Woman denies recanting assault story
Authorities prepare to file charges of making false statements
By SAMMY ALLEN of the Gazette Staff
LINDEN, Texas--Cass County authorities are preparing to file charges against a black woman they believe fabricated a story of a racial attack by two white men wearing pillow cases over their heads.
"There will be warrants issued for her in the next few days for giving false statements to a police officer and fabricating physical evidence," Chief Deputy Ronnie Fincher said.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old woman has reportedly gone public to deny that she recanted her story. She was not available for comment Wednesday.
Anthony Bond, founder of the Irving, Texas, branch of the NAACP, said the woman and her family went on Dallas radio station KHVN Tuesday to say authorities were putting words in her mouth.
"About 3 p.m. Tuesday, these investigators took her away from her home and questioned her. She didn't have a lawyer present and none of her family was present," Bond told the Gazette Wednesday.
Cass County District Attorney Randal Lee said it is unusual for a lawyer and family members to be present when a victim is being questioned.
"Obviously they don't need a lawyer if she is not a suspect," Lee said.
The woman's brother, who was not identified, said his sister's claims should be fully investigated before conclusions are drawn.
"There is no doubt in my mind that something happened to her and someone injured her," the brother said Wednesday.
Cass County authorities maintain the confession was not forced.
"We have a written, signed statement from her," Fincher said Wednesday.
"She told the deputy she was going home to tell her mother the truth and if any news media called she would tell them the truth. We've got her statement here."
An investigator from the sheriff's office and an FBI agent also received a statement from a white male who was possibly involved in an affair with the woman. The investigation has revealed that instead of being held overnight by Ku Klux Klansmen, the woman was at the man's home.
"We have a statement from the gentleman she spent the night with. He stated he will be glad to take a polygraph," Fincher said.
The man reportedly has a restraining order against the woman and her family. On the night of the alleged incident, the woman's mother and children went to the man's house looking for her and he would not let them in.
However, the next day he reportedly took her to the house of a relative, who then took her home.
Lee said the allegations made by the woman were taken seriously. According to Lee, Cass County has been the scene of some very sensitive racial issues. In one recent case, the body of a black man was found hanging from a tree. Although the death was ruled a suicide, many people still believe he was murdered.
Lee also noted that in years past, there have been rumors of Klan activity in the southern part of Cass County where the recent alleged attack was reported.
"There was a restaurant they called the Kildare Kozy Kitchen, and all the Ks on the sign out front were very prominent and maybe in different colors," Lee said. "It was known that blacks were not allowed there. It's been closed down for several years.
"She picked a good area to do this," Lee said of last week's incident. "It gets people stirred up and it builds resentment. It gives people a sense of fear.
"We've heard that people in the area where she lived wouldn't let their kids out of the house over the Labor Day weekend because they were afraid. It's a sad situation."
Fabricating physical evidence
Felony
10 years
I can't say that I blame her for recanting her recant. :^)
Oh, brother...this could have been forgotten by everyone but the likes of us observant conservatives in about a week -- but now, things are going to get uggggly.
You may remember that in the Tawana Brawley case, she was initially believed by the media majority to have been truly raped and beaten. Her mother made the now-infamous charges against the law enforcement figures in the area (including Harry Crist and Steven Pagones), but then refused to be questioned by the police. That's when Al Sharpton stepped in, giving her "sanctuary" at some church, and refused to allow police inside to interrogate her.
In this case too, people who know the truth are leading blindly faithful supporters on, and they will be loath to admit when they discover they have been duped.
I am not sure how I want this to be resolved -- quickly, so we can get it over with, or in a long, slow, dragged out scandal, so the idiots who leap to defend her will be exposed and shamed.
BTW...it was also on radio station KHVN that Lee Alcorn, the former President of the Dallas branch of the NAACP, made these remarks last year regarding the selection of Joe Lieberman as Gore's running mate:
Speaking on a gospel talk radio show on station KHVN on Monday, Alcorn said: "If we get a Jew person, then what I'm wondering is, I mean, what is this movement for, you know? Does it have anything to do with the failed peace talks?"Alcorn continued, "So I think we need to be very suspicious of any kind of partnerships between the Jews at that kind of level because we know that their interest primarily has to do with money and these kind of things."