|
 State Attorney Willie Meggs said that prosecutors spoke with the
accuser in the case this week but there is more work to be done in
the investigation. He said the interview with the woman may turn out
to be a "preliminary" interview.
"We don't have everything yet," said Meggs, who did not provide an
updated timetable as to when he expects the investigation to be
completed. He said after he got the case on Nov. 13 that he hoped it
would be completed in a couple of weeks.
"We just came up with four or five things that we know we need to do
that either we are waiting for somebody to come back with
information or we need to go do this and we haven't done yet.,"
Meggs said. "We don't have the answers to the things we know we
need."
Winston is being investigated for an incident that occurred last
Dec. 7 in Tallahassee. Details are sketchy in the released police
report, but the accuser, an FSU student, called police early that
morning to say she had been raped by an unknown attacker. She
described the assailant as about 5-foot-9 — Winston is listed as
6-foot-4.
ESPN reported earlier this week that Winston's DNA matched a sample
taken from the underwear of the accuser.
Timothy Jansen, Winston's attorney, has said his client voluntarily
gave the sample last week but that a match does not mean his client
raped the woman. He told reporters any sex was consensual before
somewhat backtracking when pressed about his comment. Meggs has
refused to discuss the details of the DNA report but has called its
release to the media "problematic."
[to top of second column] |
The woman's family said in a statement this week
that the woman did not initially know her assailant's identity
and did not identify the alleged attacker as Winston until
January.
Winston, 19, was a top freshman recruit and backup quarterback
at the time of the alleged assault. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound
redshirt freshman is now a Heisman Trophy candidate. No. 2
Florida State has maintained during the investigation that
Winston's status has not changed and he is expected to start
Saturday when the Seminoles host Idaho.
The Seminoles play the Florida Gators on Nov. 30 and will be in
the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on Dec. 7.
Tallahassee police handed over information to prosecutors last
week about the 11-month-old case after two media organizations
began requesting records associated with the incident.
The case has drawn national interest because of Winston's
celebrity, but it has also raised questions about its handling
by Tallahassee police.
The family and attorney of the alleged victim said Wednesday in
a statement that their attorney, Patricia Carroll, was warned by
police that Tallahassee was a "big football town and the victim
needs to think long and hard before proceeding against him
because she will be raked over the coals and her life will be
made miserable."
[Associated
Press; GARY FINEOUT]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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