Dateline: May 3, 2007

Student recants rape story

The assailant, the dorm room rape, and the entire story given to authorities last month by a Clarendon College student was all a complete fabrication, according to Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn.

The 18-year-old accuser had claimed that on the afternoon of Sunday, April 15, a man dressed in dark clothing and wearing gloves and a ski mask had entered her room in Knorpp Hall, brandished a gun, and forced her to have sex before fleeing.

“We were somewhat leery from the start due to a lack of physical evidence from the rape exam,” Blackburn said. “And also, the description of the assailant was something you’d see on TV at night.”

Still the sheriff’s office gave its full attention to the alleged attack, devoting three officers to working on it eight hours a day for a week, Blackburn said.

Last week, the sheriff turned the accuser’s written account of the attack over to former Carson County sheriff and handwriting analyst Loren Brand, who determined that the young woman was lying in her report. An analyst with the Texas Rangers made the same determination.

Blackburn and Texas Ranger Alvin Smit traveled to the accuser’s home in Brownfield last Friday to interview the student again.

“She gave a full retraction and told us (the story) was totally false,” the sheriff said.

Blackburn said a full report of the case will be given to the District Attorney’s office to determine whether charges should be filed against the student.

“I can tell you my office will not pursue charges in this case,” Blackburn said.

In a prepared statement, Clarendon College officials said, “…anytime a student reports an incident of this nature on campus it will be taken seriously.  If there is any good to come out this situation it is a heightened and renewed commitment to the safety of our students and to a safe learning environment at Clarendon College.”

The statement went on to thank the sheriff and his office for “their tireless efforts in working to resolve this matter” and members of the community who offered to help CC students over the last two weeks.

Blackburn also thinks some good can come from the case.

“It’s brought up issues that needed to be addressed at the college, such as security at the dorms, and I hope the college will follow through with plans to tighten security,” the sheriff said. “It scared a lot of people. It could happen here just like in any big city, but luckily this time it didn’t happen.”

CC President Myles Shelton told the Enterprise Monday morning that the college will continue to review its safety and security procedures, and that any changes would hopefully be in place by the start of the fall semester.