Three US Marines accused of rape and sexual assault of a Tulane University student and her guest
Three US Marines have been charged with sexual assault involving a Tulane University student and her companion in New Orleans, according to the court documents from the Parish of New Orleans, Louisiana
Lance Corporal Alexander Davenport, 20, was charged with two counts of first-degree rape; Lance Corporal Jared Anderson, 18, was charged with one count of first-degree rape; and Private First Class Antonio Landrum, 18, was charged with one count of third-degree rape.
According to police reports, the two women went to a bar in New Orleans on April 14 and became intoxicated and left with a man past midnight. Later the man came to be identified as Landrum.
Investigators checked the surveillance camera footage and based on that one victim appeared “moderately intoxicated/impaired” and the second victim seemed to be “highly intoxicated/impaired” police said. As reported by CNN.
The three of them went to the residence of one of the women, however, it is unclear what exactly happened next.
Tulane University issued a statement saying there were two individuals that they met -- and not one guy from a uptown bar before they went to the woman’s house. Sometime later the "two others arrived and engaged in unwanted acts with the student and her guest. The subjects departed sometime later," said the statement.
Based on the arrest warrant issued by police against Landrum, he forced himself on the owner of the residence and the other woman while the reports of Davenport and Anderson say “Male one that is Landrum engaged in sexual acts with both victims, which was allegedly consensual."
The woman said in a police report that she had consensual sex with one of them and nonconsensual sex with one of them. The second woman said she, her friend and Landrum has consensual sex and then, she started blacking out. She vaguely remembers men coming into the house and forcing her to have sex, the reports said.
Landrum and Anderson told police that they had sex with both the women however, Davenport did not make a statement to the police. Landrum only "called his friends to pick him up from the location, yet they entered the residence," said the reports.
Davenport is being held on $100,000 bond, Anderson on $50,000 bond and Landrum on $25,000 bond, according to a court docket.
"The Marine Corps is aware of the alleged incident that may have involved Marines stationed here. We cannot comment on specific details due to the ongoing investigation by the Marine Corps Police Department and New Orleans Police Department. We take all allegations of this nature seriously and we are fully cooperating with authorities." said Chief Warrant Officer Georgi Hernandez-McCloud of the Marine Forces Reserve.
"Tulane University is doing everything it can to assist the New Orleans Police Department in this ongoing investigation. Tulane has offered the survivors of this terrible crime victim support services as they recover. Incidents like this underscore the dangers of sexual assault that are so pervasive throughout our society. Tulane is committed to ensuring the safety of our students both on and off-campus by its continued vigilance and university-wide efforts to end sexual violence." Tulane University issued a statement on the matter.
A fourth suspect, identified as Matthew Farrell, 22, is being sought on charges of aggravated rape, said New Orleans police Senior Public Information Officer Gary Scheets. An arrest warrant has been obtained against the fourth aspect.