The Florida state attorney’s office did not find enough evidence to file charges against Jameis Winston after he was accused of raping a 19-year-old woman, but that does not mean the Florida State quarterback is totally out of the woods. The case could, in theory, be reopened at some point if new information is obtained.
On Friday morning, the attorney for Winston’s accuser, Patricia Carroll, said that the Tallahassee Police Department conducted “an investigation of a rape victim, not an investigation of a rape suspect.” Carroll added that the investigation was a failure that resulted from Winston being on the FSU football team. She also called for an independent investigation of the case.
In addition, TMZ reported on Friday that Carroll is claiming Winston’s teammate Chris Casher destroyed evidence related to the investigation. Casher, an FSU defensive end, told police that Winston engaged in consensual sex with the accuser. He stated in an incident report that he and another FSU player watched through a doorway as Winston and the woman engaged in sexual activity. Casher also admitted that he tried to videotape the two using his cell phone but the accuser spotted him and told him to leave.
Therein lies the problem, according to Carroll. The report states that Casher “tried” to videotape Winston and the woman, which could mean he didn’t actually get any footage. However, Carroll claims Casher broke the law by secretly videotaping her client and later destroyed evidence by deleting it. Carroll reportedly said investigators ignored Casher’s illegal activity, which contributed to their mishandling of the case.
The main issue for investigators was the presence of inconsistencies in the accuser’s testimony. Those inconsistencies will likely present problems no matter what angle Carroll tries to pursue.
