abstract
| - Reade Seligmann is one of the three Duke University lacrosse players who was accused by Crystal Gail Mangum of having raped and beaten her at a party on March 14, 2006. Seligmann, along with his co-defendants, was found to be innocent of the charges by Attorney General of North Carolina Roy Cooper, who found that there was "no credible evidence to support the allegation that the crimes occurred." Seligmann had alibi evidence showing that he had been talking nearly continuously on his cell phone from 12:05 am to 12:19 am and left the party at approximately 12:19 am, not returning to the party. This evidence included the testimony of the cab driver who picked Seligmann up, Moez Elmostafa, phone records for Seligmann's cell phone, security video from an ATM machine where Seligmann made a withdrawal, and key-card records of Seligmann re-entering his dormitory. This alibi evidence was made public within 48 hours of Seligmann's arrest; Seligmann's attorney Kirk Osborn had tried to present the evidence to District Attorney Mike Nifong but been rebuffed. On May 10, 2006, shortly after coming forward as Seligmann's alibi witness, Elmostafa was arrested on an unrelated two-and-a-half-year old warrant; according to Elmostafa, the detective who arrested him asked if he had "anything new" to say regarding the lacrosse case, and when he said no, took him to the magistrate.
|