Third Ex-Vanderbilt Football Player Found Guilty in 2013 Rape
Two of the player’s former teammates were also found guilty for their roles in the 2013 rape and were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Brandon Banks was found guilty of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery.
A former Vanderbilt football player was found guilty on Friday of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery.
Brandon Banks, 23, raped an unconscious female student in 2013 on the Nashville campus. The jury deliberated for 15 hours over the course of two days, according to Reuters.
He faces at least 15 years in prison and will be sentenced on August 18.
Two of Banks’ former teammates, Cory Batey and Brandon Vandenburg, were also charged in the rape, but a mistrial was declared in January 2015.
Batey was later retried in July 2016 and was found guilty on seven charges. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison – the minimum possible sentencing for his crimes.
Vandenburg was also retried and was found guilty of rape. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The fourth alleged assailant, Jaborian McKenzie, testified against his three former teammates in hopes of leniency in his own trial. He claimed that Vandenburg was the ringleader, “amped” about the assault and “coaching us to do whatever”.
McKenzie has not been tried for his alleged role in the assault. It isn’t yet known when or if he will be.
The victim, who worked for the Vanderbilt athletic department and was a member of the dance spirit team, also testified in all three trials.
The victim met Vandenburg on a Vanderbilt recruiting trip just weeks before the sexual assault.
The two were together at a local bar popular among Vanderbilt students. The last thing she recalled before waking up in an unfamiliar place was having a drink at the bar with Vandenburg.
Vandenburg attempted to take the victim back to her apartment but they were unable to get in. He then brought her back to his dorm, unconscious, where the assaults occurred.
“The thing that I noticed the most was my left shoulder hurt very badly,” she recalled during Banks’ trial. “Also, my left wrist and also my right knee. There was a wound that was bleeding.”
Videos and images taken on Banks’ phone during the rape were shown to the jury. The phone contained fourteen images and videos, showing the woman undressed and being touched by Banks and Batey.
Banks testified in his own defense, claiming Vandenburg “ordered” him to take the graphic pictures of the victim. He said that he felt bullied by Vandenburg and feared for his safety.
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About the Author
Amy Rock, Executive Editor
Amy is Campus Safety’s Executive Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.
Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.
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