OAN Staff James Myers
9:35am – Friday, December 13, 2024
Former stripper and convicted murderer Crystal Mangum admitted Thursday that she lied and “made up” that three Duke University lacrosse players raped her at a team party in 2006. Ta.
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“They trusted me that I wouldn’t betray their trust, so I gave false testimony against them, saying they raped me when they didn’t. That was a mistake,” Magnum told independent outlet Let's Talk with Cats at the North. Carolina Correctional Facility for Women.
“[I] Made up a story that wasn't true. ”
The 46-year-old convicted murderer claimed he made up the charges because he “wanted vindication from people, not God.”
Mangum, who is serving a sentence for second-degree murder in the 2013 killing of her boyfriend, asked former players David Evans, Colin Finnerty and Reid Seligman for forgiveness.
“I hope they forgive me,” she said, calling the men “brothers” in the Biblical sense. “I want them to know that I love them, but they didn't deserve it. And I hope they can forgive me.”
Until Thursday's big reveal, Mangum had never publicly said she lied about the rape allegation.
However, the statute of limitations for perjury under North Carolina law is two years, so she can no longer be charged with lying under oath.
Her sudden confession comes nearly 20 years after she accused lacrosse players of raping her while performing at a team party in March 2006.
As a result, Evans, Finnerty, and Seligman were arrested on suspicion.
At the time, the case received a lot of national attention, sparked by former Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong's comments in a March 2006 interview: CBS News He said there was “no question that a sexual assault occurred” and that the assault was “racially motivated”.
“The circumstances of the rape showed that there was a deep racial motive on the part of the act that took place, which by its very nature makes it one of the most offensive and invasive crimes. It makes it serious,” said Nifong, who was the lead prosecutor in the case.
However, during the trial, the DNA test results came back negative.
Former Duke University President Richard Broadhead also took action against the team following the accusations.
According to the newspaper, Broadhead accepted the resignation of then-men's lacrosse head coach Mike Pressler, canceled the remainder of the season, and was accused of rape, despite his plea to the public not to prejudge the criminal case. The three defendant players charged with the incident were reportedly suspended from school. NPR In 2007.
All three players were ultimately acquitted, and the charges were dropped in April 2007.
Additionally, the North Carolina State Bar disbarred Mr. Nifong in June 2007, accusing him of lying under influence and withholding DNA evidence that would have freed him.
Mr Broadhead's handling of the matter came under intense scrutiny after the rape charge was dropped, and Mr Broadhead issued a statement following the outcome.
“The fact is that by failing to respond appropriately, we left families feeling abandoned at a time when they needed support most,” he said in a 2007 statement. “This was a mistake. I take responsibility and I apologize.”
As a result, the three players sued Broadhead and the university after their lawsuits were dismissed and settled for an undisclosed amount.
They alleged in the lawsuit that Mr. Broadhead repeatedly made false statements and conspired to deprive them of their right to a fair trial.
Evans graduated in 2006, Seligman transferred to Brown University, and Finnerty transferred to Loyola University Maryland.
Meanwhile, Mangum was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of theft in March 2011 and is serving a 14- to 18-year sentence.
She was also convicted of a misdemeanor less than a year before killing her boyfriend after setting fire to the home in which she had three children, nearly burning it down.
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