Jury Convicts former Vanderbilt Players

After just a three hour deliberation, jurors have concluded the trial of the 2013 rape of a 21-year-old victim by four members of Vanderbilt University’s football team.

Former Vanderbilt football players, Cory Batey, 21, and Brandon Vandenburg, 21, have been convicted of rape and will serve at least 20 years in prison without the possibility of parole and could face a total of 60 years in prison. DailyMail.com reported that “Batey was found guilty of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of attempted aggravated rape.” While “Vandenburg was found guilty of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated sexual battery, and one count each of attempted aggravated rape, unlawful photography, and tampering with evidence.” Both will be sentenced March 6.

The unnamed victim, who was dating Vandenburg at the time, had been unconscious, saying she was given excessive amounts of liquor. Vandenburg brought the woman to his dorm room, where she was then carried and dragged up the stairs and raped as he stood by, took photographs and recorded videos. His lawyers admitted to his “laughing and encouraging his teammates,” but that he in fact did not assault her, reported ESPN.com. Both Batey’s and Vandenburg’s lawyers say the men were too drunk to have been completely aware of the situation. Batey was said to have had at least 22 drinks prior to the incident. The victim says she was also unaware of what had happened, only realizing she was in a strange room when she woke up and that Vandenburg implied he merely consoled and housed her after a drunken night. Talk around campus spread immediately after the assault but university authorities didn’t take notice until seeing images of the destroyed dorm hall. The local police were contacted leading up to the findings of a long trail of sexually explicit and graphic images from Vandenburg’s phone.

The trial lasted for two weeks with testimonies ranging from police, Vanderbilt students, witnesses and the attacked woman. Jaborian ‘Tip’ McKenzie and Brandon Banks, former Vandy footballers, were also charged but were not on trial.

Sources Cited:

Jury: Ex-Vandy Players Guilty of Rape: Associated Press, ESPN.com

Vanderbilt football players Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey both found guilty on all rape charges after jury deliberates for just hours: Lydia Warren, DailyMail.com