Photo of: Chris Conde/Journal-World
A Douglas County jury was selected Monday for the trial of a former University of Illinois basketball player accused of raping a woman in a Lawrence bar.
Illinois player Terrence Edward Shannon, 23, of Champaign, Illinois, faces charges of rape and aggravated sexual assault in Douglas County District Court, charging documents state.
The incident allegedly occurred on Sept. 9, 2023, at the Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St., while Shannon was in Kansas to attend a KU football game against Illinois. The woman testified in May that Shannon grabbed her buttocks and raped her under her skirt. Shannon’s defense team claims a third person may be responsible for the incident, the Journal-World reported.
Shannon’s trial is scheduled to last through Thursday and is expected to be followed by national sports media due to his status as a promising NBA prospect. Opening arguments will be held Tuesday. Shannon is currently free on $50,000 bail.