Cornell Accused Claims Drunkenness Precluded Committing Rape

Matthew Ingalls, a former fraternity brother expelled from Cornell University following accusations of gang rape, reportedly told investigators he was too intoxicated to commit the alleged attack and even claimed the accuser assaulted him.

Records obtained by ABC News show that Ingalls invited Jane Doe, the only name used in court documents for the victim, to the Chi Phi house on October 19, 2024. She says she arrived under the influence of drugs and was subsequently raped. When university police began their investigation into her claim, Ingalls insisted he lacked the capacity to consent because he was drunk so heavily.

In a phone call captured by campus authorities, Ingalls is heard trying to shift blame. He tells Jane Doe that she convinced him she was sober all along and had not been out that night. The audio reveals conflicting stories of what happened inside the fraternity house.

Jane Doe told him in one message that he already knew she was "10 shots deep" when six people allegedly sexually assaulted her. She stated, "If I wanted to take this somewhere, what y'all did would be classified as gang rape." Following the incident, she spent time in an emergency room and therapy because there was so much damage on her body and mind.

Ingalls pleaded innocence during the call, arguing that Jane Doe fabricated the story of intoxication. Yet the victim pressed for details about how they ended up in a threesome in his house. Ingalls replied by recounting how he asked a man to join them after dancing for three or five minutes. He said, "And then I pop the question, you say yes."

According to the lawsuit filed in September by an alleged victim identified only as Jane Doe, several other Chi Phi brothers joined the room periodically and allegedly advertised "free p***y" in a Snapchat group chat. In the recorded conversation, she admitted not remembering all the men's faces, recalling four in a bed at one point with others standing around.

Ingalls responded by saying he had racked his brain for this mystery. The dispute highlights how differing recollections of an alleged sexual assault can clash when under pressure from police and legal scrutiny.

It is possible both of us remember things differently, and what we recall might not be true," the defense suggested. Jane Doe pushed back hard on that notion. "No, I do remember looking up and seeing too many people there." Her lawsuit details alleged Snapchat messages from Chi Phi fraternity members discussing the incident and advertising free sex. Audio recordings indicate Ingalls tried to calm her fears but never told her he texted his group chat during the assault. The suit claims he posted a photo of her to the group and wrote, "Boys come whip it out." She now says seven men took part before she became completely incapacitated around 5:45 am when she lost consciousness. Friends urged her to speak up on November 8, so she reported the matter to Cornell University Police that day. The university temporarily suspended the fraternity and seven students immediately after the report. Yet the lawsuit alleges only Ingalls and one other attacker faced expulsion while the others were asked merely to submit essays. Doe left school in the wake of these events. Alongside Ingalls, the other Chi Phi brothers named in her civil case are Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. All have denied any wrongdoing. No criminal charges were filed because Tompkins County District Attorney's Office cited insufficient evidence following its 2024 investigation. Governor Kathy Hochul has since asked Attorney General Letitia James to lead a renewed criminal probe. Before that decision landed, James posted on Facebook about the case. "What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable," she wrote. "To her, and to all survivors: You're not alone. We stand with you." Andrew Miltenberg, who represents defendant Lopes, believes James should step aside from the new investigation because her statement read as fact. "There is nothing improper about expressing compassion for someone who reports a sexual assault," he told Fox News. "But there is an important difference between supporting a person who makes an allegation and appearing to accept the factual premise of that allegation before conducting an investigation." He argued another senior prosecutor not yet involved should handle the probe instead. "That would not weaken the investigation. It would strengthen it." Miltenberg voiced similar worries while speaking with NewsNation's Chris Cuomo about this nationally watched case. "I think we have great concern as to Attorney General James being in charge because of the position she publicly took and publicized at the outset," he said before she was named special prosecutor. "I don't know how any of these boys can get a fair investigation and a fair shake at this point.