THE ONGOING TRAGEDY – AT 9:35 A.M. ET:  The Duke lacrosse case, and its legacy, keep making headlines.  The case taught America how a college can throw its own falsely accused students under the bus, as long as political correctness is involved.  Now the legacy takes a tragic turn:

DURHAM, N.C. — A man who police say was stabbed by a woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape has died, and the woman could face murder charges in the death.

Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez Jr. told The Herald-Sun of Durham Wednesday that 46-year-old Reginald Daye was dead.

According to WRAL-TV and the newspaper, Daye had been taken to Duke University Hospital after being stabbed with a kitchen knife on April 3.

Crystal Mangum was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and has been jailed since the stabbing.

"More than likely, we will be upgrading the charge to murder," Lopez told the Herald-Sun.

COMMENT:  Crystal Mangum, working at that time as an exotic dancer, falsely accused three Duke lacrosse players of rape, setting off a scandal that went national.  Mangum is African-American, the players were affluent whites.  The local D.A. was running for election in a heavily African-American district.  He pounced on the case and came close to ruining the players' lives, despite no real evidence against them.  Duke turned on them, with 80 faculty members calling, in effect, for a legal lynching.

The D.A. was eventually disbarred for prosecutorial misconduct.  The accuser was convicted of abusing her own child.  And now this.

The boys were exonerated, but every time someone Googles their name, the case will come up, and the accusations against them listed.

Duke University never apologized for the hysteria whipped up against these players.  You may be sure that it won't comment on the legacy of the accuser, who was made an instant campus heroine, back in the day.

April 14, 2011