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Duke Lacrosse Accuser Arrested For Arson, Attempted Murder

By Richard Saunders, The Raleigh Telegram

Week Of Thursday, February 25, 2010

DURHAM - According to the Durham Police Department, the woman who was the alleged victim at the center of the Duke Lacrosse case in 2007 has now been arrested in a domestic violence case on several charges including attempted murder and arson.

Rape charges were initially filed in 2006 against Duke Lacrosse players who hired exotic dancer Crystal Mangum to dance at their party.

Mangum had accused the men of raping her and the resulting case gathered national attention after several components of the case against the men fell apart after scrutiny by the media.

Eventually in April of 2007, after an investigation by his office, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper took the extraordinary step of not only dismissing all charges against the lacrosse players but declaring them “innocent” as well. [Read story in the Telegram / Chronicle or watch video of the the charges being dismissed.]

Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong was later disbarred as a result of the case.

In the recent domestic violence case, police say that at 11:55pm on February 17th, officers responded to the 2200 block of Lincoln Street.

“Officers responded and discovered the residents, a female and male, who had been involved in an altercation,” said the Durham Police about the incident.

The police department arrested Crystal Mangum on five charges of first degree arson, assault and battery, identification theft, communicating a threat, injury to personal property, resisting a public officer, three counts of misdemeanor child abuse, and attempted first degree murder.

According to various media reports after the arrest, Mangum allegedly set some clothes on fire in the home during the argument and the fire department was called to the scene.

The police department said that three children present at the scene were released into the custody of a family member. After she was arrested, Mangum’s bond was initially set at one million dollars, although it was later reduced to $250,000.

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