Charges dropped against area man accused of rape
All charges, including rape, were withdrawn Wednesday against a former standout athlete at Chartiers Valley after the Allegheny County district attorney’s office did not have enough evidence to proceed in the case.
Ross R. Wilkerson, 18, of Scott Township, was accused in early March of raping a 17-year-old girl at his parents’ Robin Drive home.
Wilkerson’s attorney, Michael Santicola, said numerous text messages exchanged after the accuser claimed she was raped March 1 showed the two still had a friendly relationship over the next few days. It wasn’t until March 5 when she alleged to Scott Township police she had been raped.
Santicola said their own investigation into the case showed what occurred at Wilkerson’s home March 1 was consensual.
“We were able to dissect her phone and really interview witnesses and do some real legwork,” Santicola said. “At the end of the day, it didn’t happen. It was falsely reported and never should’ve been filed.
“It was a consensual relationship,” he added. “It always was consensual, and every witness knew that.”
However, Santicola said the girl painted a much different picture when speaking to investigators.
“She reported a violent rape with DNA and blood and this other tale that turned out to be untrue,” Santicola said. “There’s plenty of information to show that’s not what happened. Ross was consistent, and everything we found confirmed that.”
Santicola said it became clear by last week the charges would be dropped, and the district attorney’s office went before Allegheny County Judge Alexander Bicket Wednesday to ask that the case be dismissed. Mike Manko, spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said the accuser told prosecutors “that for a number of reasons she does not want to proceed with the prosecution,” prompting them to drop the case.
“In this particular case, our office cannot move forward without her testimony, and that is why we informed the judge earlier (Wednesday) that we were withdrawing all the charges,” Manko said.
Santicola agreed with the decision, but said damage already has been done to Wilkerson’s reputation.
“Obviously, my clients are angry,” Santicola said. “They’ve been angry about this for a while.”
Santicola blamed Scott Township police for investigating without looking through the girl’s cellphone and “ripping their lives apart.”
Wilkerson temporarily lost a scholarship to play baseball at John Carroll University near Cleveland, and his admission has been put on hold, Santicola said.
The attorney added, however, they are now working with the school to restore both the scholarship and his acceptance to attend classes there in August.
Still, Wilkerson lost the ability to play in the final playoff basketball game for Chartiers Valley. He remained free on $75,000 bond and was permitted to play baseball and finish his senior year in order to graduate, Santicola said.
Santicola said his clients were fortunate to be able to afford a robust defense against the charges.
“This isn’t the only time these cases happen,” he said. “Once the DA saw (the evidence), I give him credit for dropping it.”