Talking to Regulars & Commenters – May 1, 2007 (Pt. 2)

(A post in the old web log form: notes for those familiar with the material. Don’t look for hyperlinks or background in this post.)

This post continues the Talking post begun here.

In that post we looked at the N&O’s excuses for its March 25, 2006 story which the N&O said was about a night that ended in “sexual violence.”

How did DA Mike Nifong feel about the N&O’s “sexual violence” story when he read it that Saturday morning either on the net, where it appeared a few minutes after midnight, or when he picked up and read his print copy of the 3/25 N&O?

Whenever and wherever Nifong read the N&O’s “sexual violence” story, he must have been very happy.

Before the N&O’s 3/25 false story, Nifong didn’t have a case he could present to the public.

Just consider what Nifong had for “evidence” before the N&O created its false 3/25 story.

No one else at the party that night, including the second dancer, agreed a 30 minute long gang-rape, beating, chocking, and robbery of a frightened young black mother by three white male Duke lacrosse players had occurred.

The players denied it all from the moment police first contacted them on March 16. The second dancer, Kim Roberts, told police on March 20 Mangum’s wildly improbable claims were “crock.”

And where were the massive injuries to attackers and victims that would result from even a 5 minute life and death struggle in a small bathroom. No one had them.

Sure, there was SANE nurse Tara Levicy’s “findings” but what Durham Police officer really believed those finding? Inv. Himan? Sgt. Gottlieb?

Veteran DPD officer Sgt. John Shelton took a good look at Mangum and said she was passed out drunk.

Shelton saw no signs of the massive injuries Mangum would have suffered as she “battled for her life” during that “terrible 30 minute ordeal.”

Today, even DA Mike Nifong and Durham City Manager Patrick Baker won’t say Shelton “missed the call.” They know he was right. And they know intelligent people know Shelton was right.

And then there was the extraordinary cooperation and evidence the lacrosse players provided police.

The players’ cooperation and evidence to police beginning on March 16 was so strong and so exculpatory that neither the N&O nor Nifong could rebut it.

So they both were forced to promulgate the deliberately false story of the “wall of solidarity.”

All that said, Nifong and the N&O both still have fans who’ll say their handling of the case wasn’t perfect, but it was still pretty darn good.

Stay tuned.