Report: Mother Of Terrence Shannon Rape Accuser Says Daughter Received Death Threats After Verdict

Former Illinois guard Terrence Shannon has received mostly praise after he was found not guilty of rape accusations earlier this month.

He's had backing from LeBron James to Illini coach Brad Underwood to teammates to fans. There is, however, the other side of the story. His accuser, who is unknown, is experiencing the exact opposite.

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, she has been subjected to online harassment and received death threats since the July 13 verdict.

“It’s been horrible,” the accuser's mother told The Tribune. “It’s just so emotional. I guess I was just so naive of the fact that this is what would happen and these awful people.”

The alleged incident occurred early last September when the Illini football team was playing at Kansas in Lawrence, Kan. After the acquittal, Shannon has turned his focus to this week's NBA draft.

He is expected to be chosen late in the first round. Shannon was projected as a potential lottery pick before the accusation raised issues about his character. Shannon has maintained his innocence throughout the process the last six months. The charges could cost him millions in earnings and resulted in a six-game suspension during his senior season for the Illini.

Shannon faced taunts at each arena when he returned from the suspension. A Big Ten official had to quiet a rival school's band during the conference tournament because they were harassing Shannon every time he stepped to the free throw line.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com