Rape case of UNCC quarterback goes to grand jury on Monday
CHARLOTTE, NC (Michael Gordon/The Charlotte Observer) - The rape case of suspended UNC Charlotte quarterback Kevin Olsen is scheduled to go before a Mecklenburg grand jury on Monday.
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Olsen, the younger brother of Panthers' tight end Greg Olsen, was arrested Feb. 19 and charged with three counts of felony second-degree forcible rape, communicating threats, assault on a female and second-degree sex offense (forcible fondling). The assaults reportedly took place in Olsen's apartment near the UNCC campus and involved a former UNCC student he was dating at the time.
Each of Olsen's rape charges carries a possible 10-year sentence.
Assistant District Attorney Kristen Northrup said during Olsen's court appearance in February that he threatened to strangle himself with a phone charger moments before assaulting the woman. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Olsen is freed on $103,000 bond.
Now a grand jury will decide whether there is enough evidence for an indictment, according to a source who asked not be named because grand jury proceedings are private. An indictment is likely, since grand juries in Mecklenburg and elsewhere traditionally issue "true bills" for almost every case they hear.
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Olsen's attorney, George Laughrun, declined to discuss the case. In February, he said his client "denies 99 percent of what was read in court."
According to Northrup, Olsen and the 23-year-old accuser went out drinking on a Saturday night but became separated. During their time apart, Northrup said, Olsen sent the woman a text message threatening to kill her.
Eventually, the pair reunited and used Uber to get back to Olsen's apartment early Sunday morning. There, Northrup said, Olsen remained upset about the evening "and some events in his life." He grabbed a phone charger and wrapped it around his neck, threatening to kill himself, the prosecutor said.
The victim, according to Northrup, calmed Olsen down. But the argument flared again. Olsen first struck her with a pillow, then punched her in the face, Northrup said. He then sexually assaulted her three times, Northrup said.
When Olsen fell asleep, the woman slipped out of the apartment and called a friend, Northrup said. Police reached her at Carolinas HealthCare System University, where the woman was found to have vaginal injuries and bruising around one of her eyes.
Olsen, a one-time top high school football recruit who played for his father in New Jersey, ended the last season as a backup quarterback for UNCC.
Olsen was drummed off of football teams at the University of Miami and Towson State due to off-field disciplinary problems that included drugs and driving under the influence. He appeared to have won the starting quarterback job at Miami in 2014 but left the team and school without playing a down.
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