Two men responsible for the sexual assault and eventual death of Nicole Redhorse '95 in 2007 were sentenced to 48 years to life in prison Tuesday, according to the The Durango Herald, a newspaper in Durango, Colo. Carlton Yazzie and Harold Nakai were two of the three men found responsible for the assault and death. The third attacker, Derrick Nelson Bagaye, was given the same sentence in May 2008. Nakai, who was said to be in a relationship with Redhorse at the time of her death, received an additional three years imprisonment for negligent homicide. The men assaulted Redhorse at the Spanish Trails Inn and Suites in Durango on July 6 and 7, 2007. Nakai and Bagaye said they gave her a large amount of alcohol so they could rape her, according to The Farmington Daily Times' report on the arrest affidavit. District Judge Jeffrey Wilson accused Nakai of allowing his friends to assault Redhorse and not actively seeking help for her injuries, The Durango Herald reported yesterday.
Seven Columbia University students were assaulted in five separate instances on Sunday between 12:15 a.m. and 12:30 a.m., according to the Columbia Spectator. All of the students were walking alone or with one other person. Of the five physical attacks, one student was robbed and two sought medical attention at St. Luke's hospital, and all victims reported being struck in the face or forced to the ground. One suspect was arrested Sunday night in connection with the assaults, but police said they believe there are four to six other perpetrators. Five of the seven students were Asian, ranging in age from late 20s to early 30s. The assaults took place within a block of Columbia's Manhattan campus. The area is known to be relatively crime-free and safe, James McShane, associate vice president for public safety at Columbia, told the Columbia Spectator. Columbia Public Safety is currently formulating a new security plan for the area to avoid future incidents.
The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the University of Notre Dame will not have to reimburse a $462,500 federal grant it received in 2000 that the university used to train Catholic school teachers, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The case was brought to court by two taxpayers who said they did not approve of the money's use, claiming that it violated the separation of church and state. Michael Carvin, lead lawyer for Notre Dame, told the Chronicle that had Notre Dame not won this case, many other institutions may have had to pay back federal grant money from decades ago.
