OSU’s Darrell Williams Charged with Rape, Sexual Battery

The Oklahoma State forward has been charged with three counts of rape by instrumentation and one count of sexual battery.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:11 pm

By: News On 6

OSU’s Darrell Williams Charged with Rape, Sexual Battery

Originally Published: Feb 7, 2011 9:49 AM CDT

Layna Dewell
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

STILLWATER, Okla.—Oklahoma State forward Darrell Williams is free on bond after being charged with three felony counts of rape by instrumentation and one felony count of sexual battery Monday in Payne County.

Williams, a starting forward for the Cowboys, did not comment to the allegations after his brief court appearance with his attorney Willie Baker Monday in Stillwater but Williams has been suspended from the team while the issue is addressed.

OSU head coach Travis Ford was out of town Monday but was aware of the charges and released the following statement on the issue.

"It goes without saying that we take the charges very seriously," said Ford. "Darrell will not travel or play while the legal issues are addressed."

Several players, including fellow starters Keiton Page and Jean-Paul Olukemi, were present at the courthouse Monday when Williams made his appearance.

Williams did not enter a plea Monday and was freed on a $5,000 bond. His initial court appearance was continued until March 7 at 10 a.m.

According to the police report, the incident occurred at a party near campus between the late hours of Dec. 12 and the early morning hours of Dec. 13, 2010 and the charges against Williams involve two separate victims.

No other basketball players were charged, but six players were on the prosecutors list of potential witnesses and police affidavits allege several members of the team attended the party and at one point "surrounded" one of the women.

First Assistant District Attorney Tom Lee announced the charges Monday morning and also said that two other individuals were charged in the same incident.

See the entire release with charges here.

Lee stated in the release that a crime of rape by instrumentation is a felony that carries from one to fifteen years in prison.

When News 9 initially contacted Williams and asked if he was aware of the charges and allegations, Williams said, "Don't know anything about it...I mean no comment."

The 21-year-old junior from Chicago was also named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Monday by the conference.

The six-foot-eight forward averaged a double-double last week and helped the Cowboys to wins over No. 14 Missouri and rival Oklahoma. Williams scored a career-high 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Cowboys 81-75 Bedlam victory Saturday.

Also charged in the same incident are 22-year-old Yayi Janneh and 20-year-old Zach Logan Thomason.

Janneh was charged with two counts of sexual battery while Thomason was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the police report, the incident occurred in the basement and yard at the residence of Thomason near 5th Avenue and Lewis Street in Stillwater.

Janneh attended Eastern Oklahoma State Junior College in Wilburton and played basketball there during the 2007-2008 season.

Eastern Oklahoma State athletic director Aric Thomas told Oklahoma Sports Janneh signed with the Mountaineers out of high school to play basketball, but only played the one season.

The Payne County District Attorney’s office said it had no further comment on the incident or charges.

The investigation stemmed from an anonymous letter that the Stillwater Police Department received on Dec. 15, 2010 that claimed three female OSU students were sexually assaulted at a party that occurred the previous weekend in Stillwater.

The police investigated the alleged sexual assault and turned over their initial report to the district attorney on December 22, 2010.

Later, Payne County District Attorney Rob Hudson turned the investigation back over to Stillwater police for further investigation, at the time saying “it has been determined that additional interviews with potential witnesses are necessary before it can be determined who and for what crimes that charges can be considered.”

Since then police conducted a number of other interviews and later arrived at the current charges.

Williams came to Oklahoma State from Midland College where as a sophomore he averaged a double-double of nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Out of high school, Williams spent his freshman season playing at Chipola College where the Indians finished third in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s national tournament with a record of 34-2.

Oklahoma State is set to travel to Nebraska Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.