They say that everyone has a doppelganger. If this is true, it could explain in part why sometimes the wrong people are initially identified in crimes. In one possible case of mistaken identity, a Franklin man who is now a student at Texas A&M was identified in a photo lineup by three different witnesses as the man who attacked a Rice student. The allegations are not the end of the story, though.
The man who was identified has an alibi. The accused man has stated to police that he was in Houston working as a rodeo intern on the evening of the attack. It has been verified that he did have a rodeo internship at that time. To confuse matters more, a hotel close to the Rice campus lists him as being there at the time of the attack, but the suspect claims he and his girlfriend were asleep in League City at the time of the incident. For now, the confusion of the case is left in the hands of the district attorney’s office of Harris County.
Being identified by witnesses as the perpetrator of a crime is not the same thing as being convicted of a crime. It does, however, make it even more important to consult with legal representation in order to identify your legal options and create a strong defense strategy.
Although the student is now facing charges, it took police about three weeks to arrest him after the incident. This makes it worth noting that even people who have not been charged with a crime but are under investigation for one may opt to seek out legal advice in Louisiana. This would be done in order to ensure they are aware of their legal rights and that those rights are being respected by all investigators, police, prosecutors and others involved in the case.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “A&M’s Stansbury denies assaulting Rice student,” Brent Zwerneman, April 25, 2014