Jurors Raise Doubts About Guilt

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

Tyson was convicted in 1991 of raping teenage beauty contestant Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room, and was released from prison Saturday. He has insisted that the sex was consensual.

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

“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.

“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 of his decision 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 purist virgin walking down the street,” Vahle said of Washington. “She hardly held hands with anybody.

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

Vahle said that during the trial, there was not immediate agreement among the four female and eight male jurors.

“All the women said, ‘No, no, he’s not guilty. I think she had something to do with it,”’ Vahle said.

Tyson’s lead defense attorney, Vincent J. Fuller, declined to comment.

Juror Michael Wetting of Indianapolis said then that Tyson was guilty and has not changed his opinion.

“Unless somebody gives me something in writing or proof that certain things happened, then I don’t change my mind,” Wetting said.