A judge is expected to hand down a verdict Sunday in a Steubenville, Ohio rape case that’s cast a dark cloud over the small industrial town. The case alleges that Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16 two Steubenville High School football players rapped a 16-year old girl during a series of end-of-summer in August of 2012.
However the case gained national media attention as very graphic text messages, pictures, videos and social media posts related to the alleged rape went public.
However the events surrounding the case gained even more notoriety when the hacktivist group Anonymous blew the door open on a potential coverup by a town who may have wanted to protect the better interest of the football team rather than a 16-year old girl.
These potential cover ups as pointed out by Anonymous could’ve extended down to the country prosecutor Jane Hanlin the mother of Steubenville football player Charlie Keenan who allegedly hosted one of the parties in which the victim was dragged unconscious too. Hanlin has since recused herself from the case.
Furthermore though it’s alleged that school officials as well as the county sheriff Fred Abdalla were also involved in a potential coverup given Abdalla’s refusal to prosecute those who witnessed the events in August of 2012 yet refused to report it (Misprision of Felony).
Misprision of felony can potentially be seen in the following video where Michael Colin Nadianos (another Steubenville High School player) brags and jokes about the victim in the case.
CNN reported that three individuals were given immunity presumably for their testimony in case. It’s unclear if Nadianos, Keenan or Cody Saltsman, an ex-boyfriend of the alleged victim who sent out some pretty disturbing tweets and text messages according to Anonymous.
I guess after what happened in Penn State and how perceived importance of a football team can totally engulf a town I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit if any of the allegations of a cover up were true.
h/t: YourDailyMedia.com, CNN