Newly reviewed text messages and confidential investigative reports are shedding light on an alleged gang rape at Cornell University, prompting New York Governor Kathy Hochul to appoint a special prosecutor. The case involves a female undergraduate student, identified as Jane Doe, who reported to campus police that she was assaulted by eight to 10 men at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. Days after the alleged incident, one of the fraternity brothers sent a text message apologizing for how things went down. Jane Doe initially responded that she liked being with him, but nearly two weeks later, her perspective shifted dramatically in subsequent text exchanges. She wrote that 90 percent of what happened was not consensual and stated that she only remembered him giving her ketamine, which made her feel like a sex doll or worker. Following her report, Cornell University suspended the Chi Phi chapter. Newly obtained videos from the investigation show the fraternity bedroom where the alleged assault took place, strewn with garbage, alcohol containers, a fentanyl test, and a sorority composite photo. Investigators also reviewed an extended Snapchat group chat shared among more than 50 fraternity brothers during the night of the incident, which included a photo of the victim and messages from members asking if anyone was naked. On Thursday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced an executive order appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor. Hochul stated that newly released information raises serious questions regarding the initial investigation by the Cornell Police Department and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s decision not to pursue criminal charges in the case.
Source: abcnews.com
