Cornell fraternity Snapchat messages could be key in Jane Doe rape case

( NewsNation ) — Alleged messages between Cornell University students accused of rape could become crucial pieces of evidence as an anonymous woman moves forward with what a women’s rights attorney says will be a difficult case.

The woman, known as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, accused seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of drugging and raping her in October 2024. She reported it to the Cornell police three weeks after she said it occurred, and the local district attorney’s office has reopened the case following her lawsuit.

Messages reportedly sent on the app Snapchat to members of the Chi Phi fraternity the day of the alleged rape included questions like “shop still open?” and other profane statements.

Rachel Fischer, a forensic nurse expert and sexual assault nurse examiner, told NewsNation the Snapchat messages are crucial evidence that must be thoroughly investigated.

“The Snapchat messages are a serious investigative lead, and investigators should preserve the complete thread and examine its timing, sender, recipients, and responses,” she said.

Fischer noted that even if messages disappear in the app, investigators may still be able to recover conversations, photos and videos.

“Investigators should move quickly to preserve what remains. No extraction tool can guarantee recovery, but it would be a mistake to assume the digital trail ended when someone pressed delete,” the forensic nurse added.

Arick Fudali, managing partner of Bloom Fudali, a victims’ rights law firm, said the Snapchat messages demonstrated a “disturbingly nonchalant manner” of the men about what was happening to the young woman and said these messages will be of “paramount importance” for the case.

“Reading these messages, one could only assume that these fraternity members found nothing wrong with their abhorrent conduct, to the point they were willing to document their alleged crimes in writing,” Fudali said. “That is one of the more disturbing aspects of this.”

Example of ‘fraternity/manosphere culture’: Attorney

He said the case is indicative of the “current fraternity/manosphere culture that is permeating through the algorithms and minds of young men in this country.”

“As someone who has represented victims of alleged sexual abuse on campus and in fraternity houses, I believe those messages will be of paramount importance for this case both criminally and civilly,” Fudali continued.

Alexandra “A.J.” Greer, a forensic psychology researcher, said there’s a long history of men being told, “It’s okay to harm women.”

“Some research has found that sharing nonconsensual nude photos of women with their friends also increases their perceived social status,” Greer explained. “A key takeaway here is that the women in the photos or the women being threatened with violence aren’t viewed as real people.”

She compared the case to that of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying that the case has been handled in a way that reinforces that stipulation.

“So, the boys are gaining perceived social status, no one is saying, ‘Hey, this is evil’, and they see the world around them as basically condoning the behavior,” Greer continued.

She added that the group dynamic of the accusations makes it even more difficult for survivors to come forward.

“Seven hours of gang rape — those boys had so much time to change their mind, but Jane Doe wasn’t a person to them. She was an object to dominate and humiliate, whether that be for sexual gratification, power and control, or social status,” she said.

Criminal defense attorney and NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos told NewsNation the Snapchat messages will likely be admissible as evidence but do not prove rape.

“The statements in the Snapchat chain message are morally indefensible. They are also likely admissible as evidence if these individuals are ever prosecuted. But they do not prove a sexual assault on their own,” Cevallos stated.

Cornell Jane Doe faces difficult case ahead

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that the case will go before a grand jury due to “dramatically different” details in Doe’s complaint that were not in her account to police at the time, according to ABC News .

Tamara Holder, women’s rights and sexual abuse attorney, told NewsNation that Jane Doe’s case is complex for several reasons, particularly because she is facing multiple defendants.

“Jane Doe is one plaintiff who is now going up against numerous defendants, which makes a difficult case even more difficult because every defendant gets their own legal theory, their own motions and their own trial,” Holder said. “Or certain defendants may choose to work together.”

Cornell University assigned essays for the accused male students based on Doe’s complaint, which Holder said was their “punishment following a Title IX investigation which means that based on Cornell’s own investigation, they determined the conduct was not criminal, nor did it rise to the level of expulsion, suspension, or probation.”

The Ithaca Police Department issued a statement saying they were not informed of the alleged 2024 gang rape on Monday and called the claims of Jane Doe “disturbing.”

Diana Falzone is the senior national investigations reporter at NewsNation Digital, covering the federal government, war zones and top-level criminal investigations.