Crystal Mangum, a former stripper who is now serving a prison sentence for Reginald Daye’s murder, admitted in a recent interview on the show “Let’s Talk With Kat” that she lied about being raped by three Duke Lacrosse players.
She confessed that she made up the story about being raped, even though it wasn’t true because she wanted attention from people rather than seeking validation from a higher power.
Highlights
- Crystal Mangum joined the Navy in 1997 and married Kenneth Nathanial McNeill the same year, even though he was 14 years older than her.
- They divorced after 17 months of marriage, and that same year, Mangum was released from the Navy after getting pregnant by then sailor boyfriend.
- Kenneth Nathanial McNeill believes Mangum’s 1993 accusations when her father didn’t trust her.
Mangum had falsely accused three Duke players of raping her during a party in March 2006, which led to their arrests.
Since the statute of limitations for perjury in North Carolina is only two years, Mangum cannot be prosecuted for lying now.
Her claims sparked a national controversy and raised issues about racism.
The accusations also caused the Duke Lacrosse team to cancel a game against Georgetown in March 2008.
The three Duke Lacrosse players—David Evans, Collin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann—were found innocent of the rape charges. However, Crystal Mangum was never charged with perjury because there were concerns about her mental health.
It was speculated that Mangum might have genuinely believed the false stories she told herself.
Crystal Mangum’s Troubled Marriage To Kenneth Nathanial McNeill From Navy Life To Divorce
After graduating high school in 1996, Crystal Mangum’s fiancé, Kenneth Nathanial McNeill, encouraged her to join the Navy to “see the world.”
She enlisted in the Navy in 1997 and married McNeill that same year despite him being 14 years older than her.
Holy shlit. Crystal Mangum just admitted after 18 years that she made up the r*pe allegation against the 3 Duke Lacrosse players.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 13, 2024
She deserves life in prison.pic.twitter.com/lSpC8gwV0i
She trained to operate radios in Virginia, and then the couple moved to California, where she was stationed on an ammunition ship.
However, her frequent time at sea caused the strain in their marriage.
In June 1998, Mangum accused her husband of taking her into the woods and threatening to kill her, though he denied the claim.
The case was dismissed when she failed to appear at a court hearing.
The couple separated after 17 months of marriage, and that same year, Mangum was discharged from the Navy after becoming pregnant by a sailor she had started dating.
It was a set up from the beginning. Just like, Tawana Bradley, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Hands Up Don't Shoot ect. Jesse Jackson paid Crystal Mangum for this. pic.twitter.com/VxlVvk3EzI
— Thomas Jefferson’s Family Tree (@Ophydophies) October 28, 2024
She later had another child with the same man, but their relationship didn’t last either.
By 2002, Mangum had abandoned her dream of traveling the world and returned to her hometown, where she began trying to find work as a stripper.
Kenneth McNeill Believes Crystal Mangum’s 1993 Accusations Are Accurate
In 1993, when Crystal Mangum was 14, she told authorities that three men had taken her to a house in Creedmoor, North Carolina, where she was assaulted.
She said one of the men was her boyfriend at the time, who was seven years older than her and abusive.
Next week on #LethallyBlonde we explore the case of Crystal Mangum.
— Investigation Discovery (@DiscoveryID) April 2, 2024
Join us for #LethallyBlonde Monday at 10/9c on ID. @hollymadison pic.twitter.com/mmvPCNgQge
Mangum didn’t report the incident until three years later, in 1996. Still, the case was not pursued because she withdrew her statement, reportedly due to fear for her safety, according to her family.
There are different opinions in Mangum’s family about what happened in 1993.
Her father believes his daughter was not harmed, while her mother claims the incident did happen but says it occurred when Mangum was 17 or 18.
However, Mangum’s ex-husband, Kenneth Nathanial McNeill, has stated that he believed her accusations from 1993 were accurate.
Her father has said that the year after the alleged incident in Creedmoor, Mangum saw a psychiatrist and took prescription medication for about a year.
Additional Information
- Crystal Gail Mangum was sentenced to at least 14 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder at the age of 34.
- On April 3, 2011, Crystal Mangum and 46-year-old Reginald Daye got into an argument, during which she injured him with a kitchen knife.
- Mangum claimed she acted in self-defense, saying that he was attacking her when she grabbed the knife and ended up killing him 10 days later.
