Crime & Justice
Cornell gang-rape case: DA reopens probe as defendant's text exchanges surface
September 29, 2026 at 08:02 PM
Coverage
2 reports · 1 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 4 hours
Tompkins County prosecutors reopened the investigation into an alleged October 2024 gang rape at Cornell University; CBS News later published messages between a defendant and the alleged victim.
- District attorney Matthew Van Houten announced Monday he was reopening the case as he pursues grand jury proceedings against the seven fraternity members named in a civil lawsuit.
- CBS News published texts in which a defendant apologized for "how things went down," while the alleged victim, Jane Doe, wrote that "none of the sexual stuff was illegal."
- Van Houten defended his 2024 decision not to charge, saying Doe's sworn November statement described the drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary and consensual.
- Doe's attorney Thomas Giuffra said his client was traumatized and in denial afterward, while a lawyer for defendant Scott Kretzschmar denied any involvement.