DA did not review witness statements and other evidence Cornell police collected in alleged gang rape of student
Campus police documented witness interviews and anonymous tips, but the district attorney says he relied on a six-page statement to decline charges.
- On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to review whether charges are appropriate in the Cornell sexual assault case, questioning why the district attorney never interviewed the victim.
- Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to pursue charges two years ago based solely on Jane Doe's initial six-page statement, despite campus police gathering witness interviews and anonymous tips he did not review.
- Documents show Van Houten's office concluded on November 25, 2024, that charges would not be pursued; police later obtained 1,665 pieces of Snapchat data but found only 3 messages related to the incident, none showing criminal conduct.
- Jane Doe remained unaware of the decision until January 21, 2025—nearly two months later—while attorney Thomas Giuffra said his client 'believed they were still investigating' during that window, learning of the delay from NBC News.
- Van Houten defended his decision Friday, arguing 'there was nothing to review' because fraternity members declined to speak on counsel's advice, though he agreed to reopen the inquiry before the special prosecutor was assigned.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Tompkins County DA's office declined to review additional material on 'gang rape' case from Cornell PD, docs show
The Tompkins County DA's office declined to additional review material gathered by Cornell University police, documents reviewed by ABC News show.
The Independent
The Independent (US)Cornell rape case: DA declined to review some evidence
Prosecutors agreed not to pursue criminal charges based on Jane Doe’s six-page statement
In the investigation into the possible gang rape at Cornell University, employees of the local prosecutor's office refused two years ago to examine additional evidence provided to them by the university's police department. This is reported by the American newspaper The New York Times.
D.A. Overseeing Cornell Gang Rape Investigation Declined to Review More Evidence
The D.A. who oversaw the alleged Cornell gang rape case denied the chance to review additional evidence during the initial investigation ... according to a new report. Tompkins District Attorney Matt Van Houten has been adamant that campus police…
DA did not review witness statements and other evidence Cornell police collected in alleged gang rape of student
Cornell University police spoke to witnesses and received tips about an alleged gang rape at a frat house, but the district attorney did not review the information before deciding not to bring charges.
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