The women go out to the second stripper's car at about 12:20, but the accuser has left her purse behind; she goes back inside to get it, according to Ekstrand. A photo at 12:30 shows the alleged victim standing outside the back door of the house looking down into two bags with what appears to be a smile. She's wearing only her scant red-and-white outfit and one shoe. By the time she realizes she's missing a shoe--a few minutes later--the guys have locked the door to keep her out, say the attorneys. A 12:37 photo shows she's lying on the back stoop; she fell, according to Ekstrand. Her elbow is dusted and scraped, and her ankle is cut and bleeding.
At 12:41 she gets into the car, and one of the partygoers appears to be helping her. In a call to a police dispatcher at about 1:30 made public last week, one of the first officers to see the accuser, in a parking lot, said she was "passed-out drunk" but "not in distress." Since the release of the recording, Ekstrand has suggested that if any assault happened, it was after the accuser left the house. Defense attorneys said last week that no DNA had been found on or inside the accuser. She was never alone in the house for more than about 10 minutes, according to their timeline.
Original Post 6:00 pm
The Duke Lacrosse players case has heated up this weekend. One of the defense attorneys was on the same tv segment I was on earlier today and said the defense team has been told by the prosecutor that two players' names will be submitted to the grand jury. Despite offers of all team members to surrender if they are charged, the DA refuses to identify the two players. This sounds to me like the DA is anxious to do an on-camera perp walk.
Time Magazine reported that defense lawyers believe police sent out a phony e-mail to team members, using the e-mail address of one of the players, in which the writer said he was going to tell the cops what he knew about the alleged rape.
The explosive allegations stem from an e-mail message sent in the last few days to several players from the e-mail address of another player, stating he was going to tell the police a crime occurred and implicate key players. The player denies he sent it...."The police said (the new e-mail) came from a confidential informant, but we have reason to believe it came from the police, hoping it would make all the players nervous," says one defense lawyer. "That didn't work."
There's more news about the defense photos taken of the party and players. The time-stamps match the time on watches worn by the players.
There is a gap in the photos from 12:03 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. in which the two dancers were not photographed on the camera. Attorneys believe the women were in a bathroom, alone. One woman, they believe, was changing her clothes during that time, and the accuser may have been painting her fingernails. They believe that because later on, when she fell on the back stairs, there were pinkish marks on the stairwell.
The grand jury Monday is expected to begin considering the case Monday. Also Monday, defense lawyers will file a motion complaining about the cops attempt Thursday night to interview team players without contacting their lawyers. It's not appropriate for cops and prosecutors to directly contact those whom they know to be represented by counsel.
Time also reports:
Defense lawyers tell Time they also have pictures, not yet turned over to the DA's office, of the main room at the party showing the players sitting in a semi-circle "watching the show." "They are bored, they're practically yawning. This is not a group of rowdy, dangerous people," says one of the attorneys.
Another item: Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition has offered to pay the accuser's tuition, regardless of whether she's telling the truth about the rape.
TalkLeft's Prior Posts on the Duke case:
- April 14, 2006 - Police Attempt to Interview Players in Dorm Rooms
- April 13, 2006 - Officer Says Accused Needed No Medical Attention
- April 11, 2006 - DA: Will Continue Investigaton
- April 10, 2006 - No Players DNA on Accuser's Body
- April 7, 2006 - Accuser Has Prior Criminal Record
- April 6, 2006 - Duke Responds to Lacrosse Team Crisis (with earlier post, Duke Case Sinking Faster than the Titanic)
- April 5, 2006 - Duke Lacrosse Coach Resigns; Post-Party E-mail Revealed
- April 2, 2006 - Newsweek on the Duke Lacrosse Team Rape Allegations
- March 31, 2006 - The Duke Lacrosse Players Rape Allegations: Truth or Scam?