Collin Finnerty either did not have a name or was not called by name, Mangum claimed.[42]
  • The accuser also changed her description of Evans.[42] She previously claimed that she was attacked by a man that looked like Evans except with a "mustache," but more recently stated that the assailant just had a "five o'clock shadow."[42]
  • Mangum claimed that Evans stood in front of her, making her perform oral sex on him.[42] Previously, she stated that Seligmann did this.[42] In the latest statement, she stated that Seligmann "did not commit any sex act on her ... [H]e said he could not participate because he was getting married."[43] Although he has a girlfriend, there has never been anything to suggest he was engaged or getting married.[43]
  • In its own investigation, The News & Observer, North Carolina's second largest newspaper, determined that the accuser gave at least five different versions of the alleged rape to police and medical interviewers.[44]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Rape controversy tarnishes Duke Campus". MSNBC.com 30 March 2006.
  2. ^ kirkosborn.com. Legal documents released by the defense attorney Kirk Osborn. Retrieved on 1 July 2006.
  3. ^ Duke rape charges dropped. Associated Press. 22 December 2006.
  4. ^ Khanna, Samiha & Blythe, Anne. "Dancer gives details of ordeal". The News & Observer. 25 March 2006.
  5. ^ She used the name on March 13 according to the statement of Kim Roberts and is sometimes referred to by that name in the blogosphere discussions of the case as well as in a 60 Minutes report.
  6. ^ Eaglin, Adam. Duke to sell 5 off-East houses. The Chronicle. 1 June 2006.
  7. ^ Defense motion seeks more reports in Duke lacrosse case. The News & Observer. 31 August 2006.
  8. ^ Lacrosse players' defense: Documents being withheld. The Herald Sun. 1 September 2006.
  9. ^ Beard, Aaron. "3rd Member of Duke Lacrosse Team Indicted". Associated Press. 15 May 2006
  10. ^ a b Julia Lewis et.al.. WRAL.com. Lacrosse Team Defense Attorneys Speak Out About Rape Allegations. WRAL.
  11. ^ "ABC News". "Duke Lacrosse Scandal Sheds New Light on the Stripper Industry: A Campus Trend?". Retrieved on 4 November 2006.
  12. ^ Associated Press (16 April 2006). charlotte.com. Tuition offered in Duke case. The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
  13. ^ Listing of accuser and lacrosse team roster. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  14. ^ Leykis, Tom. "The Tom Leykis Show", Westwood One Studios, 21 April 2006.
  15. ^ Key DNA Evidence in Duke Rape Case Withheld From Defense for Six Months, Lawyers Charge. FoxNews. 13 December 2006.
  16. ^ a b Duke case worsens for prosecution. LA Times. 16 December 2006.
  17. ^ a b Paternity Test Ordered in Duke Lacrosse Rape Case. WRAL.com. 15 December 2006.
  18. ^ Duke rape charges dropped. Sports Illustrated. 22 December 2006.
  19. ^ Judge issues order for paternity test requested by defense in Duke lacrosse case. Associated Press. 11 January 2007.
  20. ^ Accuser changes story in lacrosse case. News & Observer. 11 January 2007.
  21. ^ Anne Hull. washingtonpost.com. Rape Case Is Seen as Symbol at Black College in N.C.. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 31 October 2006.
  22. ^ a b Samiha Khanna. newsobserver.com. Mother, dancer, accuser - Duke scandal peels back layers of Durham woman's identity. The News & Observer. Retrieved on 16 April 2006.
  23. ^ "Duke lacrosse players' attorneys step up defense". ESPN. 9 April 2006.
  24. ^ Mangum, Crystal G., North Carolina Department of Correction Public Access Information System
  25. ^ "Alleged Duke Rape Victim Wants Her Life Back". ABC News. 19 April 2006.
  26. ^ "Defense: 2nd DNA Tests Show No Conclusive Link to Lacrosse Players". Associated Press. 13 May 2006.
  27. ^ Key DNA Evidence in Duke Rape Case Withheld From Defense for Six Months, Lawyers Charge. FoxNews. 13 December 2006.
  28. ^ Mueller, Jared. Rotberg, Emily. "Dancer made prior allegation". The Chronicle. 1 May 2006.
  29. ^ Fausset, Richard. "Duke Student's Lawyers Want D.A. off Case". The Los Angeles Times. 2 May 2006.
  30. ^ Former manager: Bruises could have come from club. Durham Herald-Sun. 11 November 2006.
  31. ^ Event told of accuser in lacrosse rape case. News & Observer. 14 November 2006.
  32. ^ Former manager: Bruises could have come from club. Durham Herald-Sun. 11 November 2006.
  33. ^ Duke Rape Suspects Speak Out. 60 Minutes. 15 October 2006.
  34. ^ Accuser in Duke lacrosse case wanted money, man says. News & Observer. 4 November 2006.
  35. ^ "'This will blow over' Duke report: Durham police downplayed allegations". Sports Illustrated. 8 May 2006.
  36. ^ "Duke Lacrosse Defense Attorneys Want Details Of Second Photo Lineup". WRAL. 26 May 2006.
  37. ^ Duke accuser lying, second stripper says. MSNBC. 13 Oct 2006.
  38. ^ Conflicting Identifications. The News & Observer. Accessed on 24 December 2006.
  39. ^ Conflicting Identifications. The News & Observer. Accessed on 24 December 2006.
  40. ^ Police report: Accuser in Duke rape case initially said 5 men attacked her. Associated Press. 23 Jun 2006.
  41. ^ Duke rape charges dropped. Associated Press. 22 December 2006.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Accuser changes story in lacrosse case. The News & Observer. 11 January 2007.
  43. ^ a b c d e Lacrosse Defense: Accuser's Story Changes Again. WRAL.com. 11 January 2007.
  44. ^ Lacrosse files show gaps in DA's case. The News & Observer. 6 August 2006.


Persondata
NAME Mangum, Crystal Gail
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Rape accuser
DATE OF BIRTH 1978
PLACE OF BIRTH Durham, North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../c/r/y/Crystal_Gail_Mangum_e379.html"