Chief: Women who accused Packers player of sexual assault changed their statements to police

Police: Women in Packers case changed statements

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The two women who accused a Green Bay Packers player of sexually assaulting them at a Wisconsin resort changed their statements during the investigation, the police chief said Monday.

Officers were called early Saturday to a condo in Lake Delton where seven Packers players were staying during a charity golf event. The women initially told investigators they were sexually assaulted by more than one Packer while other players held them down.

After the players were questioned, the women changed their statements to say only one person assaulted them, Lake Delton Police Chief Tom Dorner said.

Police cleared six of the seven players of wrongdoing. A seventh player whom police declined to identify and who has not been arrested remains under investigation.

“It’s obviously troubling they would make that statement originally and shortly into the investigation change it, a pretty important piece of information … it is weird,” Dorner said of the accusers.

Police declined to identify the women, saying only both are from Milwaukee. One is 31 years old, the other 33.

Dorner said he did not know if either had an attorney.

The six players who were cleared were quarterback Matt Flynn, linebackers Clay Matthews and Brad Jones, fullback Korey Hall, guard Josh Sitton and safety Khalil Jones.

The women were examined at different hospitals by nurses trained in gathering sexual assault evidence, Dorner said. He said he did not know the results.

Dorner said he expects to forward the investigation’s findings to prosecutors by Tuesday, but he did not plan to recommend they press charges, as police often do. He said he thinks prosecutors would have a hard time proving a case.

“I think it’s going to be a problem because there’s too much information that contradicts between the alleged victims and the alleged suspect,” Dorner said.

No weapons or restraints were used in the alleged assault, and investigators found no evidence of any drugs, including date rape drugs.

Police said all the Packers were drinking alcohol, but it was not clear if the women had been drinking. Dorner said they probably were.

“I suspect most everybody was probably consuming alcohol to some degree. To what degree, I don’t think there was anyone who was passed out or totally inebriated,” he said.

Sauk County District Attorney Patricia Barrett did not immediately respond to a phone message Monday seeking comment.

The women met several players at a Wisconsin Dells strip club, Dorner said. He said the women were patrons, not club employees.

They drove back to the players’ condo while at least some of the players took a shuttle bus from the club to the resort.

The women left the condo after the alleged assaults and contacted police from a nearby residence, Dorner said.

The NFL and the Packers are closely watching the case, which follows an offseason sexual assault investigation involving one of the league’s stars, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Prosecutors did not charge Roethlisberger in that case, but the league suspended him for six games on April 21 for violating its personal conduct policy.

Matthews, who participated in a charity softball game on Sunday along with several other players, expressed frustration about being linked to the investigation.

“All we were doing is being asked to talk about a specific incident and that’s what we did,” Matthews said. “It’s unfortunate and it aggravated us a bit, but you just have to put it behind you and move forward.”

Associated Press Writer Todd Richmond in Madison contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS that the women left the party and called police from a nearby residence and that police did not find them in the room with a player.)