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WILDER FACES VICTIM TESTIMONY Man accused of sexual assaults has day in court during prelim. exam Friday
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Campaign to bolster MSU running into problems
By Katie Abdilla kabdilla@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Her voice wavered with emotion from the moment she began. As Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor Debra Rousseau led the third alleged victim of Oswald Scott Wilder Jr. back through the night she was attacked and sexually assaulted, her testimony came forth in muffled sobs. She took many long pauses, wringing her hands in distress. She told the court how he pushed her down, rendering her unconscious when she smacked her head on the cement. She told them how she came to with her feet in his hands, laying on the ground behind a shed in her own backyard. She told them how scared and violated she felt. “I tried to fight and get away,” she said. “I was screaming. … I don’t understand how no one heard me.” Three other victims, all either MSU students or alumni, also testified against Wilder Friday morning before 54B District Court Judge Andrea Larkin during his preliminary exam. None of the alleged victims could positively identify their attacker beyond his height, build and what he was wearing. Wilder, 26, is accused of committing four sexual assaults this past spring in East Lansing near MSU’s campus. He will face trial Oct. 9 in Ingham County Circuit Court. The Vernon, Mich., resident now faces one count of first degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of third degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, one count of gross indecency and three counts of unlawful imprisonment. He also is being charged as a habitual offender. One of Wilder’s first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges was dismissed during his examination. Several charges were added to his case, including one third-degree criminal
Nolly Dakroury/The State News
By Nolly Dakroury ndakroury@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Photos by Julia Nagy/The State News
Vernon, Mich., resident Oswald Scott Wilder Jr. enters the court room Friday at the 54B District Court for his preliminary exam. Testimony from all four sexual assault victims was heard.
“I was walking down the street when someone from behind me went under my dress. I shoved him off … he pushed me.”
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Victim One, Alleged sexual assault victim
v o ll e y b a ll sexual conduct as well as three counts of unlawful imprisonment and a count of gross indecency. The trip home As she walked to meet a cab in the early morning hours of March 30 near the 1100 block of Grand River Avenue, Victim 1 said she felt as though someone was following her. She was startled when someone reached up her sequined dress from behind, causing her to fall to the ground. “I was walking down the street when someone from behind me went under my dress,” Victim 1 said. "I shoved him off and he pushed me into a bus stop sign.” Su r v e i l l a n c e f o o t a g e obtained by East Lansing police shows Wilder following Victim 2 on April 20 through a Meijer store located at 1350 W. Lake Lansing Road — less
than two hours before she was assaulted walking home on Coolidge Road. Noticing a man was following her, Victim 2 said she crossed the street to avoid him and was thrown into a nearby bush moments later. Her attacker threatened to kill her if she spoke. Seeing no one around to help her, she tried reasoning with the man. "I tried calming him down," she said. "I said, 'I know you’re not a bad guy, you can take all the money you want.' He just ignored what I said.” Victim 3 also was on the way home from a social event only six days later when she was attacked at her back door on Charles Street and knocked unconscious. "We always have to go to the back door, which is poorly lit," Victim 2 said. "I punched in three digits (of the security code), and the next thing I
Judge Andrea Larkin swears in a victim who provided her testimony via a Google Hangout during the preliminary exam for Vernon, Mich., resident Oswald Scott Wilder Jr. on Friday at the 54B District Court.
know, I’m on the ground behind the shed." Victim 4 was returning from a walk near her home at Abbott Pointe Apartments when she was attacked. She said the man dragged her behind a nearby dumpster and assaulted her. When she called out to a man who walked by, she received no response. “It’s really scary when a strang-
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The first of three forums asking for community input on the proposed mixed-use Park District Project is set for 5:30 p.m. Monday evening. The first of these meetings, known as charrettes, will be at the Marriott at University Place, located at 300 M.A.C. Avenue. The forum is a joint effort between the East Lansing Department of Planning, Building and Development and DTN Management Co. to gather insight from residents on how they want the final product to look. Monday ’s meet i ng w i l l focus on community members' expectations on the design and use for the building. The project is a proposed $105 million redevelopment effort that could bring retail, residential and housing spaces to a parcel of land near the site of the former City Center II project. The DTN proposal includes
By Omari Sankofa II THE STATE NEWS
er attacks you and you can’t get away," Victim 4 said. "I didn’t know what to do.” East Lansing police Detective Dan Brown said Wilder's DNA was obtained from the scene near the dumpster. Another constant between the attacks remains that none of the victims could identify Wild-
A couple months from now, last weekend might be considered the moment when the MSU volleyball team proved themselves a national powerhouse. Prior to Friday, their 11-1 preseason record wasn’t good enough to top a historically competitive Big Ten. MSU is ranked No. 15 in
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park district project plans up for talks gpreston@statenews.com
Weekend of huge upsets for Spartans on road trip osankofa@statenews.com
city
By Geoff Preston
The mystery behind the "WTF MSU" campaign that has been puzzling students for the past week was solved Friday after ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, announced its involvement after allegations of vandalism on campus. “WTF stands for “What To Fix?” and is a social media marketing campaign letting students voice their issues and to help them solve common problems around campus,” ASMSU Public Relations Director Matt Franks said. The student government released a statement saying
a hotel, 450 residential units and 400 ground-level parking spaces. I n pre v iou s i nte r v iew s with The State News, DTN Vice President Colin Cronin said DTN views community involvement as a vital part of the project. "Over the next nine months, if us, the city and the community come up with a vision that is financially feasible, then we'll actually get into a formal development agreement
E. Lansing officials hope the site will eventually contain a diverse mix of retail and residential spaces with the city," he said. Mayor Diane Goddeeris said the timing of these discussions are important. "Here we are at the beginning, getting input from the community," she said. "Having that first conversation is very important." Goddeeris said her ideal plan
for the site centers around the project improving the downtown area. "The number one thing we want is it to be an asset to the downtown," she said. City Manager George Lahanas said the meetings are designed to receive input from the public on what they want the area to look like. "We involve the community in every step of the process," he said. Lahanas said city council wants to see a site that has diverse options. "We want mixed use, we want density," he said. "We want to see commercial, meaning office and retail, and people living there." A mixed-use facility has a number of advantages, Lahanas said. "It's always vibrant, always active and it's feeding each other." he said. Don Power, a former council member who was on the council when the City Center II project See DEVELOP on page 2 u
Soccer team takes down Huskies
Junior defender Ryan Keener tends to his injury during the game against Northern Illinois on Saturday at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field. The Spartans defeated the visiting Huskies, 2-0. — Julia Nagy, SN See MEN’S SOCCER on page 6