Three men and a teenager have been arrested on suspicion of raping a 'selfless' student and abandoning her in the street before she was tragically run over by a car and killed.
Madison Brooks died on January 15 after she was accidentally hit by a car in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Mirror reports. The Louisiana State University student, 19, is believed to have been raped while intoxicated and had been dumped in the street when she was fatally struck.
Kaivon Deondre Washington, 18, and an unidentified 17-year-old have been charged with third-degree rape along with Everett Lee, 28, and Casen Carver, 18, who were charged with principle to three-degree rape after they were said to be in the car but didn't take part in the sexual assault.
Carver reportedly told officers he and the three other suspect had been at a club nearby the university called Reggie's Bar and according to the arrest warrant, they had all been drinking and left with the victim who they had only just met. He said Madison was 'very unstable on her feet and was not able to keep her balance' and that she and the 17-year-old suspect were hugging and walking together.
The teenager allegedly asked the group for a lift home and Carver claims that Washington and the 17-year-old asked Madison to have sex with them in the back of the car to which she consented. However, he added she was too drunk to realise her actions and said he 'hated it'.
The group alleged that Madison gave them multiple addresses when she asked them to drive her home and she ended up being dropped off close to where she was hit at around 3am by a ride-sharer drive in Burbank Drive. The driver who stopped at the scene was not arrested as the girl had been standing in an unlit area and he was not under the influence.
Madison sadly passed away from her injuries in hospital. Arrest documents revealed the 19-year-old had a blood alcohol level of 319 per cent at the time of her death which is almost four times the legal limit. Under Louisiana's law third-degree rape usually means the victim is 'incapable of resisting or of understanding the nature of the act by reason of a stupor or abnormal condition of mind produced by an intoxicating agent or any cause and the offender knew or should have known of the victim's incapacity'.
Madi was a sophomore at LSU in the Manship School of Mass Communication and was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority who paid a moving tribute to their 'bubbly, loving and selfless friend' on Instagram. It continued: "She left an indelible mark on our chapter, we cherish our memories together and we will never forget her.
"Our forever friend was also a hero, Madi donated her heart and kidneys to save others."
Madison was the oldest of her three siblings to parents Ashley, 43 and her father, Scott, 51. LSU issued a statement on Monday which confirmed the arrest of the four individuals.
It said: "Madison was a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a niece, a classmate, and a friend to many of you. By all accounts, she was an amazing young woman with limitless potential. She should not have been taken from us in this way.
"What happened to her was evil, and our legal system will parcel out justice. All but one of the suspects involved in this horrific scenario were underage yet were able to consume alcohol at a local bar.
"As such, our action plan starts with a deep and relentless focus on any establishment that profits off our students by providing alcohol to underage individuals. In the coming days, we will call a meeting with these business owners to discuss how their responsibilities directly impact the safety of our students.
"We will work openly against any business that doesn’t join us in efforts toward creating a safer environment for our students. Enough is enough."
A candlelit vigil was held by the university's sorority governing body, LSU Panhellenic on January 22 in memory of the beloved 19-year-old.
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