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Eagle Teen Offered $12,500 For Kobe Bryant Story

Friend Says Accuser's Obvious Physical Injuries Still Visible

POSTED: 10:15 a.m. MDT July 22, 2003
UPDATED: 12:37 p.m. MDT July 22, 2003

An Eagle County teenager told the Vail Daily News that she was offered $12,500 by the National Enquirer for her exclusive story in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault saga.

 SURVEY
Kobe Bryant maintains he is innocent of sexual assault. Whose story do you believe -- Bryant's or that of his alleged victim?
I believe Bryant's story.
I believe his alleged victim's story.
I don't know.

Lindsey McKinney, 18, was quoted Sunday in a California newspaper, The Orange County Register, as saying the alleged rape victim had overdosed on pills and had to be taken to a hospital two months before accusing Bryant of rape. The interview published in the paper was quickly picked up by other media worldwide.

After the story appeared, the teen said a representative from the Enquirer came to her home offering the money for her thoughts on the matter.

McKinney told the News that she turned down the offer and regrets that the story was published at all, especially with her name attached to it, because the alleged rape victim is a friend of hers.

McKinney said the offer from the Enquirer started out at $200 and was up to $12,500 by the time the representative made his fourth trip to her home. The family turned down the offer, McKinney told the News.

Accuser's Friend Talks About Injuries

Another friend of the accuser told the Denver Post that the 19-year-old alleged victim suffered obvious physical injuries that are still visible three weeks later.

Luke Bray said he has helped take care of the girl in the weeks since her encounter with Bryant. He said there was no question that she had been hurt, based on her injuries. Bray would not discuss the specific injuries because he said the woman's attorney, Rob Wheeler, advised him not to.

His comments were the first confirmation of physical injuries that district attorney Mark Hurlbert alluded to when he announced the charge against Bryant last week.

Other friends also told the newspaper that the pictures of the alleged victim circulating on the Internet are not her but a classmate with the same first name. They said the accuser's mother has also started calling all of her friends to ask that they not talk to reporters. The friends say that the alleged victim has received death threats from Lakers fans.

Meanwhile, LA Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Bryant has his full support. Jackson has coached Bryant for four years and told the Los Angeles times that he is saddened by the sexual assault charges and that the NBA star has consistently demonstrated "responsible behavior."

Bryant is scheduled to be back in Colorado on Aug. 6 for his first court appearance.


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