Philadelphia Eagles guard Josh Sills.Photo:Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Josh Sills, an offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles, has been found not guilty of first-degree felony charges for rape and kidnapping.
The jury deliberated for about three hours on Friday after a 5-day trial, according toESPN.
“I’ve done nothing wrong, and I am glad that was proven today,” Sills, 25, said after the verdict was read on Friday, perNBC Sports.
The accusations led the athlete to be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, barring him from participating in any team travel or activities. His attorney now says he can rejoin his teammates.
“He’ll be able to build his football career and grow as a person and be successful in all of the things that he chooses to do. It’s unfortunate he was accused of this.It cost him a Super Bowl appearance,” Sills’ lawyer, Michael Connick, explained to thePhiladelphia Inquirer. “He will move on and live his life in a very honorable fashion.”
In a statement, the NFL said Sills has been removed from the Commissioner’s Exempt List and is eligible to join the team, ESPN reported.
The Philadelphia Eaglesshared a messagesaying they are aware of the verdict.
“We are aware that the legal matter involving Josh Sills has been adjudicated and he was found not guilty,” the statement read. “The organization has monitored the situation. The NFL has removed him from the Commissioner’s Exempt List and he will return to the team’s active roster.”
Josh Sills #72 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys greets his team after a touchdown and point after against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 28, 2020 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.Brian Bahr/Getty
Brian Bahr/Getty
The Ohio attorney general, Dave Yost, said in a statement on Friday, that “I still believe the victim,” according toThe New York Times.
“But in America, criminal convictions require proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” Yost said. “The jury did not see it, and I thank them for doing their duty under the law.”
The incident allegedly took place in December of 2019 when a woman accused the then-college football player of forcibly restraining andsexually assaultingher.
NBC Sports noted that the woman reported the alleged incident the very next day, but Sills was not criminally charged until more than three years later.
The case made headlines at the start of February after apolice reportfiled in Guernsey County, Ohio went public — weeks before thePhiladelphia Eagleswere scheduled to play in the2023 Super Bowlin Glendale, Arizona.
During the alleged attack, a friend of the woman “pulled up in a vehicle behind the truck” andtried to intervenebut was unsuccessful,” according to the police report.
“Sills may not participate in practices and games or travel with the team while on the Commissioner Exempt List,“the NFL said in a statementreleased on Feb. 1 in response to the allegations. “The matter will be reviewed under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.”
The Eagles also commented on the case, adding that they were ”aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills.” The organization continued, “We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time.”
Last football season, Sills was signed as an undrafted rookie and played in just one game before he was publicly accused of rape and kidnapping.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
