On Tuesday, the news that police have dropped a request for an DNA sample from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was regarded as an indication that full exoneration is coming. There’s been another development that points more directly to the possible collapse of the case.
According to KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, the alleged victim has declined to be re-interviewed by authorities. She last talked to police on the evening of the alleged incident.
Unless the alleged victim, who has retained private counsel, has opted to focus only on a civil claim, the move makes no sense. And even if she plans to focus on the civil claim, a viable criminal case provides a high degree of leverage.
Then there’s the possibility that there has been a secret and confidential settlement, and that the deal specifically required her to no longer cooperate with the criminal investigation.