Teen lied about being abducted and raped by 3 black men

On March 8, 18-year-old Breana Talbott of Denison, Texas, said that she had been kidnapped by three black men wearing ski masks, who drove her into the woods and raped her. She first brought attention to the alleged crime when she walked into a local church half-naked, covered in cuts and scratches — though her then-fiancé, Sam Hollingsworth, had called police earlier to report her missing after arriving at her apartment and finding “her back door wide open,” and her belongings, including her phone and her keys, scattered about. On Tuesday, Talbott admitted to police that she had made the whole thing up, and that her injuries were all self-inflicted.

The Denison Police Department released the following statement:

PRESS RELEASE
Denison Police Department
Chief Jay Burch
Date of release: March 22, 2017

Subject: Abduction/Sexual Assault Case Unfounded

The Denison Police Department has determined that the alleged abduction and sexual assault case reported on March 8, 2017 was a hoax. The so-called victim in the case confessed to the hoax last evening (March 21) to a member of the investigative team working the case.

On March 8, 2017 about 5:30 p.m., the Denison Police Department (DPD) received a call from a man describing himself as the fiancé of Breana Harmon Talbott, 18, claiming she was missing. The man told police Talbott’s vehicle had been found in the parking lot of the Creekmore Apartments at 3800 Texoma Parkway with the driver door open, her phone, keys and a shoe nearby.

The Denison Police Department mobilized all available resources to begin looking for Ms. Talbott. Later the same evening, Ms. Talbott walked into a church located at 3400 S. Eisenhower Parkway wearing only a shirt, bra and underwear. She told witnesses at the church she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted in the woods behind the church. There were also visible cuts and/or scratches on her body.

DPD officers and detectives spoke with the victim who stated she was kidnapped near her vehicle at the Creekmore Apartments by “3 black males” as she described the alleged suspects, and were wearing ski masks, she said. She claimed the suspects took her in a black SUV to a wooded area nearby where 2 suspects raped her while the 3rd suspect held her down.

After getting the victim’s information, she was taken to Texoma Medical Center for examination. In the meantime, DPD patrol officers, detectives, and the K-9 team scoured the area where Talbott says she was taken and assaulted. Several pieces of evidence were gathered and more of Talbott’s clothing and other personal effects were recovered.

The case quickly gathered regional attention due to the severity of the alleged crime and rumors quickly begin to spin out of control through social media. Almost immediately, Talbott’s story and allegations began to unravel. Within only a day or two, detectives had doubts as to most of Talbott’s allegations.

According to Talbott’s confession, we believe the crime scene – from the initial “kidnapping” scene at the apartment complex to the point of Talbott’s condition when she walked into the church - were staged. Talbott also admitted the injuries to her body were self-inflicted.

Although I do not have the official report, it is our understanding that medical personnel who examined Talbott were unable to corroborate that Talbott had been sexually assaulted.

This release is to notify the media and public that the Denison Police Department is closing the investigation of this case as reported and it is officially UNFOUNDED. Due to Breana Harmon Talbott’s confession she lied to police when making this report, the department will file a criminal case against her for False Report to a Peace Officer, a Class B Misdemeanor. The department will also seek restitution for the significant costs for conducting such a major investigation.

Our team of detectives, led by John Watt, did an outstanding job in the case. Almost from the beginning, we had doubts in Breana Harmon Talbott’s story as the puzzle pieces just weren’t coming together. We were unable to corroborate any of Talbott’s allegations that she had been abducted or sexually assaulted.

This alleged crime as reported by Breana Harmon Talbott made many in the community fearful there were individuals abducting women. Even though we know the story to be a hoax, there is still potential damage to the reputation of the City of Denison and the Texoma region as many may remember the reported crime but not the outcome. That is unfortunate.

Breana Harmon Talbott’s hoax was also insulting to our community and especially offensive to the African-American community due to her description of the so-called suspects in her hoax. The anger and hurts caused from such a hoax are difficult and all so unnecessary.

Many persons fell victim to Breana Harmon Talbott’s hoax. The police were quickly disparaged by Talbott’s family and friends. Social media comments and opinions were out of control making it difficult to focus on solving this case. Even though we originally assumed this case to be legitimate, the great work of Denison Police Department investigators and officers quickly led to major questions as to the validity of the alleged crime. Even though we strongly felt this was a hoax soon into the investigation, it was my decision to delay notifying the public until we had 100% confirmation it didn’t happen. Plus, we wanted to insure we did everything we could on the remote chance there was any truth to the alleged crime.

It’s unfortunate a person can falsely report such a major incident in our community that wastes the time of law enforcement and needlessly puts some people in fear. I apologize to those who have current investigations with the department as we delayed those to focus on this case. As I said in a recent Facebook post, Denison has been and will remain a safe community with a great quality of life.

So, Breana Talbot lied about being raped by three black men

Congressional Black Caucus statement after meeting with Pres. Trump

President Trump and members of the Congressional Black Caucus met to discuss his proposed budget. The group came prepared and gave Trump a 130 page policy document titled "We Have a Lot to Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century". Not only that but they avoided the dreaded useless photo-op that only serves Trump. CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond made a few comments to the media afterward. Watch those comments below:

Maryland murderer traveled from Maryland to New York to kill black men

Police said the man who surrendered Tuesday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in Midtown Manhattan traveled to New York City with the intent to attack and kill black men. Watch more below:

Jordan Peele to Receive CinemaCon Director of the Year Award

Jordan Peele, the breakthrough writer/director of Universal Pictures’ smash “Get Out,” will receive the “CinemaCon® Director of the Year,” it was announced today by CinemaCon Managing Director, Mitch Neuhauser. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), will be held March 27-30, 2017 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Peele will be presented with this special honor at the “CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards” ceremony, which takes place on the evening of Thursday, March 30, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, hosted by the Coca-Cola Company, the official presenting sponsor of CinemaCon.

“With the phenomenon known as ‘Get Out,” Jordan Peele has instantaneously become a force to reckon with as a gifted and enormously talented director and filmmaker,” noted Neuhauser. “He has audiences and critics around the globe enamored and spellbound, dare I say hypnotized, with his wildly inventive directorial debut, and we are ecstatic to be honoring him as this year’s ‘Director of the Year.’”

In Universal Pictures’ “Get Out,” a speculative thriller from Blumhouse and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford).

At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.

Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, “Get Out” is produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, as well as Sean McKittrick, Edward H. Hamm Jr., and Peele. The film also stars Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, Milton “Lil Rel” Howery, Betty Gabriel, Marcus Henderson and Lakeith Stanfield.

Among its many accolades, the film has earned a 99% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Previously, Emmy Award winner Peele was the co-star and co-creator of Comedy Central's “Key & Peele”. The hit series garnered more than 1 billion online hits, and in addition won a Peabody Award, an American Comedy Award, and earned 12 Emmy Award nominations during its five-season run. Peele also recurred on the Emmy Award-winning FX series “Fargo”, was a series regular on FOX's “MADtv” and received an Emmy Award nomination for his music video “Sad Fitty Cent.” Peele starred in the New Line feature “Keanu,” alongside Keegan-Michael Key, which Peele also produced and co-wrote with Alex Rubens. Upcoming in TV, Peele is executive producing the new Tracy Morgan comedy show for TBS."

Spelman College is a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Students

(Black PR Wire) ATLANTA - Spelman College was named among the nation’s colleges and universities that produced the most 2016-2017 Fulbright U.S. students. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

The College prepares its students to be global leaders by making available opportunities for them to conduct research and engage in study abroad experiences. Fulbright is one of numerous notable programs to recognize Spelman students for their academic achievements and potential in the global arena. From 1999 to 2017, 48 Spelman students have been awarded Fulbright fellowships.

Four graduates won Fulbright awards for 2016-2017, placing the College among the top 35 bachelor’s degree institutions to produce Fulbright fellows. Spelman’s awardees, who will participate in the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program, are: Lindsey Burgess, C’2016, history major, (Morocco); Jumaanah Harris, C’2016, English major (Malaysia); Sarah Brokenborough, C’2016, comparative women’s studies major (Laos); and Tyra Beaman, C’2016, international studies major, (Dominican Republic).

"It is so exciting for Spelman to be back on the top producing list for Fulbright this year,” said Margery A. Ganz, Ph.D, director of the Spelman Study Abroad and International Exchange Program and professor of history. “These young women have worked hard to prepare themselves to either teach English overseas or do interesting research projects. They make us proud.” 

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, has provided more than 370,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. More than 1,900 U.S. students, artists, and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English and conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world.  Lists of Fulbright recipients are available at: fulbrightonline.org/us.

The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.

In the United States, the Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.    
   
The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. Two Spelman faculty have received Fulbright awards since 2010. Most recently, Kimberly Jackson, Ph.D., Spelman associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, taught in Antigua and Barbuda in 2016 as a Fulbright Scholar. She spent the spring semester at the University of West Indies teaching “Communicating Chemistry Through Local Cuisine,” a biochemistry course with infused food chemistry modules.  

Some 4,000 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study for graduate degrees, conduct research and teach foreign languages. 

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.

About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a highly selective, liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent.  Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman, Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer, Broadway producer Alia Jones, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University Professor Evelynn Hammonds, author Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson.  For more information, visit spelman.edu.