Duke lacrosse rape accuser found guilty of murder

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — The woman who falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of rape was convicted of second-degree murder Friday in the stabbing death of her boyfriend.

The jury deliberated for about six hours over two days before reaching its verdict in the trial of 34-year-old Crystal Mangum, who was sentenced to between 14 years and 18 years in prison.

Killed was 46-year-old Reginald Daye, who was stabbed on April 3, 2011. He died of complications 10 days later.

Mangum claimed the stabbing was a case of self-defense, saying Daye was beating her in a jealous rage when she grabbed a knife and “poked him in the side.”

Assistant District Attorney Charlene Franks told the jurors during closing arguments that the evidence did not back up Mangum’sstory.

In 2006, Mangum falsely claimed Duke lacrosse players gang-raped her at a team party where she was hired as a stripper. The case caught the nation’s attention, as the coach was forced to resign and the university canceled the remainder of the season.

The three players arrested were eventually declared innocent by North Carolina’s attorney general after Mangum’s story crumbled and her mental stability was questioned. The Durham prosecutor, Mike Nifong, who championed Mangum’s case, was later disbarred.