[ Golden Gater Online - February 20, 1997 ]
Jason Hoppin
Staff Writer
William Andre McGee, accused of raping an SF State student on campus, is a free man.
At a pre-trial hearing in San Francisco on Tuesday, McGee, who was facing five
felony charges in connection with a rape reported in Mary Ward Hall on Feb. 4, was released from County Jail No. 1 when his accuser refused to testify in court.
"We're not saying a crime didn't occur," said Murlene Johnson, who handled the case for the District Attorney's office. She added since the 18-year-old SF State woman would not testify for the prosecution, "we had no choice but to file a motion to dismiss."
According to Johnson, if the woman decides to testify in the future, McGee would be called back into court.
"She (the reported victim) has concerns about her own safety," said Amalia Borja, the University Police Department lieutenant who investigated the case.
Members of McGee's family were on hand when the tall 19-year-old, dressed in an orange prison sweat suit, strode into the courtroom accompanied by a bailiff. He smiled and shook his lawyer's hand when Judge Perker L. Meeks announced that he would be released from custody. McGee was represented by Douglas Rappaport, a court-appointed attorney.
McGee, a Hayward resident and Chabot College student, spent two weeks in jail.
McGee faced charges of rape, rape-in-concert, digital penetration, burglary and robbery. According to UPD, the woman said McGee and a 15-year-old male forced her to have sex with them in her Mary Ward Hall dorm room without her consent.
The youth was last reported held at the Youth Guidance Center in San Francisco. The Gater could not confirm if he is still in custody.
"It's a very difficult process," said Borja of the woman's refusal to testify. "They have to relive the experience over again and sometimes women decide to put it behind them and get on with their lives."
[ Golden Gater - February 20, 1997 ]