A woman who accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her in 2006 has revealed that she lied about the crime, confirming what investigators already determined over 10 years ago.
Crystal Mangum, a former exotic dancer currently being held in the North Carolina Correctional Institution for killing her boyfriend in 2011, appeared on the web talk show Let’s Talk with Kat, hosted by Katerena DePasquale.
Mangum, now 46, told DePasquale she lied about the accusations she made against the then lacrosse players David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann.
“I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t, and that was wrong,” Mangum said. “And I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me and made up a story that wasn’t true, because I wanted validation from people and not from God, and that was wrong when God already loved me for who I was.”
“I hope that they can forgive me, and I want them to know that I love them and they didn’t deserve that,” she added.
Duke University Athletics declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.
Mangum’s accusations resulted in the arrest of the three players and forced the team’s 2006 season to end.
In 2007, the then attorney general Roy Cooper exonerated the three players and said the charges should never have been brought after an investigation revealed no credible evidence to confirm her story.
The district attorney who brought Mangum’s case was also convicted of criminal contempt and disbarred, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors opted not to bring charges against Mangum.
The three men sued the city of Durham in 2014, later settling. As part of the agreement, Durham paid $50,000 to the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. They also reached an undisclosed settlement with Duke University following the accusations.
Mangum was convicted of fatally stabbing her boyfriend in 2013. She is serving a 14-18 year sentence, and could be released as soon as 2026, the Associated Press reports.
