2024 Texts Revisited as Cornell Case Investigation Reopens

Screenshots of an October 2024 text exchange between Jane Doe and Jonathan Newell have brought renewed attention to Doe’s allegations against seven Cornell fraternity members, as a criminal investigation into the case has reopened. The messages show Doe describing her memory as clouded and saying those involved had been drunk and high. They do not establish whether the encounter was consensual or resolve the allegations. The exchange, dated October 21, 2024, was published by TMZ. Newell apologized to Doe and said he and others had tried to stop stories about the encounter from spreading. Doe replied that she appreciated the message and referred to having been with Newell and Matthew Ingalls. In the messages, she also wrote, “our body our choice,” and suggested that other people present should have left the room. The texts are excerpts presented in screenshots, and the reports reviewed rely on that same published exchange. Doe’s lawyer confirmed that an exchange occurred but questioned whether every screenshot could be authenticated. The messages are therefore an account of what the participants wrote, not an independent finding about what happened.