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Jury finds former Baylor football player Shawn Oakman not guilty of sexual assault

Posted at 1:20 PM, Feb 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-28 19:33:09-04

WACO, TX — On Thursday, McLennan County jurors found former Baylor football player Shawn Oakman not guilty of sexual assault.

The eight women and four men in the jury reached the unanimous verdict after deliberating for two hours and 15 minutes.

Shawn Oakman was accused of raping a 22-year-old woman on April 3, 2016, at his house after going to Scruffy Murphy’s bar in Waco.

Oakman's family and friends cried and yelled "Thank you, Jesus" as visiting Judge Mike Snipes read the verdict.

Oakman also became emotional when he heard the verdict.

"It was never about me. It was about everybody else who was around me. They slandered my name. They fired my coach and I felt like all of that was on me," Oakman said.

McLennan County District Attorney Barry Johnson expressed disappointment on the verdict but commended the work of his prosecutors.

"We are disappointed with the jury's verdict. Disappointed on behalf of our victim but we believe in the jury system and we believe in the criminal justice system and we accept the jury's verdict," Johnson said.

On day two of the trial, the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office called psychologist William Carter to the stand to speak about the effects of sexual abuse.

He said they include anxiety and depression. However, Carter clarified those symptoms are not only present in victims of sexual assault when Defense Attorney Alan Bennett did cross-examination.

In addition, he testified some victims of sexual abuse attempt to disconnect from a traumatic moment, which can affect the victim’s memory of the events.

On Wednesday, the alleged victim in the case testified not remembering all the visuals of the early hours of April 3, 2016.

However, during a sexual assault examination at Providence Hospital, the woman told nurse Michelle Davis, Oakman pushed her head into his bed and raped her. According to Davis, the former Baylor University student had tearing, lacerations, bleeding and bruising in her private parts.

The woman also told Davis during her exam, she didn't feel threatened but she felt she couldn't leave Oakman's house.

Defense attorneys called Chris Sanders, Oakman's roommate at the time, to the stand. He testified seeing both Oakman and the woman at Scruffy Murphy's and walking back with them to the house but leaving before reaching the front door.

Patrick Levels, one of Oakman's friends, also said he talked to Oakman while he was at the bar with the woman. Levels said he asked him about his plans for the night and Oakman replied he planned to go home with the woman. He added she gave no indication of feeling offended about the comment.

McLennan County First Assistant District Attorney Robert Moody asked Levels if he ever spoke to police about the subject and he said he didn't remember.

However, Sgt. Sam Key testified Levels called him and provided him with a statement about that night.

Terrance Nathan, who was also Oakman's friends, testified he went to Oakman's house at 2:15 a.m. on April 3, 2016, and didn't see the woman or hear any noises.

McLennan County First Assistant District Attorney Robert Moody questioned the testimony because he said it was the first time he had shared it.

The defense also had sexual assault examination expert Sonja Eddleman as a witness. She looked at the exam performed on the victim at Providence hospital.

She said the evidence of injuries presented to the jury can’t determine if the encounter between Oakman and the victim was consensual or sexual assault.

During closing arguments, Moody told the jury the woman would have not gone through this if it weren't true.

"It's something she carries with her every single day," Moody said.

He mentioned to the jury a not guilty verdict will send a message to the community saying [sexual assault] is tolerated.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Jessi Freud said the biological report from the lab that stated the woman had Oakman's semen in her mouth could've only indicated they had consensual oral sex.

In addition, Freud said most of the woman's friends and the nurse who examined her testified she was not impaired. However, the victim said during her testimony she was drunk when the incident happened.

Once the trial ended, Oakman said he plans to continue to pursue his dreams of playing for the National Football League.

"[I'm feeling] like a million bucks, like a million dollars. I'm good," Oakman said. "It's another day. Tomorrow, we are going to wake up and see what tomorrow holds."

The jury selection for the Oakman trial was expected to start on Monday but it was delayed after 19th District Court Judge Ralph Strother recused himself following a motion filed by the defense. Dallas judge Mike Snipes started presiding over the case on Tuesday.

The defense also filed motions to dismiss the case and disqualify prosecutors but Snipes denied the motions.