Cornell University police made drug arrest hours before alleged sexual assault

In a police interview conducted after the alleged assault and documented in records obtained by NBC News, a woman told investigators she had seen a fraternity member with a bag of ketamine about two months earlier. She also said he had previously overdosed and been transported for treatment. The interview does not establish when that occurred or whether she witnessed it.

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message Saturday afternoon that what Jane Doe alleges is “deeply disturbing” and raised questions about the investigation that followed.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino voters reject Trump’s immigration policies — and detail the personal impact

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAs Democrats eye big midterm gains, the Wisconsin governor’s race remains a nail-biter

FOR SUBSCRIBERSU.S. military prepares new Iran war options ahead of midterm elections

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCIA probe into intel leak led to discovery of gold bars at agent’s home, sources say

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTexas Latino leaders clash with national Democrats in a meeting over gubernatorial race

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Still in this very long day that started on Oct. 7th’

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAnimal rescues in Cuba struggle to care for abandoned pets amid deepening economic crisis

FOR SUBSCRIBERSLocals called their town ‘Almost Heaven’. A plan to open a Buc-ee’s exposed its underbelly.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump keeps touting $21 trillion coming into the U.S. Even his website says it’s half that.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA Siberian town and the world remain in the dark after a lab worker dies of suspected plague

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongress launches investigation into youth sports giant AAU’s handling of sexual abuse

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Time makes you more hungry’: Hostage’s mom on grief 3 years after Oct. 7 attack

FOR SUBSCRIBERSExperimental vaccine shows promise against deadly brain cancer in some patients

FOR SUBSCRIBERSMeta’s Oversight Board has a warning for AI companies building their own watchdogs

Slide 1 of 1

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump administration deal with Nevada fuels data center fight in governor’s race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino voters reject Trump’s immigration policies — and detail the personal impact

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAs Democrats eye big midterm gains, the Wisconsin governor’s race remains a nail-biter

FOR SUBSCRIBERSU.S. military prepares new Iran war options ahead of midterm elections

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCIA probe into intel leak led to discovery of gold bars at agent’s home, sources say

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTexas Latino leaders clash with national Democrats in a meeting over gubernatorial race

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Still in this very long day that started on Oct. 7th’

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAnimal rescues in Cuba struggle to care for abandoned pets amid deepening economic crisis

FOR SUBSCRIBERSLocals called their town ‘Almost Heaven’. A plan to open a Buc-ee’s exposed its underbelly.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump keeps touting $21 trillion coming into the U.S. Even his website says it’s half that.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA Siberian town and the world remain in the dark after a lab worker dies of suspected plague

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongress launches investigation into youth sports giant AAU’s handling of sexual abuse

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Time makes you more hungry’: Hostage’s mom on grief 3 years after Oct. 7 attack

FOR SUBSCRIBERSExperimental vaccine shows promise against deadly brain cancer in some patients

FOR SUBSCRIBERSMeta’s Oversight Board has a warning for AI companies building their own watchdogs

Slide 1 of 1

“I believe we as an administration, and we as a community, must do better,” he said.

NBC News reported Friday that Cornell police interviewed witnesses and received anonymous tips in the first weeks of their investigation but that Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten did not review that additional information before he decided not to bring charges.

Van Houten said he based his decision on Jane Doe’s initial six-page statement to police, which he argued did not allege criminality. Her attorney, Thomas Giuffra, has said authorities failed to conduct a thorough investigation and prejudged the events based on her statement that she had consented to parts of the night.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to consider whether criminal charges are appropriate.

“In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved or even request the full transcript” of her interview, Hochul asked at a news conference Friday.