The woman testified that Vandenburg plied her with alcohol at a Nashville night spot and the last thing she remembers is waking up alone in a strange dorm room and feeling sick. Vandenburg spoke publicly for the first time about the rape in a prepared statement prior to sentencing. Both Vandenburg and Batey had made bail before their trial earlier this year. They didnt report it. [12] Prioleau urged his friends to delete all the evidence that could be used against them and even helped clean the room in an attempt to remove anything that could have been traced back to the victim, like the victim's vomit. Batey testified that he was so drunk he didn't remember what happened until he later saw cellphone photos and video. I was living out my dream and in an instant, it all changed, he said, admitting that he had consumed dozens of alcoholic drinks throughout the day of the June 2013 assault. After the rape though, Prioleau proved to beincredibly helpful to his rapist friends. The incident was brought to university officials' attention after they checked the dorm's surveillance recordings regarding an unrelated matter. A trial date for McKenzie and Brandon Banks, the fourth player accused, has not been set. Thats really scary. The jury deliberated for about three hours before finding Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey guilty. Vandenburg was taken into custody at the Nashville International Airport upon his arrival into the city on Saturday, according to a police statement. Finley was charged with tampering with evidence and after cooperating with authorities, took a deal last year and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge. The Vanderbilt rape case is a criminal case of sexual assault that occurred on June 23, 2013, in Nashville, Tennessee, in which four Vanderbilt University football players carried an unconscious 21-year-old female student into a dorm room, gang-raped and sodomized her, photographed and videotaped her, and one urinated on her face.[1][2][3][4][5]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Ex-Vanderbilt College football player Brandon Banks sentenced to 15 years in prison. Five additional current players on the football team are listed in the indictment as witnesses for the prosecution if the case goes to trial, the AP reported. The declaration of a mistrial Tuesday was a stunning turn of events in a highly publicized case that raised troubling new questions about rape on college campuses and the role of bystanders who fail to act. The evidence, prosecutors say, came from footage from the players cellphones that was taken while the sexual assault was taking place. Please do not use my absence as an excuse for leniency as it in no way diminishes the profound and insidious impact of Mr. Vandenburg on me and my life, the victim wrote, according to her lawyer. Market data provided by Factset. "[11][9], The four defendants documented their gang rape with both videos and pictures and tried to delete it. The former receiver was released after posting $50,000 bond, according to jail records. So that was good. [26], Mack Prioleau, the roommate of one of the defendants, Vandenburg, was in the room when the rape occurred. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. One thatcould have been prevented if even just ONE of the four men had a brain (or a conscience). During her victim impact statement, she described the horror she felt seeing the images of herself. Two other players are awaiting trial. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Five team memberstwo now convictedwere accused of a horrific sexual assault in 2013, raping an unconscious undergraduate in a freshman dorm and urinating on her face. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Can no onecome up witha more efficient process that considersthe well-being of the victim? 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Vandenburg was also charged with tampering with evidence and unlawful photography. Pictured left to right: Cory Batey, JaBorian McKenzie and Brandon Vandenburg, three of the four former Vanderbilt football players who were charged with rape Friday, Aug. 9, 2013, are now in custody at Metro Jail. The trial featured graphic video and photographic evidence showing the unconscious female student being violated in the dorm room. Men dont think theres anything wrong with violating their friends and theyretoo afraid to stand up for women. The attorneys at the hearing did not say what the citation was for. Criminal Court Judge Monte Watkins cleared the way for the release by setting bond one day after declaring a mistrial and setting aside the rape convictions because of juror misconduct. The fourth player accepted a plea deal which included 10 years' probation, and did not receive any jail time. Team 3 Spring Schedule Set. Three of the football players have been convicted (one as recently as June 2017) and one still awaits trial. What was the punishment Prioleaureceived? Share ; So naturally, thats what they all did. A fourth ex-player awaits trial after testifying against the others. The woman was a neuroscience and economics major when she was assaulted in a dorm on the Nashville campus in June of 2013. Melinda McDowell,. Batey's defense said the photos and videos don't actually show him having sex with the woman and one of his lawyers blamed a college culture so accepting of binge drinking that many people saw the unconscious woman that night but did nothing to help. They gang-raped and sodomized her, slapped her, inserted their fingers in her, and sat on her face as she was on the floor in a 32-minute attack. Two of these bystanders did actually do something. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. To join our community, just fill out the form below. They didnt help the young woman. First published on July 15, 2016 / 4:06 PM. Cox played as a reserve during . Couple Cleared of Wrongful Murder and Rape Convictions That Put Them Behind Bars for 27 Years, Men Who Murdered Ahmaud Arbery, Black Jogger Chased Down and Shot, Sentenced to Life in Prison, Ex-Vanderbilt Player Was Pressured into Participating in Female Student's Rape, Attorney Argues, Vanderbilt Rape Trial: Jury Convicts Ex-Football Players, Vanderbilt Rape Case: Former Football Players Released from Jail After Mistrial, Serial Killer Who Lured Victims on Dating Apps Is Caught Through Sting Operation, Sentenced to 160 Years, Judge Declares Mistrial in Vanderbilt Rape Case After It's Revealed That Juror Was Victim of Statutory Rape, Vanderbilt Rape Trial: Defense Blames Alcohol and Campus Culture, Vanderbilt Rape Trial: Alleged Victim Says She Didn't Think She'd Been Assaulted Until She Saw Video of It. The victim cried as Batey was on the witness stand and appeared to be vomiting at one point. The most comprehensive coverage of the Vanderbilt Football on the web with highlights, scores, game summaries, schedule and rosters. In other words, the Vanderbilt rape case started with a disgustingly despicable sexual assault. Vandenburgs sentence is two years shorter than co-defendant Corey Batey, who is now serving time at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. After Vanderbilt football finished one victory short of a postseason invitation in 2022, the team expects to be bowling at the end of the 2023 season. Vandenburgs defense team tried to use that fact in his favor, arguing he should not be culpable for others actions. Nothing. Oh, please. The sentencing comes amid widespread furor over a Stanford University swimmer who was sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on a college campus. Awake. 2. Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie, who is also charged, testified that Vandenburg was "amped" and coaching the players. She was not in court, and explained her position in a letter read by her attorney on Friday. Prosecutors dismissed the claim as an excuse made up because there was video evidence. Brandon. Former Vanderbilt football player Brandon Vandenburg has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after being found guilty in Nashville, Tennessee, on five counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of unlawful photography, according to several reports. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Ex-Vanderbilt football player gets probation in dorm gang rape, Ex-Vanderbilt player found guilty of dorm rape gets 15 years, Ex-Vanderbilt football player found guilty of rape, Lawyer argues college football player was bullied into dorm rape, Vanderbilt football gang-rape instigator gets 17 years, Vanderbilt football players in rape case released from jail. Thesewerent just innocent bystanders who witnessed the various stages of the horrific crime. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Associated Press contributed to this report. [22][6], A fifth player, Chris Boyd, pleaded guilty in September 2013 to being an accessory after the fact by encouraging his teammates to keep quiet and destroy evidence of the rape, and was dismissed from the team but not the university for his role in helping cover up the rape. Watkins declared the mistrial after determining the jury foreman intentionally withheld information about being a victim of statutory rape. The players used their cellphones to take pictures of the rape. I let everyone down and many lives were destroyed.. In his ruling, Watkins said the justice system cannot tolerate a trial with a tainted juror regardless of the strength of the case. [citation needed], In July 2016, after being convicted by a Davidson County Criminal Court jury, Batey, 22 years old, received a 15-year prison sentence, the minimum allowed by law for his crimes (while both the victim and prosecutors had asked the judge for the maximum sentence possible of 25 years to be meted out); after he gets out he will be required to be listed on the sex-offender registry for the rest of his life. This raises a few questions. Throughout the trial, jurors have seen graphic images and videos recovered from cellphones and a laptop. I was scared and uncomfortable and didnt know what to do, Prioleau said during his 2015 testimony. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Teammates Chris Boyd and DeAndre Woods, took it upon themselves to move the victim back into Vandenburgs room. Mack Prioleau, Vandenburgs roommate, wasliterally in the room during the gang rape, on the top bunkbed. NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two former Vanderbilt University football players who were convicted in January of raping an unconscious female student but were then granted a mistrial, have been released. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much So far the rate of this case is under one rapist per year. "This is something I would never do in my right state of mind. Vanderbilt football is down an offensive lineman entering spring practice, as former starting guard Ben Cox medically retired, according to a program spokesperson. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Please enter valid email address to continue. Ex-Vanderbilt, NFL player Zac Stacy arrested after violent video surfaces, records show The incidents occurred in August and September. Vandenburg and Batey were accused with two other players of assaulting an unconscious female student in a dorm room in June 2013. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Two former Vanderbilt football players who were convicted in January of raping an unconscious fellow student have been released from jail on bond. I'm just sorry.". NASHVILLE (Reuters) - A former Vanderbilt University football player charged in the 2013 rape of an unconscious female student in a university dormitory accepted a plea deal on Monday that. All rights reserved. Police officers who testified said they didn't find evidence of body fluids on the dorm room floor that would indicate a sexual assault, but they did not go to the dorm room until four days later. Batey was convicted in April of aggravated rape, which carries a sentence of 15 to 25 years. He was first taken to Nashville General Hospital for a state-mandated HIV test required for individuals charged with rape before he was booked at approximately 2:05 a.m. Former Vanderbilt football players Brandon Vandenburg, left, and Cory Batey, second from right, appear in court Monday, June 15, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. Defense attorneys for the two former Vanderbilt football players convicted in the dorm-room rape of a student asked a judge Monday to declare a mistrial, saying a juror intentionally withheld information that he was a rape victim during the jury selection process.