Lesbian fakes hate crime

[MadImmortalMan]

There is such a thing as what NOT to do for your cause. Sheesh.

Lincoln police: False assault report followed vow to be 'catalyst'

LINCOLN — Days before claiming that her homosexuality made her the target of a ghastly hate crime, Charlie Rogers declared on a social media site: "I will be a catalyst."

The Facebook posting may offer a hint of motive behind an act Lincoln Police Chief Jim Peschong said Tuesday wasn't an assault by masked intruders but a fictional story that touched the deepest fears of gay people and wasted a lot of public resources.

"So maybe I am too idealistic, but I believe way deep inside me that we can make things better for everyone," Peschong said as he read aloud the posting by Rogers.

"I will be a catalyst. I will do what it takes. I will. Watch me."

Four days later, on July 22, the 33-year-old Lincoln woman said three masked men broke into her house, bound her hands and feet with zip ties and wrote anti-homosexual slurs into her arms and abdomen with a box cutter. They also spray-painted epithets on her basement walls and lit spilled gasoline in her central Lincoln home before fleeing, she said.

Rogers is a former basketball standout at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The reported crime inspired gay and transgender rallies and fundraisers in Lincoln and Omaha to show support for a victim initially dubbed "Rainbow Jane." The alleged attack also was reported by national news media and widely discussed across the Internet.

It all officially unraveled Tuesday when Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly charged Rogers with false reporting, shortly after she turned herself in.

Rogers pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge during her first court appearance and was released without having to post bail.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Her lawyer, Brett McArthur of Lincoln, said Rogers still insists that the assault took place just as she reported it to police. But she also realized the focus of their investigation had shifted in recent weeks.

"To go through such a traumatic experience as she has been through and now be accused of a crime has made this even more difficult," McArthur said.

He urged those who now doubt her story to withhold judgment until all of the evidence comes out in court.

A joint statement released Tuesday from gay advocacy groups in Lincoln did not challenge the conclusion reached by investigators. Leaders of Star City Pride, Outlinc, PFLAG Cornhusker and others said police have been forthcoming with them about the status of the investigation.

"Our recent experience gives us confidence that any crime in Lincoln will be thoroughly and fairly investigated," they said. "In this instance, the complaint was determined to be a false report."

During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Peschong said he revealed more details about the investigation than normal so the public can have a better understanding of what led to authorities' conclusion. A five-page statement by police investigator Lynette Russell in support of an arrest warrant also laid out their findings.

Among them:

» A coroner's physician and a forensic pathologist said the cuts were either self-inflicted or done by someone with Rogers' cooperation. They made their determination after viewing photos of the cuts, saying they appeared superficial and symmetrical, avoided sensitive areas of the body, would have taken considerable time to do and were within her reach.

» Rogers purchased zip ties, a box cutter, box cutter blades and white gloves from a local hardware store five days before the alleged attack. A store clerk picked Rogers' photo out of a lineup as the person who made the purchase, and police were able to match merchandise identification numbers on the items.

» No male DNA was found on a pair of white knit gloves Rogers said were left behind by the attackers. Her DNA, however, was found inside the gloves.

» No blood was found on the covers of the bed where Rogers said the men bound and held her while they carved the epithets into her body. In her version of the attack, blood would have been present.

» Among the cuts Rogers said were made by attackers was one of a cross on her chest. Police learned she had shared a photo of a similar cut on her chest with a friend about a month before the alleged attack. When questioned, Rogers said the first cut was made by a relative but not reported to authorities. The relative denied the accusation.

Lincoln police initially classified the report as a hate crime and investigated it as such, Peschong said. They carefully processed the crime scene, canvassed Rogers' neighbors, worked to develop suspects and called in the FBI to assist.

They interviewed Rogers four times, starting with the day of the report and most recently last Thursday.

Although he couldn't estimate the cost of the investigation, Peschong said it involved an "exorbitant amount" of time by the FBI, Lincoln fire investigators and his department. He also said "thousands" of dollars were spent on forensic testing of the crime scene evidence.

Peschong said less than 1 percent of assault reports are hoaxes.

During a brief meeting with Rogers on Tuesday, authorities urged her to consider counseling, Peschong said.

"There's obviously some underlying issues that need to wind up being dealt with," he said. "We're hoping that she can wind up getting the necessary help."

Rogers played at Nebraska from 1996 to 2000, and she ranks second on the school's career leaders list for blocked shots and eighth for rebounds. She also was a standout player for the South Sioux City, Neb., high school teams that won back-to-back state championships.

Former Husker women's basketball coach Paul Sanderford said Tuesday that he has not had recent contact with his former player. But for the two years he coached her, she practiced hard, played hard and was well-liked by her teammates, he said.

There was no word Tuesday about what will happen to the funds being raised by advocacy groups to help Rogers. Messages left with leaders of the groups were not returned, and Peschong said it is not a police matter.

[Admiral Yi]

That is one dumb lebiang.

[Neil]

How does accepting homosexuals make things better for everybody?  I can see how it would make things better for homosexuals, but what about non-fags?

[Eddie Teach]

The Kingslayer is a woman? 

[Ed Anger]

The Kingslayer is a woman? 

[Caliga]

Stupid people that think they're really clever are so cute.

Remember that crazy bitch who worked for the McCain campaign and claimed some black dude attacked her and carved Obama into her face, or something like that?