Kelly Fordon
i
Jean Chase
North High School
Freshman Forensics
June 15, 2019
FORENSICS LAB REPORT: “ALLEGED” RAPE
by Jean Chase
This report will determine whether my twin sister, Sharon Chase (SC), 16, should press rape charges against Kyle Austen (KA), 18, senior at Millwood’s Academy.
Does she have enough evidence?
MATERIALS:
DNA evidence including blood, semen and saliva was collected from SC’s body on May 19, 2019 and sealed within a SAK (sexual assault kit). This included: physical evidence of the bloodied shorts, fingernail scrapings and hairs found on her ripped Taylor Swift t-shirt. Stained undergarments.
INTRODUCTION:
On the night of May 19th, 2019, my sister, Sharon Chase (SC), attended a party at her friend Shannon Murphy’s house. I would have been there, but I was at a choir concert in Chicago.
Here are the facts I have transcribed from my sister’s testimony on the night of the “alleged” assault:
SC: We were at a party. Kyle was there and he followed me around for a while. He’s on the football team. Also, popular and lots of girls think he’s cute. He asked me to go upstairs and my friend, Shannon, was like, “Go.” So, I went upstairs, but then he kind of like pounced on me. I said, “no” a million times. I pushed him off and then I don’t know. He talked me into some more kissing.
MBV: How did he do that?
Sharon: He said that was all we were going to do. He said, “No problem, if you don’t want to do more. Let’s just pretend.”
MBV: He said, “Let’s just pretend?”
Sharon: Then he started kissing and grinding away on me. But then his hands… and then he held me down. I said no, but it was like he didn’t even hear me.
MBV: Were you drinking?
SC: Yes, a little, but…
Mom: Why does that matter?
MBV: And you are sure you said no?
Sharon: Yes, I said no like a million times! And I tried to get up, but he had his hands on my wrists.
Mom: Look at her wrists!
MBV: We’ll take a picture of those bruises.
SC: And then it was like… (crying)
MBV: Can you repeat that?
SC: He didn’t hear me. He just kept going. He pulled my pants off. The zipper…(crying)
MBV: Is that scratch from the zipper?
Mom: It’s bleeding! She’s bleeding. My God!
MBV: We’ll get a picture of that.
SC: And he kept going. I couldn’t (crying)
Mom: It’s OK. You’re going to be OK.
SC: He didn’t stop. (Sobbing, uncontrollable)
HYPOTHESIS:
My hypothesis is that SC has ample evidence in the form of semen, blood, bruises to mount a case against her “alleged” perpetrator, KA, and should move forward with the case before the year is up and her SAK kit is no longer viable. I predict that she will be able to MOUNT A CASE FOR CONVICTION.
PROCEDURE:
- Outline the evidence.
- Figure out the likelihood of conviction based on past cases prosecuted in Oakland County Courts.
- Talk to Mary Beth Valdez (MBV) the sexual assault nurse examiner.
EVIDENCE:
- SC’s testimony
- Testimony of Rita Chase (mother) and Arnold Chase (father) who discovered SC on the floor in her bedroom in fetal position with bloody shorts and torn Taylor Swift t-shirt.
- Testimony of XX (not identified as she is a minor) who drove Sharon home from the party.
- Testimony of Shannon Murphy, host of the party.
- Parents of KA confronted by parents of SC the following day. Parents of KA claimed that it was ‘consensual.’
- Perpetrator’s parents refuse to provide DNA unless legally compelled to do so, using the word, “witch hunt.” Parents of SC claim to be horrified, but are they doing anything? No!
CONCLUSION:
MBV says that only 15.8 to 35 percent of all sexual assaults are reported to the police. MBV says that only 25% of people who know their perpetrator report the assault to the police. Why is this?
MBV says:
- Victims believe that they are partially at fault.
- Victims believe they don’t have enough evidence.
- Victims don’t want their family members to know.
- Victims don’t want other people to know.
- Victim was impaired and blames herself (dumb! My brother, Mark, 22, gets drunk all the time.)
What happens to future victims when rapists get off? According to Wikipedia, rapists target “vulnerable victims, such as female freshmen who have less experience with drinking and are more likely to take risks, or people who are already intoxicated.”
No matter what I said to SC, she would not press charges.
JEAN CHASE: PERSONAL PLAN (FOLLOW UP)
SC still not herself. Sleeps all day. Doesn’t go out on the weekends. Guess what I saw on Facebook the other day? KA is going to Ohio State.
His mom posted: I’m so proud of Kyle. He’s the best son ever!
152 people liked his photograph!
I had to run into the bathroom and puke.
I am going to figure out a way to get him.
PLAN OF ATTACK
- First line of attack: send anonymous note to his house. Contents of note as follows:
“I know what you did. We have the rape kit. We are going to get you. You have one chance to avoid retribution:
Confess.
Turn yourself into the police.
You have one week.”
2. Wait one week to see if he does anything. If not….
3. Print out 100 flyers with this information on them:
Beware of Kyle Austen! Rapist!
4. Go to the post office downtown and mail one to Ohio State Office of Admissions.
5. Mail one to his parents.
6. Mail one to the Police Department.
7. Go to school in the middle of the night wearing gloves. Place a stack on every park bench and in every doorway around the school.
I want my sister back.
Just like she was before.
I will follow him for the rest of his life.
This is my solemn vow.
Jean Mary Chase.
Kelly Fordon’s latest short story collection, I Have the Answer (Wayne State University Press, 2020) was chosen as a Midwest Book Award Finalist and an Eric Hoffer Finalist. Her 2016 Michigan Notable Book, Garden for the Blind, (WSUP), was an INDIEFAB Finalist, a Midwest Book Award Finalist, Eric Hoffer Finalist, and an IPPY Awards Bronze Medalist. Her first full-length poetry collection, Goodbye Toothless House, (Kattywompus Press, 2019) was an Eyelands International Prize Finalist and an Eric Hoffer Finalist and was adapted into a play, written by Robin Martin, which was published in The Kenyon Review Online. She is the author of three award-winning poetry chapbooks and has received a Best of the Net Award and Pushcart Prize nominations in three different genres. She teaches at Springfed Arts and The InsideOut Literary Arts Project in Detroit, as well as online, where she also runs a monthly poetry and fiction blog. www.kellyfordon.com. Follow Kelly on Twitter at @kfor24.
