Student may be charged in UMD rape

Starting in early 1994, I worked for my first-ever newspaper, The Northern Student, the student newspaper at Bemidji State University, where I attended and received my bachelor's degree in mass communication. Over three years, I would be a staff writer, news editor, managing editor and editor. I wrote everything from news stories to feature stories to sports stories to opinion pieces. It was the greatest training ground a journalist could ever have, and I am grateful to the many talented people I worked alongside in my years at The NS.

April 12, 1995

By Devlyn Brooks

News Editor

According to Campus Police Captain Harry Michalicek of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the Duluth Police Department and the UMD Campus Police "will be attempting to charge" one BSU hockey player with first degree criminal sexual conduct.

They may be charged for an alleged incident that occurred March 26, 1995, on the UMD campus.

A search warrant for physical evidence was recently issued in conjunction with Beltrami County for the BUS student. This search warrant consisted of collecting hair, blood, finger prints and photographs for a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension sexual assault evidence collection kit.

As reported by the UMD Statesman on Thursday, April 6, the supporting affidavit of the search warrant stated, "On 03/26/95 at 0100 hours [the victim] was sexually assaulted" in her dorm apartment. The three roommates of the victim were out of town and she was home alone. "[The victim] had invited a small group of friends over for the evening and had what she described as a 'mellow party.' The party ended shortly after midnight on 03/26/95 ... [The victim] had consumed vodka and tequila during the evening and could feel the effects of the alcohol. [The victim] did not lock the apartment door."

The Statesman reported that the affidavit also cited a description of the incident according to the victim. The following was reported by the Statesman as the victim's description: The suspects allegedly entered her room and did not tell her who they were. The victim recognized one of the suspects, but did not know the other. The suspects then allegedly removed her clothing and raped her repeatedly. After the alleged rape, the two male suspects left the room.

On the way out of the dorm, the suspects encountered one of the victim's roommates, who talked to the suspects. The affidavit sates the roommate said the suspects seemed eager to leave. Upon returning to her dorm room, the roommate found the victim in her room "nude and crying." The roommate contacted the campus police who took the victim to the hospital, Michalicek said.

At this point, no official charges have been filed. But Michalicek said that, with the cooperation of the Duluth Police Department, they were going to try to get the St. Louis County attorney to file charges pending the results of lab work on the physical evidence collected.