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Semen, Hair From Alleged "Rape Cop" Crime Scene Doesn't Match
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 20, 2011
Modified Sep 9, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 20, 2011
Modified Sep 9, 2011
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Semen and hair from multiple men was collected from the bed of the woman accusing an NYPD officer of raping her, but none of the samples match the DNA of the two cops who escorted her into her East Village apartment that night in 2008. Yesterday a criminologist with the Medical Examiner's office testified that the semen found on mattress ticking and pillow shams could have been there for months, because "semen is designed to survive." The accuser says she had not had sex for four months, which would suggest that the bruising to her cervix came from being raped. But as a defense lawyer for officers Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata told the jury yesterday, "There's plenty of forensic evidence, none of it from our guys."
Moreno was caught on tape telling the woman that he used a condom, and the NYPD expert testified that if a condom was used, it's quite possible no semen would be found at the scene or in the samples from the rape kit. Asked why pubic hairs wouldn't have been found if the woman was raped, the criminalist replied, "The person may not be shedding hairs at that moment." And another criminologist explained that if the woman showered—as she says she did—that would also wash away any possible forensic evidence.
During further questioning, Mata's defense lawyer sought to appeal to the jury's sympathy, stressing that the testing was no picnic for the cops. When told by the forensic expert that "at least 50 head hairs and 30 pubic hairs were taken from each cop," Mata's lawyer asked if it was correct that each hair was pulled separately. According to the Daily News, the witness said yes, to which the lawyer replied, "That is a painful process, correct?"
Update (9/9/11): Gothamist has published a long-form feature about the Rape Cop case, written by one of the jurors. It takes you behind the scenes during their deliberations, and explains how they came to their controversial verdict. Buy it today as a PDF or on Kindle.
Tagged
franklin mata
kenneth moreno
rape cop
rape cop trial
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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