Bryant’s Arrest Is Talk of the (Small) Town

Celebrities and world-class athletes are common sights in this mountain village along the swift Eagle River, and locals take great pride in pretending not to notice.

But the arrest of Laker star Kobe Bryant last week on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at the elegant Lodge & Spa at Cordillera seems to have overcome good manners, and speculation about the guilt or innocence of the Laker guard has run wild.

Bryant, free on $25,000 bail, is hailed here, as in Los Angeles, as a pillar of personal rectitude. He is spoken of in near mythic terms, a combination of preternatural athletic ability and down-home sweetness.

“I’ve heard nothing but good things about him,” said Warren French, a cook in Edwards. “He is the heir to Michael Jordan, the next Air Jordan.”

No one wants to believe Bryant is guilty of anything except being too nice of a guy, and there are whispers about the motives of his accuser.

In fact, trying to identify the woman who filed the complaint has become a parlor game. With only one high school and one private school, people are running through mental rosters to determine who fits the profile.

“I grew up here and we are all trying to figure out who the girl is,” said Kerry Brown, 21. “We were talking about it last night and we were all trying to see who we knew who worked at the lodge. She could be a star-struck 19-year-old.”

Aside from those endeavors, residents are openly debating the wisdom of Eagle County Sheriff Joseph Hoy’s decision to arrest Bryant though no charges have been filed.

“My sense is that people are embarrassed by this,” said Jay Peterson, a local lawyer, drinking coffee at Starbucks. “We have a lot of celebrities go through here and we leave them alone. To take a well-known person and do this to them without filing charges is terrible. Would this have happened if it were not Kobe Bryant? No way.”

Hoy said his investigators interviewed the woman and various witnesses and then gathered undisclosed physical evidence. But instead of following standard procedure and asking the district attorney to issue a warrant, the sheriff went to a county judge. The judge, Russell Granger, found enough evidence to believe a crime was committed and then sealed the case.

“I have been a lawyer for 30 years and never heard of a sheriff getting a warrant from a county judge,” said Peterson, 57.

Like Peterson, some people in this upscale town of 8,000 about 10 miles west of Vail have a lingering sense that something is not quite right about the investigation.

They believe Hoy, who previously ran the hamlet’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, was too hasty in going after Bryant. Hoy denied he rushed things.

The Vail Daily, a newspaper that covers the valley, ran an editorial Tuesday saying: “The kindest observation of our new sheriff, still fresh from road patrol, is he’s in over his head.”

Bob Shaw, a retired photographer, sat on a bench downtown and considered the matter.

“There is something missing,” said Shaw, 72. “In most cases the D.A. gets it first. I don’t think they have the evidence to convict him. If he is innocent, I think this is going to affect him for the rest of his life.”

Some are questioning the motives of the woman who filed the complaint.

“Everyone is talking about it,” said busboy Simon Isaacs, 21. “I can imagine the temptations of someone like Kobe Bryant, but I can also imagine the temptations of a 19-year-old girl.”

Like others, Isaacs was baffled that no one seems to know who the woman was.

Hoy confirmed that the 19-year-old works at the hotel.

“It’s amazing that no one seems to know her,” said one local teacher, who asked not to be named.

Sightings of the rich and famous, though, are commonplace. Former NFL stars John Elway and Dan Marino are said to be regular visitors here, as are Laker Coach Phil Jackson and former President Gerald Ford.

Aside from skiing, fishing and a place to own second homes, the Vail Valley is world renowned for sports medicine.

There are at least six rehabilitation centers along with the well-known Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, where Bryant was treated for a knee problem -- he underwent arthroscopic surgery -- just before the alleged incident at the hotel.

“People come from all over the world -- skiers, soccer players, football stars,” said one physical therapist who did not give his name because he has treated Bryant in the past. “It’s an athletic surgical Mecca.”

Of course not everyone is thrilled or even interested in the Bryant saga.

“This is the first thing you see on the television every night,” said Rita Shaw, 61. “I have a problem with the way the media is beating up on Bryant. Even if nothing materializes, it will always be there on his record.”