NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Had it not been for an act of vandalism, four former Vanderbilt football players probably wouldn't have been charged with rape.
Deputy District Attorney General Tom Thurman told jurors Tuesday the vandalism, which occurred the same night as the alleged attack, prompted Vanderbilt officials to take a look at video surveillance footage of one of the Nashville school's dorms. When they did, Thurman said, they saw a 21-year-old neuroscience major lying incapacitated from alcohol and being videoed and photographed in the dorm's hallway.
Four former football players are accused of raping the unconscious coed in June 2013. Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey are being tried this week on aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery charges. Vandenburg faces additional charges of tampering with evidence and unlawful photography.
All four have pleaded not guilty.
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