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A Young Man Gets a Second Chance at Life
Found Not Guilty of Rape After Presentation of Flimsy Evidence
There was a time when I was knowledgeable about college basketball and knew the top players and teams without being told. My interest has waned, so Terrence Shannon Jr. meant little to me. I didn’t know he was a standout guard for the University of Illinois and an early National Player of the Year candidate before his senior season was interrupted. On December 27, 2023, Shannon was arrested on a warrant issued by the Douglas County (Kansas) District Attorney for the charge of rape, sexual intercourse without consent, and use of force against a victim. Shannon posted bail the next day and was immediately suspended by his college team.
The rape allegedly took place on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the Jayhawk Cafe, a bar in Lawrence, Kansas, following the Kansas-Illinois football game. Shannon was supposed to have penetrated a young woman with his fingers. Police gathered video footage from the bar, but cameras didn’t cover the location where the event allegedly occurred. Bar employees, security staff, and other patrons weren’t interviewed. The one witness was the purported victim’s friend, Rachel.
Witnesses who testified for Shannon included two Kansas basketball players, an Illinois Graduate Assistant to the basketball…
