Clothes of Irish student in Long Island rape case were missing for 7 months

The trial of Jason Lee, a former Goldman Sachs executive, accused of the rape and assault of an Irish student in East Hampton, Long Island, heard that the victims dress and underwear were not found at the scene of the alleged crime. The “peach dress and grey panties” arrived by post “miraculously” seven months later, according to prosecution.

Lee (38) is accused of raping a 20-year-old Irish student, known to the court as D.D. Following a night out at a local nightclub the accused, his friend Rene Duncan, the Irish student, her brother and a friend, known to the court as Fiona, returned to Lee and Duncan’s luxury beach house to continue the party.

The accused was arrested at the house after 6am on August 20, 2013. He is accused of forcing his way into the downstairs bathroom where the student was getting changed, pinning her to the ground and raping her.

The former Goldman Sachs exec waived his right to a jury and has pleaded not guilty. After the police arrived on the scene he disappeared and was found hours later in the fetal position in the back of his car.

On Monday forensic scientist Jennifer Tripoli told the Suffolk County Criminal Court that on the night of the alleged attack the team of scene investigators and detectives were unable to find the Irish student’s dress and underwear.

In her opening statements to Judge Barbara Kahn last week prosecutor Kerriann Kelly said that seven months after the alleged crime “a box arrives miraculously" containing the clothes. The items were sent to the prosecutor's office courtesy of an investigator for the defendant. There was no explanation as to where they had been or what had been done to them.

Peter Tartaglia, a member of the felony investigation squad in the district attorney’s office, told the court that Hal Sherman, an investigator working for Lee’s defense team, delivered the dress and underwear on March 12, 2014.

Detective Phil Alvarez and Detective Richard Lane, who work out of the district attorney’s office, also testified Monday. Detective Alvarez displayed the peach dress.

Tripoli also testified about her investigation of the property, at Clover Leaf Lane on August 21, 2013, the day after the alleged attack. She told the court she had discovered stains of unknown origin under black light, one in the bathroom and one on the ground floor of the house. She also recovered a heart-shaped earring under the towels in the same bathroom.

Lawyer for the prosecution, Kelly, told the court on Monday that D.D. the alleged victim had arrived in New York, along with her friend, Fiona. They are both expected to testify this week, possibly as early as Tuesday. This will be first time that the alleged victim and the accused has seen each other since August 20, 2013.