One of the greatest freshman quarterbacks in the history of college football is now a prime person of interest in an alleged rape case investigation that is also greatly sullied by an alleged police cover up designed to protect the young phenom, Florida State QB Jameis Winston.
Winston’s campaign to win the coveted Heisman trophy may have been irrevocably imperiled after DNA analysis completed by the state police in Florida on Tuesday confirmed that DNA provided by Winston matched the sample taken from the underwear of the woman who has accused him of rape.
More importantly, Winston’s fantastic future and freedom are in jeopardy as well if he is indicted and convicted of sexual assault of the female accuser. Most importantly, a woman believes she was raped and the case has been complicated by an alleged overzealous Florida police detective who discouraged the alleged victim from following through on the accusations.
According to the DNA analysis report, a copy of which was viewed by the Florida state police crime lab determined the chance of the DNA in the woman’s underwear being a match for someone other than Winston was one in 2.2 trillion, media outlets report.
Police reports indicate they received the sexual assault kit on Dec. 7, 2012, when the accuser reported the alleged incident had occurred at an off-campus apartment. Winston’s DNA was recently obtained through a buccal swab he provided to authorities investigating the case.
The DNA match alone does not prove that Winston, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, sexually assaulted the woman, as the accuser’s family claimed in a statement released Wednesday by a Tampa, Fla.-based attorney. But it does indicate that Winston, who has yet to talk to Tallahassee police or the state attorney investigating the case, had his DNA associated with the accuser on Dec. 7, 2012, when the accuser said she was sexually assaulted.
William Meggs, the state attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit, said his office is still investigating the case, which was referred by Tallahassee police only last week. The state attorney’s office is scheduled to meet with the accuser Thursday, according to people familiar with the case.
“Everybody wants to know what’s going on,” Meggs said earlier Wednesday. “So do we. We’re in the process of trying to figure out what’s going on. We haven’t determined how it’s going to turn out.”
“We have professionally tried to maintain the dignity of an investigation,” said Tim Jansen, Winston’s attorney. “However, either the Tallahassee Police Department or Mr. Meggs’ office has decided they’re going to improperly leak evidence to the media. We are saddened to learn that someone has decided to leak evidence to the public before Mr. Meggs has had time to make a decision. The improperly leaked report, if true, has zero impact on Mr. Winston’s defense, and Mr. Winston maintains his innocence. We voluntarily submitted DNA last week.”
Jansen said he’s also submitted affidavits from two individuals who say they were with Winston and the accuser on the night in question.
“We have turned over our affidavits, and we’re confident in the witnesses who were there,” Jansen said.
There is also evidence of a police scandal and cover-up. The attorney for the alleged rape victim said she was dissuaded by police from pursuing the case against Winston because her life would be made a living hell
On Wednesday night, Tallahassee interim police chief Tom Coe said the accuser stopped cooperating with police in February. A statement released earlier Wednesday by the accuser’s family through her attorney, Patricia Carroll of Tampa, said Tallahassee police warned the accuser not to pursue the case, saying Det. Scott Angulo told Carroll:
“Tallahassee was a big football town and the victim needs to think long and hard before proceeding against him because she will be raked over the coals and her life will be made miserable.”
Take a look at the Twitter reactions that cover the spectrum of emotions over this volatile case.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! #smearcampaign #JameisWinston
— Tessa Ward (@iamtessaward) November 21, 2013
Still allegations, but I’m told there are plenty of lips & other body parts being drawn very tight at #FSU regarding #JameisWinston case.
— Ed Berliner (@EdBerliner) November 21, 2013
