Police investigate Packers player in alleged sex assault
Sources say Underwood is linked to probe in Lake Delton case
By Sharif Durhams and Lee Bergquist of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: June 5, 2010 11:14 p.m.
Police are investigating a member of the Green Bay Packers in connection with an alleged sexual assault of two women Saturday morning at a condo in Lake Delton.
Three sources familiar with the case told the Journal Sentinel second-year cornerback Brandon Underwood is that player.
Police said seven Packers were at a condo where a party was taking place and where the two women said the assaults occurred.
Six Packers were interviewed and released, but police are focusing on the seventh player, who told investigators that the contact with the two women was consensual, said Sgt. Gerald Grimsled of the Lake Delton Police Department.
Grimsled said police don't believe the other six players were involved.
Lake Delton Police said the six cleared were quarterback Matt Flynn, safety Khalil Jones, guard Josh Sitton, fullback Korey Hall, and linebackers Brad Jones and Clay Matthews.
Police declined to release the name of the seventh player on Saturday.
"(The) seventh did have contact with the two females," Grimsled said. "We were pretty sure of that. Everybody was cooperative.
"It comes down to 'was it consensual sex?' One side says yes, the other says no."
The players were in town for a charity golf tournament hosted by Matthews. The two women, aged 31 and 33, are from the Milwaukee area and met the players at a bar, police said.
Sources said the incident likely happened before the entire group returned to the cabin.
Police were called at 4:17 a.m. to the condos at the Wilderness Resort Golf Cabins.
Police said that when they arrived, the six players who are not suspects had been drinking alcohol.
Police said there was no indication of a loud party when they arrived. Grimsled said the police received no complaints from others staying at the resort.
But Peter Bartell of New Berlin, who arrived at Wilderness about 3 a.m. with a group from the Ho-Chunk Casino, said he heard a boisterous party at the same cabin where the Packers stayed.
"To me it sounded like a bunch of drunks having a bachelor's party," he said.
Others said the noise wasn't enough to wake them.
Police Chief Tom Dorner said he doesn't expect to conduct more interviews. He said he would take the case to the district attorney on Monday or Tuesday to consider charges.
Matthews, Flynn, Sitton and Brad Jones are among the players scheduled to participate Sunday in a charity softball game hosted by receiver Donald Driver in Grand Chute.
Attempts to reach the players interviewed by police were unsuccessful as telephone and text messages were not returned. A handful of other players and agents contacted said they had no information about the alleged incident.
Packers spokesman Jeff Blumb said the team is "aware of the reported incident and still are gathering facts."
When apprised that the investigation centered on Underwood, 23, several players who wished to remain anonymous said he had been a problem since he was drafted in the sixth round in 2009 out of Cincinnati. Cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt talked last season about Underwood being immature early in his rookie season.
The incident comes as Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was disciplined by the National Football League with a six-game suspension after a sexual assault complaint was filed against him March 5 by a 20-year-old college student in Milledgeville, Ga.
Georgia authorities decided not to file criminal charges, but Roethlisberger was sanctioned under the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Contributing to this report were Journal Sentinel reporters Tom Silverstein, Lori Nickel, Jason Stein and Sharif Durhams, and The Associated Press.