Roger Golubski, a former Kansas City detective accused of sexually assaulting Black women and girls, has died at 71, halting his trial just as jury selection was set to begin. Golubski faced six felony charges of civil rights violations. According to prosecutors, he exploited his position of authority to prey on vulnerable residents of impoverished neighborhoods, threatening retaliation against those who resisted. His attorney, Christopher Joseph, described Golubski as “despondent about the media coverage,” calling his death “unexpected.”
The case has sparked outrage in Kansas City, deepening mistrust within the community. About 50 protesters gathered outside the courthouse, holding signs demanding “Justice now!” Prosecutors had prepared testimony from nine women, including two central to the charges, who accused Golubski of sustained abuse. One survivor, Ophelia Williams, alleged he assaulted her while leveraging his power over her sons’ legal troubles. “Report me to who?” she recalled Golubski saying. “I am the police.”
The allegations against Golubski span decades, including claims he terrorized one victim as a teenager, forcing her to endure years of sexual violence. Prosecutors detailed horrifying incidents, such as forcing her to crawl with a dog leash while reciting a chilling chant, “Down by the river... where they won’t find her until she stank.”
Golubski’s misconduct casts a long shadow over the police department, with accounts of a “boys will be boys” culture from colleagues. Max Seifert, a former officer, claimed complaints against Golubski—ranging from soliciting sex workers to assaults—were dismissed. “He had women at his mercy,” said Jim McCloskey, founder of Centurion, a nonprofit advocating for wrongfully convicted individuals.
The detective’s legacy is entwined with the wrongful conviction of Lamonte McIntyre, arrested at 17 for a double homicide. McIntyre’s exoneration in 2017 followed revelations that Golubski and a now-disbarred attorney coerced a witness into implicating him. The county paid $12.5 million to settle McIntyre’s lawsuit after Golubski invoked his Fifth Amendment rights 555 times in depositions.
Golubski’s death has left unresolved questions of justice for his alleged victims. “That was the thread that gave people some courage,” said Lindsay Runnels of the Midwest Innocence Project.
Link: AP News
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