Professor Harry Forester Arrested

[Joe Friday]

On Saturday June 4, 2005, Allison Dubois helped me in the taping and arrest of Prof. Harry Forester as he tried to rape Eve Everson in his Columbia University office.

Allison hid the wireless bud in Eve's bra before she went over for the scheduled meeting. We tested the bud to make sure that everything said in that office would be recorded as evidence.

I waited outside using a wireless to talk with Allison while Eve knocked on the professor's 2nd floor office door. He let her inside and closed the door.

He placed her on one end of the sofa in his office, almost like he was posing her, the sat on the other end, criticizing her recent papers. She tried to debate the grades but he quickly began his efforts to seduce her. She wasn't cooperating so he ripped her blouse open, several buttons flying off.

When she yelled stop, I was already on my why up the stairs, calling for back up from the squad car waiting nearby. Allison kicked in the door and had him at gunpoint when I arrived. We read him his Miranda rights and cuffed him. Dex came running up and he hugged Eve, calming her down.

Allison took several photographs of the Eve and her torn blouse, even one of the heavy bruise on her chest. I yellow taped the office as a crime scene then took Forester down to the squad car.

Jeff Mallard and his CSI team were there with a search warrant within the hour. The search revealed tapes of the professor raping several other students. Jeff found the hidden video camera, once still running that contained a very nice tape of Harry's attack on Eve.

Nelle Porter will love prosecuting this case.

[Nelle Porter]

On Monday afternoon Judge Helen Gamble presided over the arraignment of Professor Harry Forester. I charged Professor Forester with rape and the sale of pornographic tapes, based on the evidence obtained by Joe Friday and Jeff Mallard.

 Tara Wilson represented Harry and said, " My client will plead guilty to the sale of those tapes, but not guilty to any of those rape charges………Professor Forester was seduced by those women… fell prey to their charms… and they shared in the sale of those tapes …….. I request that he be release on bail until the trial."

In spite of my efforts to retain Forester in jail until the trial, based on the danger of a rapist running loose on the streets of New York City, Judge Gamble released him on $200,000 bail. Tara had him out of there within an hour. The NYPD does have undercover cops trailing Forester, to make sure he doesn't escape or strike again.

Tara called me requesting a meeting at the Crane, Poole and Schmidt offices to discuss a possible plea bargain. I agreed to be there at 6:00 pm today.

I have some CP&S investigators trying to locate some of those women seen on the tapes. Hopefully we can find a few more witnesses willing to testify against Harry.

[Nelle Porter]

On Monday afternoon I met with Tara, Lori and Harry in the Crane, Poole and Schmidt offices. Tara made a plea offer where Harry would accept a one year sentence, but all served on probation. I just laughed and said 5 years with a possibility of parole in 30 months.

We both said we have witnesses, but didn't name names with Harry in the room. We don't need him out there on bail hunting down witnesses, trying to scare them into refusing to testify…. or worse. I have a Samantha Waters prepared to testify against Harry and later Tara gave me the name of Ashley Alberts as a young lady  willing to testify on Harry's behalf.

Nobody was willing to accept a plea bargain, so it looks like we're going to trial. I gave Harry a verbal shot on my way out, saying he's headed for jail where I'm sure one of the convicts will love his pretty face enough to make his stay there hell.

Judge Gamble has tentatively scheduled the trial for Monday June 20th at 1:00 pm New York City time.

[Joe Friday]

On Tuesday, Eve called claiming that Harry had popped up while Dex was in a coffee shop getting their drinks. Harry didn't touch her but threatened her. He took off when Dex came back out.

I called Judge Gamble and she set up a restraining order saying Harry Forester had to stay away from Eve Everson, never coming within 100 yards or she would retract his bail and park him in jail until the trial.

Taking Chris Meloni with me I brought Harry in the 5th to sign the retraining order. Tara was there quickly and advised Harry to stay away from Eve and the other witnesses.

[Nelle Porter]

I met with Tara Wison on Thursday after her client, Prof. Harry Forester, was once again arrested for attacking Eve Everson in her supposedly secret hotel room. CSI agent, Chris Melonie made the official arrest and Forester's bail was revoked and he's back sitting in a jail cell at the 5th Precinct.

I made Tara an offer of 10 years in prison if her client will plead guilty. It's interesting that although several of his victims are willing to testify against Harry, most of them either refuse to get involved or actually feel they seduced Harry. Deciding that saving all these students the embarrassment of a long drawn out trial might be the wise choice on our part, we made that offer.

Tara will meet with Harry and present his options. I can't see him refusing after the last arrest.

[Nelle Porter]

On Tuesday  we reached a plea bargain agreement with Tara Wilson and her client, Professor Harry Forester. We finalized things in Judge Gamble's chambers.

Harry will serve up to 10 years in Bellevue's Mental Health section under the care of their psychiatrists. I dropped the charges on the other related cases, but kept the data on them all, just in case there are ever future cases regarding this raving maniac.