Rape trial of former Kentucky cabinet secretary opens in Lexington with disputed statements
Prosecutors and defense attorneys shared two different accounts of a sexual encounter between former Kentucky lawmaker John Tilley and a 21-year old woman during the first day of a potentially weeklong jury trial in Lexington.
Tilley, who led the Justice and Public Safety cabinet under former Gov. Matt Bevin after serving as a Democratic state representative from Hopkinsville, faces a charge of first-degree rape in connection with the April 2022 incident. He pleaded not guilty to the charge In August 2022 and was indicted two months later, The Courier Journal previously reported.
The woman, referred to in court filings as "B.D.," has stated she had no recollection of what happened between her and Tilley the night they met. In a recorded interview with Lexington police played during Monday's proceedings, Tilley provided several details on interactions he allegedly had with the woman that night, but claimed everything that happened was consensual.
During the first day of the trial, jurors heard testimony from, among others, a hotel security director Charles Deaton and Markell Heyward, a detective from the Lexington Police Department.
What is the woman's account of what happened?
B.D.'s attorneys said in court that she was handed a drink by Tilley, who she did not know. Prosecutors argue B.D. was physically incapable of consensual sex because she was intoxicated.
The jury was shown security camera footage from both inside and outside the Marriott, which appears to show B.D. walking with Tilley and his colleagues, even stumbling at times.
After waking up unclothed except for the socks she was wearing on her feet, prosecutors said B.D. found herself in the room alone. She was later taken to an emergency room by a friend, where she was examined for signs of sexual assault. That same day, April 15, 2022, the Lexington Police Department's special investigations unit launched an investigation.
How did Tilley and his attorneys describe the incident?
The night of the incident, Tilley was a political consultant who had traveled to Lexington with two male colleagues to celebrate a successful trip to Frankfort when they were approached by the woman at around 2 a.m., defense attorney Chris Spedding said during opening statements.
Tilley's attorneys said he thought the woman, who he claimed flirted with him, was intoxicated and lost, and wanted to buy her a room so she could have a safe place to sleep. Tilley claims B.D. expressed interest in having relations that night and he agreed, but says he left in the morning without waking her because he felt an encounter would have been too awkward.
The prosecution showed text messages that appeared sent to Tilley by one of his colleagues, suggesting to him to send the girl home in an Uber rather than buy her a hotel room out of respect for his wife and children.
What happens next in the trial?
More witnesses are expected to be called in the coming days. The trial was set to resume Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: John Tilley rape trial: What we learned on Day 1
