Newly disclosed Snapchat messages, police interview records and documents from a Cornell University Title IX investigation have raised fresh questions about the handling of a 2024 sexual assault case and the scope of the original investigation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor, giving her authority to investigate the allegations, pursue charges if warranted and present evidence to a grand jury.
Hochul said new information had raised concerns about how the case was handled and that she no longer had confidence in the Tompkins County district attorney’s ability to oversee it. Cornell University said it supports the decision.
Snapchat messages from the night
Images of Snapchat messages obtained by CNN show exchanges in a group chat titled “Chi Phi Actives” during the night of the alleged assault. The messages included a photograph of the woman identified as Jane Doe inside the Chi Phi fraternity house.
A source familiar with the case told CNN that the disappearing nature of Snapchat content raised questions about whether a more extensive criminal investigation could have recovered additional photographs or videos from the night.
The newly revealed material has renewed scrutiny of what evidence investigators sought and obtained after the allegations were reported.
Title IX records provide new details
Hundreds of pages of records from Cornell’s formal Title IX investigation have also emerged. The documents reportedly include emails, text messages, photographs and interviews with Doe, her friends and six of the seven men she accused.
The records also contain an account of Doe’s initial interactions with friends after the incident and a transcript of an interview with campus police.
According to records reviewed by The New York Times, Doe returned to her residence after the alleged assault on October 19, 2024, and told two roommates that she had consumed ketamine and had sexual encounters with several men. One roommate said Doe did not describe the encounters as rape or assault at the time.
Another roommate said Doe appeared to be in shock and did not seem to fully understand what she was describing. Doe later spoke with her sorority big sister, who told investigators that Doe appeared not to have processed what had happened.
Doe also communicated with at least two of the men she later accused. In one reported message, she said that “none of the sexual stuff was illegal.”
Her attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, said Doe’s understanding of the incident changed over time as she processed what had happened. He described her reactions as consistent with trauma.
What Doe told campus police
According to a transcript obtained by CBS News, Doe gave a two-day interview to Cornell University police in November 2024.
During the interview, she said she was “completely and totally incapacitated” after consuming alcohol and drugs and described sexual encounters that she said became coercive.
Doe told investigators that she had expressed discomfort, said she was tired and, on some occasions, said no. She also described being physically struck and attempting to push away unwanted touching.
When investigators asked whether she eventually stopped resisting because she was exhausted, the transcript records her responding that it was coercion.
She later told investigators that she could say with “100% confidence” that she had been raped. She also said she could not remember the end of the night and did not know how many people had sex with her while she was incapacitated.
Questions over the original investigation
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said his office received only the Snapchat material and a six-page investigative report before deciding not to bring criminal charges.
The report reportedly documented Doe’s account of being hit and feeling emotionally coerced into sexual activity while intoxicated. However, Van Houten said his office did not receive the transcript of Doe’s later November interview with Cornell police, in which she made a more explicit allegation of rape.
The discrepancy has become a central issue in questions surrounding the initial investigation, including what evidence was collected, what information was forwarded to prosecutors and whether additional investigative steps were warranted.
With James now appointed as special prosecutor, the case will undergo a new examination. Her office will determine whether further investigation or criminal prosecution is warranted based on the available evidence.
