According to a report, DNA that matches FSU star quarterback and Heisman hopeful Jameis Winston has been found in a sample taken from the underwear of a Tallahassee woman who has accused him of sexual assault.
The report also says the State Attorney's Office investigating the case has been in contact with the woman.
In addition to all this, there's a report that Tallahassee Police tried to persuade the woman not to pursue the case.
According to the woman's family, the alleged victim was told by police that her life "will be made miserable" if she goes ahead with her accusations.
According to ESPN, police obtained a sexual assault kit on December 7, 2012, when the woman reported the alleged sexual assault. Winston, 19, provided a swab sample of his DNA to police. The woman's family has alleged that trying to obtain Winston's DNA has been difficult.
Winston has never been charged or arrested.
To make matters seemingly worse, there are accusations coming from the woman's family that police trying to persuade her from dropping the case was motivated by football and Winston's budding star status.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the victim's family alleges that Tallahassee Police Detective Scott Angulo told the woman's attorney to "think long and hard" about the case because Tallahassee was a "big football town."
Not long after, according to emails obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat, the case was made inactive:
"Shortly thereafter a representative of the young woman's family who is an attorney contacted TPD and said the young woman had changed her mind and did not wish to prosecute," the email said.
The case was reopened last week, which suggests that new information may have been obtained.
For now, the state attorney is saying the challenge in pursuing the case lies in the fact that so much time has passed since the alleged incident.
At the moment, Winston is not expected to speak with the state attorney.
Could the new DNA sample that has emerged be a game changer? That is up to the State Attorney's Office.
But this story isn't going away anytime soon.
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