Convicted Killer Crystal Mangum Confesses to Fabricating Rape Allegations Against Duke Lacrosse Players in 2006 – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
9:35 AM – Friday, December 13, 2024
Crystal Mangum, a former stripper and convicted murderer, confessed on Thursday that she fabricated the story claiming that three Duke University lacrosse players raped her at a team gathering in 2006.
Advertisement
“They trusted me not to betray their confidence, and I falsely testified against them by claiming that they raped me when in reality, they did not, and that was unjust,” Mangum stated to the independent media outlet Let’s Talk With Kat while at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women.
“I fabricated a false narrative.”
The 46-year-old convicted murderer expressed that her motivations behind the allegation stemmed from seeking validation from others rather than from a higher power.
Currently incarcerated for the second-degree murder of her boyfriend in 2013, Mangum expressed her hope for forgiveness from former players David Evans, Collin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann.
“I hope they can find it in their hearts to forgive me,” she said, referring to the men as her “brothers” in a spiritual sense. “I want them to know that I love them, and they did not deserve this. I sincerely hope they can forgive me.”
Until this significant revelation, Mangum had never publicly admitted to lying about the rape allegation.
However, she is no longer liable for prosecution for perjury, as the statute of limitations for such charges in North Carolina is two years.
Her unexpected confession comes nearly two decades after she accused the lacrosse players of raping her while she was performing at a team party in March 2006.
The allegations led to the arrests of Evans, Finnerty, and Seligmann.
The case attracted widespread media attention across the United States, particularly when former Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong claimed in a March 2006 CBS News interview that “there’s no doubt a sexual assault occurred” and that it was “racially motivated.”
“The nature of the assault revealed a profound racial motivation behind some of the actions taken. This makes the crime, which is already incredibly offensive and invasive, even more so,” Nifong commented, who was the lead prosecutor on the case.
Nonetheless, DNA test results that emerged during the trial turned up negative.
Former Duke University President Richard Brodhead also took measures against the lacrosse team in the wake of the allegations.
Brodhead accepted the resignation of then-head men’s lacrosse coach Mike Pressler, canceled the remainder of the season, and suspended the three accused players from school, despite urging the public not to rush to judgment regarding the ongoing criminal proceedings, as reported by NPR in 2007.
Ultimately, all three players were exonerated, and all charges were dropped by April 2007.
Furthermore, the North Carolina State Bar disbarred Nifong in June 2007 for misconduct and for withholding DNA evidence that could have exonerated the defendants.
Brodhead’s management of the situation received considerable criticism once the rape allegations were dismissed, prompting him to release a statement following the DNA result revelations.
“The fact of the matter is that we did not handle it appropriately, leaving the families feeling neglected when they needed support the most,” he wrote in a 2007 statement. “This was an error. I take full responsibility for it and I apologize.”
As a consequence, the three players filed a lawsuit against Brodhead and the university after their case was resolved, settling for an undisclosed amount.
In their complaint, they alleged that Brodhead repeatedly made false statements and conspired to undermine their right to a fair trial.
Evans graduated in 2006, Seligmann transferred to Brown University, and Finnerty moved to Loyola University Maryland.
Meanwhile, Mangum faced indictments for first-degree murder and two counts of theft in March 2011 and is now serving a prison sentence lasting 14 to 18 years.
Additionally, she was convicted of misdemeanor charges for starting a fire that nearly consumed her home with her three children inside, just a year prior to her boyfriend’s death.
Stay updated! Get breaking news alerts directly in your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisements below
