(ThyBlackMan.com) Christopher Abernathy was just released after spending nearly 30 years in prison for a sexual assault and murder he did not commit. Modern DNA testing proved he was innocent. What if that was Bill Cosby? Bill Cosby, actor, beloved comedian, Ph.D. – but is he a sexual predator? Over the last year as many as 30 women or more have reportedly come forward to claim Bill molested them, drugged them, propositioned them or made sexual advances towards them. People who do not want to believe Bill Cosby is guilty have rallied to his side and others have done just the opposite. His TV show has been canceled, reruns of the Cosby Show have been dropped, the other cast members are losing royalties and his personal appearances have been marred by hecklers, cancellations and criticism. Gloria Allred recently stood with two of the latest alleged victims, Linda Brown and Lisa-Lotte Lublin. But amidst all the rumors and biases, where are the facts? And equally important, is someone setting Cosby up or is he a different man from the dad on the Cosby Show? I met Cosby in the mid 1980s in Atlanta and then again several years later. I always saw him as a great entertainer – nothing more, nothing less.
Let’s take an objective look at some hard facts. First of all, the fact that so many people like and admire Bill Cosby does not mean he is innocent. We wanted to believe Michael Jackson was not a child molester. We wanted James Brown freed from jail even though he abused women. We believed Tawana Brawley. We didn’t think Michael Vick should have been found guilty. We (you) didn’t want to believe Eddie Long was a homosexual predator. All the way back to slavery there have been cases of false accusations and African-American men have suffered and even died because of them. We are
finding through modern forensics more and more cases of innocent men who went to prison or the death chamber. And it is a fact that a great many prosecutors are more after reputation and conviction notches on their belts than they are about the real truth or the public good. But none of that means Bill Cosby is innocent – or guilty.
So for the purpose of seeking the truth and identifying the facts, become a detective with me, if you will. As a detective, in the academy I was taught about Modus Operandi (MO), a Latin term simply meaning the method used by a perpetrator to commit a crime, how he or she operates. The veteran police detective who trained me taught that criminals who repeat the same crimes over and over usually have an identifiable pattern, sometimes involving factors the alleged perpetrator is unaware of.
Questioning witnesses, the victim and the accused can help establish a clear picture of what happened or what didn’t. Yes witnesses, victims and perpetrators do lie but a trained professional with knowledge of psychology and nonverbal communications can spot a liar without using a polygraph, at least most of the time. People get nervous, polygraphs are not always reliable and very often psychopaths and sociopaths can lie with a straight face or maybe even a “clear” conscience. Then there is DNA evidence, the rape kits and forensics that can detect a lot more. But in every case of a Cosby accuser we know of, you can forget about DNA evidence 20, 30 or 40 years later.
The first thing that concerns me about the allegations against Bill Cosby is his response. If a person is accused of something and he/she did not do it, the first thing we would expect to see is the person saying “I did not do it”. But when the accused does not make any comments, dodges the issue or attacks the alleged victims verbally, something is out of sink. Case in point, Eddie Long, when accused of molesting several teenage boys, did not step up and deny it. He said the man they were speaking of was not him.
That is a play on words, not a denial of an accusation. It was certainly Eddie Long in the pictures sent to the boys from his phone with him wearing a muscle shirt in while posing in his bathroom. It was certainly Eddie Long who took boys on trips where they stayed in the same hotel room. It was certainly Eddie Long who caused New Birth’s insurance company to pay out alt of money to several young boys who filed suit against him. I think you see my point.
The second thing that concerns me is how many women have come forth. Yes people lie and yes people have hidden motives, but 30 or more women accusing Bill Cosby? Wow. Most of the women are reputable. Some are not. All seem to have details and the modus operandi seems to match. Bill Cosby has even done comedy routines about people slipping drugs into drinks.
Asking the right questions is another way detectives get to the truth. Of course the million dollar question here is why are these women coming forth now? Why wait 20, 30 or 40 years? Why after Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey’s failed attempt to buy NBC? What else is going on that we do not see and who stands to gain by the destruction of Cosby’s reputation? Was Bill Cosby in the locations where the events allegedly happened? Were his accusers in those locations? Is any of that verifiable? Of course the statute of limitations has long since passed for Cosby to be charged with any criminal actions so what is the goal of his accusers?
Thirdly, were there payoffs? People are even paid to set up celebrities. I hope Kobe Bryant and Mike Tyson read this article. But Dr. Cosby, if you are innocent, why would you pay anyone a dime? Why would you send money through a third party? I DON’T WANT TO BELIEVE IN COSBY’S INNOCENCE OR HIS GUILT. I WANT TO BELIEVE THE FACTS, I WANT TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH.
Fourth of all, you can tell a lot by how a man’s wife responds. Notice that Eddie Long’s wife leaked the news that she was filing for a divorce after the allegations towards him arose. Then she retracted her statements. Then she filed for divorce. It is apparent that she knew something. Another example might be the wife of a pastor sitting in the pulpit or the front row of the church. Watch her gestures and expressions when the pastor makes certain statements. Nonverbal communication unintentionally says a lot.
Go back and watch Michelle Obama when her husband was running for office. Of course our President is not an example of being accused of anything, but my point Is that the wife can often tell the story by what she does not say – whether the story is good or bad. Cosby’s wife simply smiles and stands by her husband. Maybe a good thing, maybe not. But out of dozens of accusations, you gotta wonder if Camille Cosby knows something.
Fifth and finally, who were these women? A few seem to have been young ladies willing to do “things” to advance their career – and some of them appear to have fallen off the “casting couch”. Other women seem to be sincere. You decide for yourself. Is everybody lying, are some of the women lying or is Cosby guilty? Many of the accusations were alleged during the height of Cosby’s career.
Some people say that means Bill Cosby, like Sidney Poitier, could have gotten a woman at the snap of a finger and would not have needed to drug a woman in order to sleep with her. And it is true that being famous and wealthy can make you a target as if you are a walking Brinks truck. But others say popularity and wealth makes some people think they can have whatever they want and get away with it. In this case I can see the possibility of both sides of the coin. In this case, you decide. My objective here is not to discredit either side, but rather to look at as many aspects on both sides as possible as time and space will allow.
We may never know conclusively what happened in those hotel suites, condos, trailers, mansions and limos. If Bill Cosby is innocent, then an awful thing has happened in the tearing down of a man respected by so many. If Bill Cosby is guilty, that is even worse for those who love, respect and admire him and the long trail of victims molested, raped and sexually assaulted. Either way, there are victims, either way there are losers and liars and either way this is an American tragedy. You decide.
Staff Writer; Marque-Anthony