![]() ![]() Ronald Cotton maintains his innocence but is convicted of the rape of Jennifer Thompson and in January 1985 is sentenced to life in prison plus fifty years. Jennifer is able to provide an excellent sketch of her assailant and eventually picks him out in a photo and then a line-up. What follows is history, the exam at the hospital, the interview with police. The man who answered is hesitant but finally realizes this naked woman wrapped in a blanket is for real and in need of help. ![]() ”Help me, please! I’ve been raped by a black man! He’s after me!” She manages to construct a plan and escapes to a neighbor’s house where she bangs on the door. Although I didn’t want to look at him, I had to. Did he have scars? Tattoos? He had close-cropped hair. I studied his face for features to identify. ”In blinks, I willed myself to note the details. ![]() ![]() She wills herself to note details of his appearance. Jennifer tries to talk him out of it, offering money. ”At five-foot two, I knew I wouldn’t win a physical struggle.” Though terrified, she thinks about her choices. Shut up or I’ll cut you!” Jennifer is being raped at knifepoint. In the summer of July 1984, Jennifer is awakened from sleep around 3 AM, perhaps by a noise but definitely knowing something was amiss. Jennifer Thompson was a student at Elon College in Burlington, North Carolina. ![]()
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