Adrienne18
07-24-2003, 08:10 PM
I know this is Kobe-related, but the Kobe thread isn't often frequented and this seemed like big news...I also realize this doesn't mean anything really, but it could be a big thing in Kobe's favor...(reliable or not)
News: Friends question accuser
Posted on Tuesday, July 22 @ 23:11:35 MDT by
Heath R. Urie and Chris Marcheso
Managing Editor and Staff Writer
While Kobe Bryant — one of the most popular NBA superstars today — faces a charge of sexual assault, questions about the emotional stability of the 19-year-old UNC student accusing Bryant have surfaced.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, several UNC students spoke exclusively to The Mirror about the young woman they know. Some students agreed to speak without their names being used to protect the identity of the accuser, whose name has not been released by police or the media.
The young woman in question completed her freshman year at UNC in May. She lived in one of the primarily freshmen residence halls on campus and spent her days pursuing a passion for music, despite having not yet declared a major.
Close friends say she was active in the school choir and was a charismatic and loyal friend.
“She was very nice and someone that would be there for you,” said Rich Fredrick, a UNC sophomore who lived in the same residence hall as the accuser.
However, other friends describe a darker, more troubled side.
“She had issues with her boyfriend,” one close friend said “They fought throughout the school year. Then they broke up. She was upset about it.”
Two friends recounted the evening of Feb. 25, when the accuser overdosed on medication, and UNC police and local medical personnel had to transport her to North Colorado Medical Center for treatment.
“During the year, the cops and an ambulance came and took her away,” another resident said. “We all knew she had some health issues. We were concerned … We didn’t see her in class for a few days.”
UNC Police Chief Terry Urista confirmed Monday that UNC police contacted the accuser Feb. 25.
“We did respond to the residence hall,” he said. “We took her into custody and transported her to the hospital.”
However, Urista declined to comment on the details surrounding the transport and treatment.
The accuser’s problems didn’t end there, friends said.
Classmates and friends who know the young woman said male guests frequently visited her overnight.
One resident said the accuser bragged about her sexual encounters, including one with a celebrity look-alike while she auditioned last year in Texas for the popular TV show “American Idol.”
Reports such as these may raise questions about the validity of the accuser’s claim that Bryant sexually assaulted her June 30 at the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colo.
Denver-based attorney Pamela Mackey, lead council for Bryant, may consider the wide speculation about the accuser’s emotional stability in making a case for her client’s defense. Mackey’s office, however, “is in general not granting interviews at this time,” a secretary said Tuesday. Mackey stated July 14 her client will plead not guilty to the charge.
“Mr. Bryant is innocent and expects to be completely exonerated,” Mackey said in a statement released to The Mirror.
Neither the accuser nor her parents returned The Mirror’s repeated phone calls for comment.
Since the encounter, Mark Hurlbert, Eagle County district attorney, has indicted Bryant on a felony charge of sexual assault. Bryant admitted at a press conference Friday in Los Angeles that he did, in fact, have sex with the young woman but said it was consensual. If convicted, Bryant could receive four years to life in prison. He is scheduled to appear Aug. 6 in Eagle County court.
A close friend of the accuser told The Mirror the alleged victim is planning on returning to Greeley but not attending UNC.
Here's the link to the article from the UNC newspaper (http://mirror.unco.edu/article.php?sid=1636)
News: Friends question accuser
Posted on Tuesday, July 22 @ 23:11:35 MDT by
Heath R. Urie and Chris Marcheso
Managing Editor and Staff Writer
While Kobe Bryant — one of the most popular NBA superstars today — faces a charge of sexual assault, questions about the emotional stability of the 19-year-old UNC student accusing Bryant have surfaced.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, several UNC students spoke exclusively to The Mirror about the young woman they know. Some students agreed to speak without their names being used to protect the identity of the accuser, whose name has not been released by police or the media.
The young woman in question completed her freshman year at UNC in May. She lived in one of the primarily freshmen residence halls on campus and spent her days pursuing a passion for music, despite having not yet declared a major.
Close friends say she was active in the school choir and was a charismatic and loyal friend.
“She was very nice and someone that would be there for you,” said Rich Fredrick, a UNC sophomore who lived in the same residence hall as the accuser.
However, other friends describe a darker, more troubled side.
“She had issues with her boyfriend,” one close friend said “They fought throughout the school year. Then they broke up. She was upset about it.”
Two friends recounted the evening of Feb. 25, when the accuser overdosed on medication, and UNC police and local medical personnel had to transport her to North Colorado Medical Center for treatment.
“During the year, the cops and an ambulance came and took her away,” another resident said. “We all knew she had some health issues. We were concerned … We didn’t see her in class for a few days.”
UNC Police Chief Terry Urista confirmed Monday that UNC police contacted the accuser Feb. 25.
“We did respond to the residence hall,” he said. “We took her into custody and transported her to the hospital.”
However, Urista declined to comment on the details surrounding the transport and treatment.
The accuser’s problems didn’t end there, friends said.
Classmates and friends who know the young woman said male guests frequently visited her overnight.
One resident said the accuser bragged about her sexual encounters, including one with a celebrity look-alike while she auditioned last year in Texas for the popular TV show “American Idol.”
Reports such as these may raise questions about the validity of the accuser’s claim that Bryant sexually assaulted her June 30 at the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colo.
Denver-based attorney Pamela Mackey, lead council for Bryant, may consider the wide speculation about the accuser’s emotional stability in making a case for her client’s defense. Mackey’s office, however, “is in general not granting interviews at this time,” a secretary said Tuesday. Mackey stated July 14 her client will plead not guilty to the charge.
“Mr. Bryant is innocent and expects to be completely exonerated,” Mackey said in a statement released to The Mirror.
Neither the accuser nor her parents returned The Mirror’s repeated phone calls for comment.
Since the encounter, Mark Hurlbert, Eagle County district attorney, has indicted Bryant on a felony charge of sexual assault. Bryant admitted at a press conference Friday in Los Angeles that he did, in fact, have sex with the young woman but said it was consensual. If convicted, Bryant could receive four years to life in prison. He is scheduled to appear Aug. 6 in Eagle County court.
A close friend of the accuser told The Mirror the alleged victim is planning on returning to Greeley but not attending UNC.
Here's the link to the article from the UNC newspaper (http://mirror.unco.edu/article.php?sid=1636)