This article was originally published by the Institute for Public Service Reporting on August 26, 2020.
Debby Dalhoff was raped and tortured decades ago by a masked intruder who slipped away into the Memphis night never to be identified. Her search for answers, and justice, led Dalhoff to locate victims and witnesses and interview police and prosecutors who couldn’t – or wouldn’t – solve her case. It’s led her through the frustrating maze created by MPD’s infamous rape kit backlog and to a landfill where she knows now police discarded evidence in her case years ago as worthless. Her powerful story personifies a public tragedy in Memphis where sexual assault victims didn’t get the justice they deserved or the law required. Hear it now in a special audio presentation of ‘The Mess’ from The Institute in partnership with WKNO-FM.
Listen here.