I always use the Duke Lacrosse case as an example when I am talking to young journalists about how not to rush to judgment in any case especially rape regardless of the situation.
If you recall Miss Mangum falsely accused three Duke Lacrosse players of rape four years ago in a case that brought to light some of the racial issues on the Duke campus. A black stripper accusing three affluent white men was something the media jumped on right away and it became a very polarizing story.
In the end everyone came out a loser.
Fast forward to today and Miss Mangum has been accused of attempted murder of her boyfriend here are details from WRAL.com
Police charged her with attempted first-degree murder, five counts of arson, assault and battery, communicating threats, three counts of misdemeanor child abuse, injury to personal property, identity theft and resisting a public officer.
Shortly after 11:30 p.m., police received a 911 call about a domestic dispute at 2220 Lincoln St. Authorities said they believe the call came from one of the three children inside the house.
When officers arrived, they found Mangum and her boyfriend, Milton Walker, 33, fighting. According to police documents, Mangum scratched, punched and threw objects at Walker and told him, “I’m going to stab you, (expletive)!”
She then went into a bathroom and set his clothes on fire in the bathtub, police said. Officers called the fire department to put out the flames. No one was injured.
Very sad story especially because there were children in the house.
Obviously Miss Mangum needs serious psychiatric help, but unfortunately she might be behind a jail cell to receive it.
