Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Plea hearings for rape suspects delayed again

Three men suspected of raping a 19-year-old female at a Level 27 apartment in February were scheduled to appear in court for a plea hearing yesterday, but hearings for all three men have been rescheduled.

Rodney Adrian Louis Gibson II, 21, Roger Richard Michael Simpson, 23, and Elijah Lee Mincy, 21, face a combined 72 charges including rape, sexual battery and kidnapping. They are currently being held at the Butler County Jail.

Plea hearings for Mincy and Simpson were originally scheduled for 1 p.m. on July 31 but were rescheduled for this week. Gibson's hearing was already set for Aug. 8. Now all three are set to appear in court at 1 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28.

The 19-year-old female who was assaulted is not a Miami student, Oxford Police said, and was visiting friends in Oxford on Saturday, Feb. 11. She was at a party with her friends when they were separated and she was "lured to another apartment by the three males" where they all assaulted her, according to a statement from Oxford police chief John Jones.

According to police records, Gibson's residence is the apartment where the reported assault occurred.

Gibson and Mincy's bonds are set at $250,000 and Simpson's at $300,000.

On July 28, Mincy's attorney, Michele Temmel, filed a motion to reduce Mincy's bond. The motion was denied.

Mincy had no prior criminal convictions, no history of violence and has cooperated with investigators, the motion claims. The statement refers to the Cincinnati native as a Miami University first-year student studying psychology at the university's Hamilton campus, although the university has stated that Mincy and the other suspects are not current Miami students. Mincy worked full-time for about one year at the Garden Commons dining hall, the motion states.

University spokeswoman Claire Wagner confirmed that both Mincy and Gibson were previously enrolled at the Hamilton campus and used to work for Miami Dining.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter