Teens Charged With Rape Released Under Unsecured Bond

Editor's Note: The charges against all five men were dismissed in Oct. 2007. The district attorney's office determined there was insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution.

Four teenagers jailed for allegedly raping a 16-year-old Chapel Hill girl were released under an unsecured bond Thursday.

Mark Anthony Holland, 17; Brian Gregory Minton, 16; Chanquez Neville, 17; and Colton O. Sanders, 17, had been in jail since last Friday under a $200,000 bond.

The four, along with a fifth teenager, Sean Crawford-Brown, 17, are charged with one-count of first-degree rape in connection with the alleged incident, which occurred Sept. 2 near the retail section of Southern Village.

Crawford-Brown was released from jail earlier this week under a $200,000 bond.

Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said the suspects have known since December they were under investigation and that he did not think they were a flight risk or a threat to the alleged victim.

Under the terms of their release, however, they are ordered to stay away from her and away from Southern Village.

Their next court date is scheduled for June 8.

In court Thursday, Woodall also clarified that even though police did not get involved in the investigation until late November, the accuser immediately reported the alleged rape to her mother, who took her to a local hospital for medical evaluation.

The rape kit evidence, collected within a 24-hour period after the alleged assault, was held until the family decided to report the alleged incident to police on Nov. 30, he said.

Investigators then had to locate and interview the alleged victim and each suspect before making the arrests

Parents said all of the teens are friends, but it was unclear how the teens knew the alleged victim. Four of the five teens have made statements to investigators, but police would not elaborate further on the case.