1st Accuser in McKinney Case Called a Liar

The defense rested Thursday in the sexual-misconduct court-martial of Sgt. Maj. Gene C. McKinney after calling one final witness who portrayed the first of McKinney’s accusers as a liar.

McKinney, formerly the Army’s highest-ranking enlisted man, is accused of groping, crudely propositioning or threatening six military women. He could get 55 1/2 years in prison if convicted.

The five-week case could go to the jury next week.

The defense called 71 witnesses over nine days, including McKinney, who during two days of testimony said the six women are lying and suggested some of them are seeking revenge for various slights.

The last defense witness, retired Sgt. Maj. Elizabeth McCollum, testified that she was a classmate of Sgt. Maj. Brenda Hoster’s, the first woman to accuse McKinney, at an Army school. McCollum said she thought Hoster was “untruthful” but didn’t explain why.

Hoster, who was McKinney’s speech writer, has said he groped her in her hotel room during a business trip to Hawaii. McKinney has suggested Hoster leveled the allegation to get even with him for firing her.

After the defense rested, the prosecution called several rebuttal witnesses who defended the credibility of McKinney’s accusers.

Richard Roy, the husband of a woman who claims she reluctantly had sex with McKinney when she was 7 1/2 months’ pregnant, testified that he swore loudly when he learned McKinney was on the phone for his wife.

Roy said McKinney called his home around Thanksgiving 1996, a few weeks after McKinney allegedly forced Sgt. Christine Roy into sex.

Telephone records show McKinney called Christine Roy at home 25 times. McKinney has said he was merely concerned about her welfare.