Robert Rice, who has been widely criticized for dismissing charges in the alleged sexual assault of Daisy Coleman and Paige Parkhurst, announced Wednesday that he would ask for a new prosecutor to re-examine the case.
The national spotlight appears to be taking its toll on the city of 12,000. At the end of the prosecutor's news conference, a woman claiming to be the mother of one of the suspects - Matthew Barnett - grabbed the microphone and said threats against her son and her family 'must stop.'
Rice also vehemently denied that small-town politics influenced his initial handling of the case. Barnett is from a prominent family in Maryville and his grandfather was a longtime State Representative.
Victim: Daisy Coleman (right) was found by her
mother Melinda (left) after she was allegedly raped by a boy from her
high school. Charges against him were dropped
Renewed questions: Missouri's lieutenant
governor has called for a grand jury to review the case after sexual
assault charges were dropped against Matthew Barnett, sparking online
furore
Daisy and Paige, who have both spoken out publicly, were just 14 and 13 in January 2012 when they sneaked out of Daisy's house to attend a party with several older athletes from Maryville High School. The teens allege they were both heavily intoxicated when Barnett, then 17, had sex with Daisy while she was passed out.
They then allegedly dumped Daisy, who was passed out drunk, on her front porch in 22-degree weather.
Barnett, a friend who allegedly recorded the sexual encounter, and a 15-year-old boy were all arrested in the case. Rice dropped all charges just a few weeks later, citing a lack of evidence.
Barnett, now a student at Southern Missouri State University, acknowledges that he had sex with the 14-year-old, but maintains it was consensual.
The Colemans, who were outsiders in tight-knit Maryville, say they suffered constant threats and Daisy was subjected to relentless cyber-bully. Mrs Coleman said she had no choice by the flee town.
Months after moving away from Maryville, their house - which was for sale - burned down. The cause of the fire remains 'undetermined,' but Mrs Coleman is suspicious that it could be connect the the rape case.
The charred remains of the fire-damaged home of
Melinda Coleman and her children earlier this month. The cause of the
fire could not be determined
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder had earlier today released a statement saying that recent reports of the alleged sexual assault 'raise all kinds of questions that it is now clear won’t be put to rest.'
Rice said he would ask the county's chief judge to appoint a special prosecutor to look into the case. The prosecutor would be from outside the county and would, in theory at least, be free from the perception of local biases.
Rice claimed that recent media interviews showed that the Coleman family now wants to cooperate with the investigation. Mrs Coleman denies claims that she didn't cooperate fully with investigators.
Barnett, 19, was initially charged with sexual assault and endangering a child's welfare as one of three teenagers who took part in a night of alleged assaults.
Barnett's friend was charged with recording at least a part of the incident on an iPhone.
Two months later, all charges were dropped in a case that has sparked online protests and widespread outrage.
A second girl, identified only as Paige came
forward with her mother to say that she was identified on the same night
as Daisy by another high school football player
In a public statement, Mr Kinder said on Wednesday: 'Since Sunday I have read with growing dismay the media accounts of the Daisy Coleman case in Nodaway County.
'I make no claim to knowledge of all the facts. Still, facts revealed in exhaustive media reports, including the 4,000-word piece in the Kansas City Star, raise all kinds of questions that it is now clear won’t be put to rest.
'These questions will fester and taint the reputation of our state for delivering impartial justice to all.'
He added: 'I hope that responsible officials will join me in this call for a grand jury to make the final call on whether criminal charges should or should not be filed.'
A spokeswoman for Missouri's attorney general said her office cannot reopen the case.
A former attorney for Barnett also released a statement on Wednesday claiming that the charges against his client were dropped after the girl and her family refused to cooperate in the investigation.
Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder called
for a grand jury to review the alleged rape case of Maryville teenager
Daisy Coleman
Attorney Robert Sundell says Daisy Coleman and her mother Melinda refused to answer questions during a May 2012 deposition and later offered inconsistencies in another deposition.
Sundell said the boy cooperated with investigators and 'freely admitted' to the sexual encounter.
The attorney said while the boy's behavior might be reprehensible, it was not necessarily criminal.
The mother denies she and her daughter were uncooperative.
Mrs Coleman told CNN: 'I told them everything.
'That's absolutely not true, and it still kind of shocks me that they're lying about it.'
Mrs Coleman and her four children had moved from Albany, New York to Maryville, Missouri for a fresh start after her doctor husband was killed in a car crash.
Following the alleged rape, Daisy was targeted by cyber-bullies, began self-harming and attempted suicide.
Mrs Coleman lost her job as a veterinarian as her employer is a friend of the Barnett family - who carry considerable political weight in the small town. Matthew Barnett's grandfather Rex is a former state representative.
The Coleman family have since left town following the ostracization and threats they have received since the incident.
In April, the Colemans' Maryville home -- which had been vacant and for sale -- burned to the ground.
An examination could not be conducted due to the 'unsafe nature of the structure'.
Maryville city and school officials reported on Wednesday they are on heightened alert in response to negative attention the city is receiving over a sexual abuse case..
Friends: Paige, pictured right, with Daisy, said
that she remembers the night of the attack that she and her school
friend were allegedly sexually assaulted
City, school and police officials say they are concerned about reaction expressed on social media and in phone calls after the Nodaway County prosecutor decided to drop the sexual assault charges last year.
On Monday, the activist group Anonymous released an online statement criticizing the city and police for not prosecuting the case. However, the case was handled by Nodaway County, not the city.
The Maryville Daily Forum reports police are increasing patrols to protect anyone involved with the case and school officials met on Monday at all three city schools to discuss security.
Daisy's friend Paige, who was at her house for a sleepover, came forward on Tuesday to reveal that she was also raped while her friend was being attacked in a nearby room.
Paige did not name her 15-year-old attacker but said that unlike Daisy, she remembers all of the details of the attack. Her case was settled in juvenile court.
She told CNN: 'After he was done and we went out to the living room we waited for Matt to come out with Daisy and he opened the door and I saw Daisy and she was incoherent - couldn't talk, couldn't walk, couldn't do anything.'
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