Suspect sought in C of C rape case
Fourth woman reports sexual assault in less than a month; police say not all cases related
Updated 02:33 p.m., June 20, 2008
The Post and Courier
Rasheid Miquelle Mervin
Contact information
To offer tips: To provide information about the College of Charleston rape, call campus police at 953-5609. Anyone with information that could help solve recent burglary and sexual assault cases downtown is asked to call Charleston police at 577-7434. Anyone with information about the recent sexual assault in North Charleston is asked to call 554-5700.
CRIME STOPPERS: Anonymous tips also can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 554-1111 or www.5541111.com. Texters can send Crime Stoppers tips to CRIMES, or 274637, and mark the beginning of the message as "tip213."
People Against Rape: 745-0144, peopleagainstrape.org.
South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: 803-256-2900, sccadvasa.org.
College of Charleston police are looking for a North Charleston man who is on the run after a reported rape on the campus.
It brings to four the number of women in the Charleston area who have reported sexual assaults in less than a month. Not all of the cases are related, police said.
In the most recent case, Rasheid Miquelle Mervin, 35, a College of Charleston student, is wanted on a charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, said Mike Robertson, the college's director of media relations. He is currently on the run, authorities said.
A student told college police that she was raped about 11:30 p.m. Monday after she went to dinner with another student, an incident report said. It said they returned to her dormitory room and began kissing, then things got out of hand.
She told the suspect several times to quit, and she tried to push him away but couldn't, she told police. The report said that, as a result of the sexual assault, she went the next morning to a medical facility in Mount Pleasant.
Francis said city police are assisting college police.
"The suspect is an acquaintance she took a class with, studied together for exams and exchanged phone numbers, but never a romantic relationship," the report reads.
Mervin, the suspect, is described as 6 feet tall and 185 pounds. A wanted poster said Mervin's last known address was 5715 Nelson St. in North Charleston but that he might be staying at a halfway house on James Island.
Meanwhile, Charleston authorities on Thursday did not have a suspect in two burglaries and sexual assaults downtown. North Charleston police have said they also don't have a suspect in a burglary and rape there. The burglar descriptions in the two downtown break-ins match, but police don't believe the campus rape or the North Charleston burglary and rape is related to them.
On Saturday, a 20-year-old woman was raped at her Radliffe Street home in Radcliffeborough after a burglar broke through the back door. An intruder tried to rape a second young woman during a burglary May 27 on Smith Street in Harleston Village. The two crimes happened from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.
Robertson said the Radcliffe Street victim was a roommate of a College of Charleston student and the Smith Street victim graduated from the college in the spring.
The burglar is black, 6 feet or taller, age 25 to 30, heavyset with puffy cheeks and a shaved head or short hair.
Charleston police on Thursday would not release the 911 calls from the two homes, claiming the calls are exempt from disclosure under the provisions of the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.
Two sketches Charleston police have released depict a large black man with heavy wrinkles in his forehead, but The Post and Courier did not publish them. One appears to be a computer-generated composite showing a black man, but it appears to be incomplete because the background of his face is white. The other sketch is hand-drawn and more like a caricature.
Francis said they are the only sketches police have of the suspect.
Church Street resident Sherry Yanney is the mother of two daughters and owner of the Cold Stone Creamery ice cream shop on King Street, where she employs several college students.
"I'm so concerned about the girls in my store, and I have nieces that live downtown," she said.
Yanney called Charleston officials Thursday to inquire about the sketches, and a police officer soon arrived at her home with the more caricature-like sketch of the suspect, she said.
Another woman was raped in North Charleston during a burglary about 5 a.m. Monday at her home in the McMillan Avenue area. That suspect was a dark-skinned black man in his early to middle 20s and about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 230 pounds.
No sketch has been produced in the North Charleston case.
Police don't think the North Charleston and downtown burglaries are connected.
Editor's note: Earlier versions of this story contained inaccurate information about police interaction with the suspect in Monday's rape and did not disclose that he is a College of Charleston student. The Post and Courier regrets the errors.
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Comments
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
This story doesn't make any sense. Is Mervin the male fellow student? If so, when did he speak to police and say the sex was consensual, if he is wanted? He's a 35 year old CofC student? I must say he doesn't look the part.
June 20, 2008 at 2:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammer (anonymous) says...
here we go again, Duncan Procter revisited... hopefully not
I lived in ardmore back then, he raped several women within a block of where I lived... they should have shot him in place when he hit that tree, like you'd do a hurt animal
many a night I stayed up watching out the window as did many others, but he used to be a cop of some kind and knew how to get away with it until his own wife turned him in
hopefully this will end soon
June 20, 2008 at 5:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dogwoodroad (anonymous) says...
I agree Cid95 - this story doesn't really paint a clear picture...
June 20, 2008 at 7:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
granny2 (anonymous) says...
Cid95, I agree this is a poor writen story. I really don't know who they are looking for after reading the story.
June 20, 2008 at 7:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mnbvcxz (anonymous) says...
Nadine Parks, your writing skill is terrible!
June 20, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tellthetruth (anonymous) says...
You would be surprised how many cases are covered up by CoC. They put these kids in the middle of projectville and let the natives feast on them and never lead on to parents just how unsafe this campus realy is. What a shame!
June 20, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
Ditto Cid95!Is he a student and friend of hers?If so why would it take so long to identify him if she knew him and invited him over?This is weird,Id love clarification.
June 20, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
512c (anonymous) says...
This article is so poorly written it makes me cringe. Is the picture the suspect? I'm thinking they want to stir up a bunch of people on very little evidence, and possibly make you think we have a suspect for the Radcliff rape. When we have a date rape suspect. It is hard to follow, thus, I think misleading and irresponsible.
June 20, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LadyTarHeel (anonymous) says...
Glad I'm not the only person who wasn't clear on just about anything in this story. Looking at the photo, it looks kind of like the suspect in the buglary/rape cases. I mean, the suspect sketch isn't that good, I saw it on the news the other night, but there are similarities.
June 20, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mp123 (anonymous) says...
why wouldn't P&C include the sketches in this article? Also, I agree that this is a very poorly written article. Where does the P&C find these reporters?
June 20, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
miss_diggs (anonymous) says...
I agree with 512c. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking out for or getting out of this article. So confused...
June 20, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
prosperous_hb (anonymous) says...
This story is unclear, but I heard from a very reliable source that this young lady checked this guy into her dorm room. I don't know what she was thinking by doing something like that.
June 20, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
This article is confusing-I know im being Capt Obvious here.Is Miquelle Mervin the suspect?The other student?Both?And how is he on the run if they already spoke to him?Were there not signs of assualt to warrant an arrest?P&C really should clear this up.512c-I agree 110% this article is very misleading and irresponsible.Why would they equate a date rape suspect to a serial rapist?Shouldnt this be a separate story?Since when is it common for a paper to report date rape?
June 20, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OldSalt (anonymous) says...
A college with a large proportion of female students living in an urban environment - what do you expect to happen? In a politically correct world everyone wears blinders and purposes to remain willfully ignorant of the obvious.
June 20, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mszimmie (anonymous) says...
No idea who we're looking for, how many we're looking for. This article has no cohesion, and follows no particular story through to the end.
For an issue that could have such dire consequences for so many- it baffles me that this was allowed to be published.
Are there no editors? Anyone who would've pushed to have the writer go back and make this an informative piece?
I am mortified that this local 'rag' is holding itself out to be some sort of 'go to' place for the people of Charleston and surrounding communities.
June 20, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cougars787 (anonymous) says...
Rasheid Miquelle Mervin assaulted a girl in the dorms and is the suspect of that one case. Another two cases occured on Smith street and Radcliffe and they haven't identified any suspects yet.
June 20, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
Miquelle Mervin may or may not be a scum bag rapist.I dunno.But I think its irresponsible to put his picture at the top of an article about a serial rapist on the loose.My point was the stories should be seperate.
June 20, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Weeeee (anonymous) says...
I'm glad other people are just as confused about this story as I am. Between the published photo and the description given in the burglary/rape case, I'm thinking they're looking for the same person. The article leads me to believe they're not. So wth?
My take. Homegirl was down for some quality time, but he wanted a bit more quality from it than she did. (or she just likes it rough) Still reeling from her rejections and knowing he'd be on the run, he decides to rob some homes for some quick loot to finance his run. Enter Radcliffe. He robs the house and is discovered while doing so. Not fulfilled from the prior quality time incident, he gets busy with the Radcliffe woman.
That's that active imagination.
June 20, 2008 at 10:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sbs920 (anonymous) says...
hit the "contact" Nadine Parks at the top of the page and lets all let her know she must of stayed at "happy hour" just a little to long. Her writing skills are horrible.
Did she graduate from Clempson ? Meeeeeooooowwwww. . .
June 20, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ravenel (anonymous) says...
such an important issue and such irresponsible journalism. i agree with the numerous opinions about the writer's mistakes here -- but what about the editor? what about the publisher? does anyone read these stories before they go out?
June 20, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TL (anonymous) says...
I feel terrible for the break-in victims. Next time arm yourself so your friend or roommate won't be the next victim, or at least have pepper spray. Thugs like that deserve a bullet.
As for the girl who went out with the man pictured, are you surprised you were raped? I'm sorry, but he just looks like a rapist.
The P&C won't run the sketches of the other rapist, now they hire someone smoking crack to write this nonsensical story. What a joke.
June 20, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Whoorutalking2 (anonymous) says...
This whole article if you can call it that is so DAMN perplexing.
Hell I am out of here I feel a headache coming on from all of this uncertainty
June 20, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mershadonn (anonymous) says...
is this guy in the sex offenders data base ? does he have prior rape arrests and convictions?
as a single person this is a scarey article. back to the gun range
June 20, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
msgeorgia (anonymous) says...
This article has been poorly written! Its obvious he must have called in to clear himself! Why would she wait until the next morning if he was someone she knew, why was he in the dorm after hours anyway, sounds like she got caught doing what she wasnt suppose to be doing. Why didnt she just let him drop her off at the door? Why go all the way to Mt. Pleasant when there are a few hospitals down the street, not too afraid because she had plenty of time to call the police. So quick to point a finger but what about the actions that take you there? No I wasnt there, however no one deserves this! This story has too many holes. Lets not judge anyone, because everyone is innocent until proven guilty and sometimes it should say the so called "innocent" need to be proven guilty....
June 20, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cougars787 (anonymous) says...
hes gotta be guilty
June 20, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
prosperous_hb (anonymous) says...
Mayor....the only way for him to get to her was room was for her to sign him in.
June 20, 2008 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
prosperous_hb (anonymous) says...
Thanks for making your question clear, azz. I graduated from C of C. They have different programs that people can go through to take classes. One year I had a 75 year old lady in one of my classes.
June 20, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Whoorutalking2 (anonymous) says...
LMAO@Prosperous_hb!!
June 20, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pirate42 (anonymous) says...
One word comes to mind CASTERATION
June 20, 2008 at 4:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kia4 (anonymous) says...
I am not suprised at how the Post and Courier has presented this story. This is a true example of a story presented by you and the readers understanding it.What are the facts????
we want the true version.
June 20, 2008 at 5:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oneworld (anonymous) says...
Mayor....there is no age limit on when you can enroll in college. Mervin was probably what they call a non-traditional student, where you pay by class insted of enrolling full time. Or maybe he was just a regular student. So not entirely sure what your 'drift' was but if you have the grades and have a way to pay you can go to CofC. Of course being a College student or grad. does not preclude you from being a rapist. Bottom line, this was a badly written story.
June 20, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mnbvcxz (anonymous) says...
The guy in the pic is a freshman physical education major at of cofc.
http://www.cofc.edu/directory.html?se...
June 20, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
msgeorgia (anonymous) says...
yes the guy in the pic is intelligent and going for his bachelors. i think that there is definitely more to this story. no one deserves to be raped, why did she wait so long to present this as rape. She waited to go to a private facility that next morning so she really did not report rape until that afternoon. I wish she would come clean with what really happened.
June 21, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
disconcerted (anonymous) says...
This article was an abomination. I work with Rasheid. He holds down a full time job, and goes to C of C fulltime.
I wouldn't have recognized him from that terrible photo. I don't know what happened on the night in question, but the P&C were completely negligent in publishing such an article. Rasheid's life will never be the same. He has been found guilty of nothing, and they painted him as a serial rapist.
Shame on them.
June 21, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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