Jameis Winston's DNA Linked To Accuser In Sexual Assault Investigation

Florida State Seminoles freshman quarterback Jameis Winston is facing allegations as part of a sexual assault investigation that began in Dec. 2012.

 

Reports Bleacher Report:

 

ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported on Wednesday, Nov. 20, that the DNA test linked Winston to the accuser:

DNA analysis completed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Tuesday confirmed that DNA provided by Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston matched the sample taken from the underwear of a woman who has accused him of sexual battery.

According to the DNA analysis report, a copy of which was viewed by ESPN.com on Wednesday, the Florida state crime lab determined that the chances of the DNA in the woman's underwear are a match for someone other than Winston was one in 2.2 trillion.

The DNA match alone does not prove that Winston, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, sexually assaulted the woman, as the accuser's family claimed in a statement released by a Tampa-based attorney on Wednesday. But it does indicate that Winston, who has yet to talk to Tallahassee police or the state attorney investigating the case, had his DNA associated with the accuser on Dec. 7, 2012, when the accuser claimed she was sexually assaulted at an off-campus apartment.

However, Tallahassee.com later reported that the DNA test was not confirmed:

FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told the

Tallahassee Democrat late Wednesday night Tallahassee police had asked the agency to consult on forensics, but she could not confirm ESPN's report and the report was not provided by the agency.

According to a statement released by the family of the alleged victim, a Tallahassee detective warned the accuser against pursuing charges against Winston. The statement comes courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times:

After the woman — a Florida State student from the Tampa Bay area — identified Winston as the suspect in early January, "the family grew concerned that she would be targeted on campus" and requested assistance from an attorney friend, according to the statement.

"When the attorney contacted Detective (Scott) Angulo immediately after Winston was identified, Detective Angulo told the attorney that Tallahassee was a big football town and the victim needs to think long and hard before proceeding against him because she will be raked over the coals and her life will be made miserable," the family said.