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Patrick Kane |
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Attorney Paul Cambria |
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Hard to say just what’s happening in the case of the rape allegation against NHL and South Buffalo hockey star Patrick Kane although there is no shortage of fuel for the rumor mill, most of it from anonymous sources.
As we reported last week, the accuser is a 21-year-old former UB cheerleader who found her way to Kane’s lakefront home on the morning of Aug. 2 after a night of partying at a downtown bar.
Three sources have told the Buffalo News that the alleged victim went to Kane’s home from Skybar at her friend’s urging. The information was leaked to the Buffalo News over the last week and we received the following quote from Kane’s chief lawyer, Paul Cambria, apparently in response to the coverage:
“Unless someone claims they were an eyewitness to a material event, you can assume their statement is spin and they have an agenda.”—Paul Cambria
Now up until that quote, Cambria has said just about nothing about the events surrounding the rape charge against his client, a three-time Stanley Cup winner who recently signed an $84 million contract extension.
Prosecutors have been equally tight-lipped about the case that has made headlines across the country but what seems particularly curious about what’s happening is that the victim allegedly suffered bite marks on her shoulders---according to the leaks from her camp---yet no dental imprints or bite mark impressions have been taken from Kane by prosecutors, according to our sources. Now you would think that would have been one of the first things investigators would do in the case of bite marks, but so far anyway, they have not. Does that mean the bite mark leak is not solid? We don’t know and no one is saying anything.
Chicago-based SportsMockery.com published a story on Monday slamming the coverage of the Buffalo News headlined “Buffalo Reporter Tim Graham Is Trying to Convince the Public Patrick Kane Is Guilty.” Now remember, the well-read website is based in the same city where Patrick Kane plays hockey, but nonetheless as if to confirm their views on the coverage, they cite an interview with Graham on a Chicago-based talk show where Graham—according to the story-- says if he had to name three people in sports that would be investigated for rape, Patrick Kane would be on top of his list.
I personally know Tim Graham and respect him as a first class sportswriter and journalist so I do not support the view of SportsMockery.com that Graham is slanting his coverage against Kane. Perhaps the coverage appears negative to Kane because of a well orchestrated campaign by the alleged victim’s legal camp to ultimately discredit the hockey star and maybe ultimately win a civil settlement if no criminal charges are filed, certainly a possibility in a he said-she said case.
It is clear that Kane’s lawyer, Cambria, one of the nation’s top defense attorneys, was pointing in that direction with his quote to this newspaper that “unless someone claims they were an eyewitness to a material event, you can assume their statement is spin and they have an agenda.”
From what we know so far, there were no eyewitnesses to what happened between the young woman and Kane in a room in his lakefront home on the morning of Aug. 2. If there was any good news lately for the Kane camp, it comes from the Buffalo police lieutenant who was driving him the night of the alleged incident.
Lt. Thomas English, a long-time chauffeur for the hockey star, told the Buffalo News he told investigators he was not with Kane or in the house during the time the woman was allegedly attacked but he said he witnessed no inappropriate behavior at the downtown bar or on the drive to the home.
And worse yet for the victim’s camp, English reportedly told investigators the alleged victim urged her female friend to go with her to Kane’s home, contradicting earlier leaks saying she went there after being urged by a friend.
So where do things stand know? That’s anybody’s guess and you, the public, can expect more leaks from both sides as the investigation into the rape allegation against one of the biggest names in Buffalo sports history continues. One thing is certain: no matter the final outcome, Kane may never regain his reputation or his standing as a major sports star. Kane may recover and go on to play hockey for the Blackhawks or he may not. Apparently it will be some time before we know the short-term outcome and the long-term damage to both parties in this awful case.