Philadelphia Eagles lineman Josh Sills found not guilty of rape, kidnapping after trial
A NFL lineman who was accused of sexual assault was found not guilty after a trial in Guernsey County.
Joshua Sills, 25, was found not guilty on Friday of charges of rape and kidnapping. The charges had been connected to allegations that in December 2019, Sills had forced a woman to engage in sexual activity against her will.
The trial began Tuesday after 100 people were called as potential jurors, a higher number than usual given Sills' notoriety in the community as a standout high school football player for Meadowbrook High School.
Testimony in the trial showed that the alleged victim was with a group of friends that had been barhopping when Sills joined them in the evening. He was attending West Virginia University at the time and knew the woman from high school, according to the testimony.
Witnesses testified during the trial that Sills agreed to drive the woman who accused him and her cousin, along with a male friend, home and when Sills was alone with his accuser, he forced her to engage in non-consensual sexual activity. The woman, according to the trial testimony, went to the hospital the following day to receive treatment and have a sexual assault examination done.
Sills' defense team countered at trial that the sexual activity was consensual. An indictment in the case was filed in February, shortly before the Philadelphia Eagles, for whom Sills is a reserve offensive lineman, were to appear in the Super Bowl.
The prosecution was handled by the Ohio Attorney General's office.
The jury deliberated for about two and a half hours before reaching their verdict.
Following the verdict, Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement that he still believes the victim in the case.
"In America, criminal convictions require proof beyond a reasonable doubt," Yost said. "The jury did not see it, and I thank them for doing their duty under the law."
Sills signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at West Virginia University for four years before transferring for a fifth year at Oklahoma State University.
Sills only appeared in one game as a reserve this past season for the Eagles. When the indictment was issued, the Eagles released a statement saying the organization was aware of the legal matter. Sills is still listed on the Eagles website as team member.
USA Today Network reporter Leonard Hayhurst contributed to this report.
bbruner@dispatch.com
@bethany_bruner
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Philadelphia Eagles lineman Sills found not guilty of rape after trial
