As of earlier this month, four former Vanderbilt players had been charged in an alleged sexual assault case that took place in a campus dorm earlier this summer. Those four ex-Commodores -- Brandon Banks, 19; Cory Batey, 19; Jaborian ‘Tip’ McKenzie, 18; and Brandon Vandenburg, 20 -- are now joined by their former teammate, wide receiver Chris Boyd.
According to the Nashville Tennessean, Boyd is one of three new people to be indicted in the case. He has reportedly been charged with one felony count of being an accessory after the fact, with the paper clarifying that Boyd is “essentially accused of taking part in an attempted cover up of the sexual assault through his advice to certain defendants who were indicted last week.”
Boyd is expected to turn himself in, and his bond has been set at $25,000.
The two other men connected to the incident are not part of the football team. Rather, they are from California and said to be acquaintances of Vandenburg. They are charged with one felony count each of tampering with evidence.
A junior, Boyd is Vanderbilt’s second-leading returning wide receiver. He caught 50 passes for 774 yards and five touchdowns last season. Vanderbilt has suspended Boyd indefinitely pending further review.
The four ex-Vanderbilt players have been charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery each. Banks, Batey and McKenzie have each been released from jail on bond while Vandenburg remains behind bars. McKenzie has also pleaded not guilty and waived his right to arraignment. The other three face arraignment on Aug. 21.