• Publication: The Red and Black (University of Georgia student newspaper)
• Author: Robert Haag, Staff Writer
• Original Publication Date: Tuesday, October 20, 1992

The downtown rape of a 19-year-old University student Friday occurred across the street from the former apartment of slain University student Jennifer Stone.

Dave Hartley, the University student now living in Stone’s apartment, said he was in the area at the time of the latest attack. Hartley said he was returning to the downtown apartment around 2:20 a.m., near the time the attack, which occurred in an alley behind Chick Piano on Clayton Street.

Although he saw nothing suspicious at the time, Hartley said that “suspicious looking people walk up and down this street all the time at night. I’m glad my girlfriend was with me that night.”

Hartley said police haven’t approached him to see if he heard or saw anything the night of the incident.

According to police reports, the victim was forced into the alley Friday night and raped by two knife-wielding black men, both about 6 feet tall. Both had heavy builds, and one of the men had a mustache.

Hartley said the area is unsafe after dark.

He recalled waking up last week to the sound of gunshots outside his apartment, as a man was shot in front of Gumby’s Pizza between Clayton and Broad streets.

“I can see very easily why a girl would be scared to live here,” Hartley said.

Ann Shepard, the owner of Chick Piano, agreed with Hartley and said there is a lot of crime in the area, but was shocked that a rape occurred behind her business.

Shepard said the police don’t usually tell business owners these things because businesses in that area complain a lot about crime.

Shepard said the area seems safe during the day, but not at night.

She recalled that a girl was mugged about a month ago in the same alley next to the store.

She said the police made a mistake when they moved the Police station from downtown to Lexington Road.

“I definitely feel like the police department should be moved back downtown,” Shepard said. They’re ignoring the downtown area for some stupid reason.”

Shepard said she witnessed several youths shoving and hitting a man exiting his car across the street from her business.

She said she hopes that moving the police station back downtown will send gangs the message that they do not belong there.

“We don’t like our end of the street to have this name,” she said.