W.Va. woman says she lied in high-profile torture case with racial implications

[bijou]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A black woman whose allegations of horrific abuse helped put several people in prison now says she lied when she alleged she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and tortured in a ramshackle West Virginia trailer.

West Virginia authorities said in 2007 that Megan Williams, now of Columbus, Ohio, had been stabbed, beaten with sticks, sexually assaulted, doused with hot water, forced to eat animal feces and taunted with racial slurs. She later said that hot wax was poured on her and that two of her captors had forced to drink their urine.

An unsigned statement released Wednesday by the office of her Columbus lawyer, Byron L. Potts, said simply, “Megan Williams is now recanting her story.” Williams was scheduled to attend a news conference Wednesday in Columbus along with Potts. ...

http://blog.taragana.com/law/2009/10/21/wva-woman-says-she-lied-in-high-profile-torture-case-with-racial-implications-14892/

[Eupher]

there'll be a book deal and a movie outta that one.

[thundley4]

The woman has mental problems. I don't every single one of the defendants would have plead guilty if they weren't.

All seven pleaded guilty, and all but one were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

[The Village Idiot]

was she threatened?

7 people pled guilty

[Chris_]

there'll be a book deal and a movie outta that one.

And Whoppie will play her in the movie

[NHSparky]

And Whoppie will play her in the movie

I wonder if Whoopi considers what happened to the woman, "rape-rape".

[Celtic Rose]

The woman has mental problems. I don't every single one of the defendants would have plead guilty if they weren't.

There is a possibility that they might have pled guilty if they were offered a plea deal and didn't think they would be able to get a fair trial.  But I did read in the article that the woman had mental problems, and that there was physical evidence, so it is entirely possible that she was either coerced in someway to change her story, or that she does have mental problems. 

If the people are guilty, I hope there is enough other evidence to keep them in jail for their terms.  If they are not guilty, I hope they are exonerated quickly.  And I pray that the legal system has enough knowledge and evidence to determine which is the case. 

[thundley4]

There is a possibility that they might have pled guilty if they were offered a plea deal and didn't think they would be able to get a fair trial.  But I did read in the article that the woman had mental problems, and that there was physical evidence, so it is entirely possible that she was either coerced in someway to change her story, or that she does have mental problems. 

If the people are guilty, I hope there is enough other evidence to keep them in jail for their terms.  If they are not guilty, I hope they are exonerated quickly.  And I pray that the legal system has enough knowledge and evidence to determine which is the case. 

This came as a shocking surprise to me.

Sharpton said Potts told him Tuesday that Williams wanted to apologize to him for lying.

Sharpton has sent a letter to Logan County prosecutor John Bennett asking him to look into the new claims.

“If Ms. Williams has, in fact, fabricated her story, then I urge your office to vindicate any wrongfully convicted individuals,” Sharpton wrote.

[vesta111]

This came as a shocking surprise to me.

It is the very people that have mental problems, very young or very old that are chosen to be victims.

No one will believe them.

They can be used to change, forget, or have false memory's implanted.

7 people admitted to abusing this woman, all 7 of them said they were guilty as charged.

Why, if the woman was a crack pot did these people not fight for their lives and freedom.?

With all these people the police and prosecutors must have been knee deep files, investigative reports, medical records and enough evidence of her charges to cause the defendants to plead guilty.

Now she comes along and says all that information was a lie.  Perhaps she is crazy as a bed bug, but all the man power put into proving her case shows that the defendants did something horrible to her, and they at that time admitted it.   Are all defendants and the victim lying ?   For what reason would anyone go to jail for something so gross for years on end if the charges could not be proved.?

[Chris_]

I wonder if Whoopi considers what happened to the woman, "rape-rape".

That is what was going on in my mind as I read this story