“Super clouded…”, “non(e) of … illegal” and “kinda fuzzy”: The alleged chat transcript between Jane Doe and one of the accused in Cornell rape case

The reopening of a 2024 sexual assault case investigation at Cornell University has brought new light to a private chat message sent between the alleged victim and one of the accused men. The private messages, according to CBS New York, were sent two days after the incident and are now a key part of the overall controversy surrounding the event.

According to the outlet, the man began the conversation by apologizing for “how things went down.” He said his memory was “kinda fuzzy” and acknowledged that he and another man regretted being too intoxicated to “shut it down and kick people out before it got way out of hand.”

Jane Doe responded that her memory was “super clouded too” and that everyone had been heavily intoxicated. She also wrote that “non(e) of the sexual stuff was illegal” and said she had enjoyed being with the man and another individual.


Later in the exchange, she also wrote about them smoking together again, but added a condition to “leave out the extra 5 billion men and ketamine,” CBS reported.

Also Read: Cornell University rape case reopens, DA said Jane Doe described sex as consensual, then said he had never seen transcript in which she said “I was raped”

These messages are important as they provide an indication of how the two communicated just after the assault, but do not in themselves establish the issue as to what took place inside the frat house or whether or not it was consensual.

Separately, the outlet obtained video of the fraternity's group Snapchat conversation from the night of the alleged incident. At about 1:42 a.m., one fraternity member sent a crude message suggesting that a woman upstairs was available for sex.

Later, another member asked, “Shop still open?” and received the reply, “Yea.” Cornell said its university police department provided a screenshot of the Snapchat exchange to the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office in 2024.

Attorney offers explanation for the texts

According to Jane Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, Jane did send some texts to the accused shortly after the incident but he was not able to confirm whether the screenshots taken by CBS New York correspond to those messages sent by his client.

Giuffra said that Jane Doe was traumatized and in denial after the incident, trying to find out what really happened. She was afraid of being too aggressive with the man since she was trying to get some answers from him, CBS reported.

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That explanation is central to the developing dispute because prosecutors previously pointed to Doe's 2024 account as a reason no criminal charges were filed.

Prosecutor says messages will now go to grand jury

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially said Doe's sworn 2024 statement described her drug use and sexual activity as voluntary and consensual. However, CBS New York later obtained a transcript in which she said, “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.”

Van Houten said he had never seen that transcript until CBS presented it to him. He told CBS the evidence could be presented to a grand jury, which he hopes to convene within 45 days.

The prosecutor also acknowledged the fraternity Snapchat messages, describing them as “disgusting, vulgar,” while maintaining that the legal question was consent. Cornell has said its own Title IX process resulted in expulsions and suspensions, while the fraternity chapter was closed and remains barred from campus.