The ESPN 30 for 30 two-hour episode “Fantastic Lies” is about the 2006 Duke University Men’s Lacrosse rape case. Ten years ago, Crystal Gail Mangum falsely accused three players — Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans — of rape. The case’s “hot-button issues” included race and class as the players were white and Mangum, a student at North Carolina Central University, is African-American and was working as a stripper. At the time, District Attorney Mike Nifong suggested that the alleged rape was a hate crime. 46 of the 47 lacrosse team members (the sole black team member was exempt as Mangum said her attackers were white) provided DNA samples; none matched the DNA collected via Mangum’s rape kit. In 2007, one year later, all of the charges against the Duke lacrosse players were dropped.
In 2008, Mangum graduated from NCCU with a degree in police psychology. She published a memoir, The Last Dance for Grace: The Crystal Mangum Story. In 2011, Mangum stabbed and killed her boyfriend, Reginald Daye. She was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a sentence of 14-18 years in prison. The 30 for 30 “Fantastic Lies” special will air on March 13 at 9pm on ESPN.
