Jeffrey Mason, Sgt. three days after the assault, officers picked up D.M. Unbelievable is based, almost word for words at times, off of The Marshall Projects An Unbelievable Story of Rape, published in 2015. Then there was an investigation. Like her fictional counterpart, played with heartbreaking vulnerability by Kaitlyn Dever, Adler was a product of the foster-care system and had been abused. She claims the officers interrogated her and put words in her mouth.. He also told her he had taken photos of her and knew her name, and left. She agreed, so they left her alone for a few minutes. The trucks license plate led to OLeary. Evidence proved her right. In real life, Jerry had already left the Lynnwood Police Department before Marie's attacker was convicted, and as far as we can tell, he has declined requests to be interviewed in the time. FBI figures show that police annually declare around 5 percent of rape cases unfounded, or baseless. Rodney Cohnheim and Commander Steve Rider; and Marc OLeary, who was interviewed at the Sterling Correctional Facility in Colorado. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. We may earn commission from the links on this page. He tied her hands behind her back with a lace from her tennis shoe, blindfolded her and gagged her. Today, Rittgarn is retired from the force and working as a private investigator. Facebook gives people the power. She pounded the table and said she was pretty positive.. Mason is still with the Lynnwood Police Department. The lawsuit alleges that the woman was required to stand up in front of other program participants and say that she had lied about being raped or risk being evicted, according to the lawsuit. She says the officers bullied her for hours, without a lawyer present, into recanting her account and, when she later tried to insist the rape did take place, she was charged $500 for false reporting. Jeffrey Mason, Sgt. Jeffrey Mason in real life. In this report a sex crimes supervisor noted that Marie's situation was nothing short of the victim being coerced into admitting that she lied about the rape. The investigation concluded that bullying and hounding led to Marie's admittance of false reporting. Thats five times the national average of 4.3 percent for agencies covering similar-sized populations during that same period.". Here's a look at how Unbelievable is different from the cases that inspired it, and what stayed the same. Jeff Mason didnt believe her. The woman, identified in the lawsuit by the initials D.M., says she was forced to undergo counseling when Lynnwood police told managers of the at-risk youth program where she was living in 2008 that they didnt believe shed been raped, according to court documents. Jerry Rittgarn declined to be interviewed. When the detectives returned, they saw that Maries new statement described the rape as a dream, not a lie. As portrayed in Unbelievable, Marie settled a lawsuit with Lynnwood after they tried to give her a measly $500 reimbursement of the court fees for her false reporting misdemeanor. Along with Esquire, his work has appeared in NYLON, Vulture, and USA Today. Netflixs latest true-crime series, Unbelievable, follows a group of detectives who try to get to the bottom of a string of rapes in the mid and northwest, along with figuring out if one girl whos reported a rape is telling the truth or not. The rapist, Marc OLeary, is currently serving a 327 1/2-year sentence in Colorado for raping multiple women, including the Lynnwood woman and a Kirkland woman. We do not generally permit translation of our stories into another language. Sgt. Looking into similar crimes, the women discovered a case in Lakewood, another Denver suburb, where a masked man attacked and bound a woman at knifepoint in her home. Rittgarn asked. Marie said she didnt know of any discrepancies. Who Is John Dutton's Grandfather in '1923'? You cant use our work to populate a website designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements. We also ran the same calculation for Washington state law enforcement agencies that cover cities of the same size as Lynnwood to account for possible variations due to the size of a jurisdiction or local laws. 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Knowing all of this including the fact that Marie was telling the truth youd tend to think both of these detectives would be suffer some consequence for the whole ordeal. In 2008, an 18-year-old from Lynnwood, Washington claimed that she was raped by an intruder in the middle of the night. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. Neither man followed standard protocol when it came to the initial investigation into Marie's report. The Lynnwood police told her the news, giving her an envelope on counseling for rape victims. Detective Rittgarn refused an interview with the publication. In hindsight, it was my job to get to the bottom of itand I didnt." Rittgarn, who has left the Lynnwood Police Department and works as a private investigator in San Diego, said he was unaware of the lawsuit. And what might be the most unbelievable part of unbelievable is that the detectives who believed Marie was lying weren't reprimanded whatsoever, even though they deeply damaged this young woman emotionally. OLeary was 33 when he was sentenced to 327 and a half years for the Colorado attacks and an additional 68 and a half years for the two Washington rapes, including Adlers. had made up the story.". , updated We also ran the same calculation for Washington state law enforcement agencies that cover cities of the same size as Lynnwood to account for possible variations due to the size of a jurisdiction or local laws. Claiming police coerced her into recanting her story, the woman was charged with false reporting and fined $500 when she later tried to insist the rape did happen. One thing that's left out of the series is the fact that Marie also settled for a undisclosed amount with Cocoon House, the nonprofit that ran the Project Ladder housing where she was raped. The storys called Unbelievable because at first, the detectives dont believe the story Marie (Kaitlyn Dever) is telling them and dismiss her, before charging her for filing a false claim. By Its nun versus AI in Damon Lindelofs new series. Claims detectives Jerry Rittgarn and Sergeant Jeff Mason discounted her story and ignored evidence including doctors reports and DNA samples She was later fined $500 when she again insisted the. However, based on those statements, We have official accounts for ProPublica on. Though she found it hard to watch, she said the series was excellent and even encouraged both of her foster moms, with whom shes still in touch, to watch it. Jeffrey Mason and Jerry Rittgarn, pressed on the inconsistencies in her story. Peggy's lack of faith in her former foster daughter's account moved her to tell Detective Mason that this was probably just one of Marie's gambits for attention. You cant sell our material separately or syndicate it. (Jeffrey) Masons experience, when someone asked if they were in trouble, almost always, they were. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. You do a full investigation. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Marie had a horrific childhood, bouncing around various foster and group homes from around age 6, and was sexually and physically abused throughout. View Jerry Rittgarn's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Toni Collettes intensity as Detective Grace Rasmussen doesnt line up with Edna Hendershots reportedly easygoing demeanor. When Marie's rapist was caught, Detective Rittgarn had already left the Lynnwood police department. Among the items Colorado detectives found in OLearys possession were photographs of the woman and her ID card. O'Leary was convicted of five rapes, including the Lynnwood one, and is serving a 327-year sentence in a Colorado prison. filed a federal civil rights suit against the city of Lynnwood, Rittgarn, Mason and Lynnwood Police Chief Steven Jensen. 'Unbelievable' Detectives Botched a Girl's Rape, The 'Unbelievable' Detective Who Stopped a Rapist, Netflix's 'Unbelievable' is Based on a True Story, Toni Collettes 'Unbelievable' Role, Explained, as she's showing clear signs of someone traumatized by the assault, to follow a true story reported by ProPublica, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. The (male) detectives Marie goes to see after shes raped believe shes lying and get a coerced confession out of her recanting what shes already reported. But like her fictional counterpart, the real officer was more seasoned than Galbraith, having investigated more than 100 rapes by the time the two partnered up. Edna Hendershot and Sgt. Yet, after conversations with the victims stepmother, her friend, and anonymous caller, police began to have doubts. At first, the detectives are attempting to catch the man who broke into her apartment and raped her. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. USMC. Other reporting included pulling transcripts of television news coverage from when Marie was raped and later charged; having court transcripts prepared from when OLeary was sentenced in Colorado; reviewing grant documents for Project Ladder; and mining the criminal-justice literature for expert views on how rape investigations should be conducted. At first he could not recall the case, except that he thought it involved that guy from Colorado.. When the woman reported the attack to Lynnwood police, she says detectives Jerry Rittgarn and Sgt. Former Lynnwood police Det. We reviewed Maries civil suit against Lynnwood, which included such legal exhibits as the medical report from the day she reported being raped and case notes from Project Ladder, the transitional housing program to which she belonged. The series shows her driving off in a new Jeep in hopes of establishing a better life elsewhere. They themselves took those pictures. He had only investigated one rape before working with Marie. If anyone is at all (still) curious as to why so many sexual assaults go unreported, this should be exhibit A. I have watched videos of police officers planting evidence on innocent people that are less infuriating. Thank you for your interest in republishing this story. Jeffrey Mason, the Lynnwood officer heading up Marie's rape investigation (and subsequently charged her for a false report) was transferred to his department from a narcotics task force just six weeks before the call came from Marie. Along with praise for its nuanced performances and intelligent writing, it's been . Here is the harrowing story behind the series that you need to know. She requested and received a personal apology from lead detective Jeffrey Mason. The police on her case, Sgt. Helen Pow had been arguing, and the other a friend who had spoken to D.M. They ignored all the objective evidence collected by the Lynnwood Police Department and Providence Hospital on the day of the rape, the lawsuit alleges. T. Christian Miller is a senior editor for ProPublica. Nonprofit journalism about criminal justice, A nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system, This story was produced in collaboration with, International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, Policing and Prosecuting Sexual Assault in Los Angeles City and County. On a scale of laminated-eyebrow drama to Lemon Lady Secrets. .css-ssumvd{display:block;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.0625rem;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.25;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-ssumvd:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-ssumvd{letter-spacing:0rem;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}Gayle Says March Is a Good Month for TV Lovers, Sheryl Lee Ralphs Definition of True Love, What We Know About The Little Mermaid Remake, Oprah Congratulates Kimmel on 20 Years of His Show, Nikole Hannah-Jones on "The 1619 Project", Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Wakanda Forever Podcast, Oprah Is Acting in Tyler Perrys Next Netflix Film, Gayle Wears the Same Dress on CBS 11 Years Later. Join Facebook to connect with Jerry Rittgarn and others you may know. D.M. Covering Rammsteins Du Hast in Berlin. A police narrative from Detective Jerry Rittgarn states, "I talked with Sgt. According to an outside review of the investigation after Marie was cleared of her false report misdemeanor, "the manner in which she was treated by Sergeant Mason and Detective Rittgarn can only be labeled as bullying and coercive." Claiming police coerced her into recanting her story, the woman was charged with false reporting and fined $500 when she later tried to insist the rape did happen. Detectives Pruitt and Parker are based on real people named Sgt. D.M., the detective wrote in a police report, would not look him in the eye, repeatedly said she believed she had been raped and, when initially asked if people should be worried that a rapist was on the loose, she reportedly said no. Parker says something similar to Rasmussen in the show. O'Leary, however, had taken a picture of her with a learner's permit on the woman's chest. VIDEO: Rape victim was called a liar by police. Helmed by Erin Brokovich screenwriter Susannah Grant, the new miniseries follows the story of Marie, a young woman charged with lying about being raped, as well as that of two female detectives who, through a winding road of evidence, discover the truth. But she went through the story again only this time, saying she believed the rape had happened instead of saying it for certain. With mounting pressure from the police, she recanted her statement and said she made. and her family We strongly believe that Cocoon House and its employees acted appropriately on behalf of the client.'. As with Merritt Wevers compassionate detective, it was a fluke that Galbraiths police-officer husband, David not the karaoke-singing Max the Knife remembered that his Colorado department had seen a similar rape in which the attacker had made his victim shower and scrupulously cleaned her. Their suspicions were based on comments from three people who said that they doubted her story, according to the suit. We went to the ocean, it was like 7 oclock at night, I dont know what we were thinking, I got in there and I jumped out and swung my hair back.". As for the people Marie initially deals with, in the series they are Detectives Parker and Pruitt. . We received thousands of pages of documents through public-records requests filed with the following agencies: the police departments in Lynnwood and Kirkland, Washington; the police departments in Golden, Westminster, Aurora and Lakewood, Colorado; and the prosecuting attorneys offices in Snohomish County, Washington, King County, Washington, and Jefferson County, Colorado. Sep 21, 2019. A stranger, later known to be OLeary, entered her Lynnwood apartment, threatened plaintiff D.M. When the woman reported the attack to Lynnwood police, she says detectives Jerry Rittgarn and Sgt. The facility and two of its employees are also named in the lawsuit. All rights reserved. Please contact. We consulted police training guidelines by various organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and End Violence Against Women International. In 2014, she sued and settled with the city for $150,000. American History Has Been Whitewashed, But, Black Teen Girls On TV Are A Mess Finally, the detectives dont believe the story Marie, The Marshall Projects An Unbelievable Story of Rape. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. Trevor Materasso; Lakewood, Colorado, police detective Aaron Hassell; Kirkland, Washington, police officer Audra Weber; Lynnwood police Sgt. While no good came out of this for Marie at the time, her case has since helped shape how rapes are now processed, with Rider explaining, We learned a great deal from this. We consulted police training guidelines by various organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and End Violence Against Women International. Jensen, the Lynnwood police chief, said he could not comment because of the litigation. Galbraith first learned of Hendershot's similar case through her police officer husband (just as Duvall, Merritt Wever's character, did). An 18 year old girl reported a brutal assault. Claiming police coerced her into recanting her story, the woman was charged with false reporting and fined $500 when she later tried to insist the rape did happen. Maybe the rape happened and I blacked it out, Marie said. And even if you decide there's not enough evidence to convict, you don't go after an alleged rape victim, Ward said. 22:39 GMT 11 Jun 2013. To calculate the rate, we summed the number of unfounded rapes and divided it by the number of reported rapes. Everything You Never Thought to Ask About In-flight Entertainment, Warner Bros. Discoverys licensing chief on how movies and TV get on planes, editing decisions, and the curious case of. It wasnt until 2 years later, when former Washington state resident Marc OLeary was arrested for several rapes in Colorado, that Lynnwood police reopened their investigation. After I got off the phone with him, I started thinking about all things I was stressed out and I also was scared living on my own. D.M. You cant republish our material wholesale, or automatically; you need to select stories to be republished individually. The police called her a liar. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Why didnt you write that you made the story up? The journalists who wrote it, T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, were separately working on the story for their respective outlets when they decided to collaborate on one long piece. The third doubter was an anonymous caller. The three went to the Lynnwood police station, where the detectives escorted Marie to a conference room. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google That year, she reported being bound, gagged, and raped by a man who broke into her home. Police gathered evidence from the house, including stained sheets, the shoelaces, blindfold and gag. According to the Seattle Times, two-and-a-half years later Lynnwood police reopened the investigation, after Marc O'Leary, a man wanted for a string of sex attacks in Washington state and Colorado, was found to have D.M. But most recent research suggests that false reporting is relatively rare. With mounting pressure from the police, she recanted her statement and said she made it all up. At the hospital, a doctor noted injuries to both her wrists and abrasions on her genitals. Things you buy through our links may earnNew Yorka commission. Sgt. Last week, D.M. On the form she filled in her name, address and Social Security number, and then she wrote, in part: I was talking to Jordan on the phone that night about his day and just about anything. Rarely do. Two months after Adler was charged with false reporting, McQuery told the police investigating a new, similar rape nearby about her case. "Based on her answers and body language it was apparent that [Marie] was lying about the rape," he wrote in a report. She has a fianc and she's looking forward to a fabulous life. The whole show is in a silly, goofy mood. She began crying and said she kept seeing visions of him on top of her, the lawsuit says. Nobody can get into it. Marie, crying, said she believed the rape really happened. As Marie told Sergeant Jerry Mason and Detective Jerry Rittgarn, she'd fallen asleep after a late-night phone chat with her friend Jordan, an ex. Though the series hews closely to a true story that may at times seem stranger than fiction, showrunner Susannah Grant decided early on to fictionalize the real-life sources because, she says, we didnt think there was any value in the actual names being broadcast as widely as Netflix has the capacity to do. Nevertheless, its natural to want to know more about the people on whom the characters are based. Neither officer faced any disciplinary action for the botched investigation. The police on her case, Sgt. A computer forensics specialist looked into O'Leary's hard drive files and found a folder named "girls," which had pictures of the victims. Marie was then charged with a gross misdemeanor for false reporting. As Marie told Sergeant Jerry Mason and Detective Jerry Rittgarn, she'd fallen asleep after a late-night phone chat with her friend Jordan, an ex. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. The description of his background comes from his LinkedIn profile. In 2011, OLeary was caught and found with a photograph of D.M.s ID card. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. In real life, they are Sgt. They told her the Lynnwood case was closed. 17-Down, Three Letters: Party for One artist Carly ___ Jepsen. According to the ProPublica article, after Marie's rapist was apprehended, the Lynnwood Police Department opened up an outside review into the department. When she wouldn't, they pressured her further until she ultimately reneged on her confession. Hendershot also remembered a similar case in 2009 when a 65-year-old woman in nearby Aurora had been raped by a man wearing a black scarf around his face who also took pictures of her. Heres how ProPublicas T. Christian Miller and the Marshall Projects Ken Armstrong wrote about this fateful day in their Pulitzer-winning article: In Sgt. It was one of many friendships she lost after the Lynnwood charged her as a false accuser. with loss of housing benefits and made her tell other program participants that she lied. She describes in the law suit the man, wielding a kitchen knife, warned her that he had taken photos of her and knew her name as he fled the apartment. Grusing was the only officer to interview the serial rapist, perhaps because, as Taggart says to Karen and Grace about Chris in episode eight, women make him uncomfortable., Eric Langes detached Detective Parker is a surrogate for Sergeant Jeffrey Mason, who spent the bulk of his career on patrol and in narcotics and had little rape-investigation experience when he became the lead on Adlers case. The character of Detective Pruitt (played by Bill Fagerbakke) is loosely based on Jerry Rittgarn, who was the one who first blatantly told Marie he didn't believe her story. View the profiles of people named Jerry Rittgarn. Social scientists examining police records in detail and using methodologically rigorous standards cite similar, single-digit rates. From research and studies summarized in a Department of Justice-funded study, Policing and Prosecuting Sexual Assault in Los Angeles City and County, 2012 by Cassia Spohn and Katharine Tellis and from an analysis by ProPublica and The Marshall Project of FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program data, 2008-2012. Rittgarn asked Marie. Former Lynnwood police Det. D.M. None of the evidence police collected linked him to his brothers rapes. According to police reports and statements filed with the lawsuit, D.M. You cant sell our material separately or syndicate it wrote about this fateful in! The series shows her driving off in a Colorado prison toni Collettes intensity as Detective Grace Rasmussen doesnt up... Is serving a 327-year sentence in a new Jeep in hopes of establishing a better life elsewhere Lindelofs new.! A false accuser with Sgt her an envelope on counseling for rape victims this website, you agree our. 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