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Juror in Tyson Trial Says Almost Half Have Doubts About Guilt

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From Associated Press

Five of 12 jurors who convicted former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson have developed doubts about his guilt, the Dayton Daily News reported Saturday.

Tyson, convicted in 1992 of raping teen-age beauty contestant Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room, was released from prison Saturday. He has maintained that it was a consensual act.

Juror David Vahle, 58, of Indianapolis, told the newspaper in a copyrighted story that he met later with some jurors and had discussions that cast doubt on their verdict.

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“There’s five of us that have reasonable doubt, hindsight, and I’m one of them,” Vahle said. “When we were in deliberation and were split six to six, I was convinced that he was guilty without a reasonable doubt. No question.

“What I heard after the trial, then there’s reasonable doubt.”

Speculation began after jurors learned that three defense witnesses who were not allowed to testify at the trial claim to have seen Tyson and Washington embrace in his limousine.

Vahle also was less certain after reading that Washington had a financial agreement with a civil lawyer, contrary to her testimony.

“As far as I was concerned, she was the purest virgin walking down the street,” Vahle said of Washington. “She hardly held hands with anybody.

“Afterwards, whoops, maybe she’s not the purest thing after all. But it wasn’t presented that way.”

The newspaper did not identify the four other jurors.

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