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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 4, 2005 Charges dropped in McGowan attack A man charged with felony assault says he didn’t do the crime. Prosecutors have no case without the testimony of the victim, who apparently killed herself six months later By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune A Portland man says he feels vindicated after Jackson County prosecutors decided Thursday to dismiss charges filed against him in connection with an assault on a well-known Ashland woman who apparently committed suicide last month. Coleman Price Nelson, 23, said in a telephone interview that police and prosecutors wrongly accused him of punching Joanie McGowan in the eye June 4 near her home on Clay Street in Ashland. McGowan identified Nelson as her assailant, prompting the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office to charge the Southern Oregon University graduate and aspiring police officer with second- degree assault, a felony, and fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor. No one else witnessed the attack. "It’s about time" the charges were dismissed, Nelson said. "I’m very happy that finally, the district attorney has realized I was not the one who committed this crime. Now, I can get on with my life." McGowan’s body was found Jan. 11 lying along the Bear Creek Greenway. While autopsy results are still pending, police say her death appears to have been a suicide. Advertisement Had McGowan, 48, not died, the case against Nelson would have gone to trial, said Beth Heckert, Jackson County’s chief deputy district attorney. "There just isn’t any evidence there without the testimony of Joanie McGowan," Heckert said. "Had Joanie been available, we clearly would have proceeded to trial." Prosecutors had no physical evidence tying Nelson to the attack, since investigators found no trace of blood or skin tissue on a ring he was wearing at the time of his arrest, Heckert said. Nelson said he is certain of his innocence, even though he does not remember the early morning hours of June 4 because he was heavily intoxicated. "I probably shouldn’t have been drunk and walking home, but I was just being a college student," Nelson said. McGowan hurried home and called police after being attacked. A few minutes later, Ashland police officers arrested Nelson about a block from where the attack took place. Although he does not remember that night, Nelson said he ultimately realized police had fingered the wrong person. "I looked deep into my memory and my soul and dismissed it," he said. "I know I wouldn’t do something like that. ... There isn’t any evidence showing it was me, other than (McGowan’s) statement." McGowan’s friends and family said the eye injury contributed to the depression that ended with her apparent suicide. McGowan, an actress and political activist who suffered from bipolar disorder, underwent surgery to replace the shattered floor of her right eye socket with titanium mesh. "I really do believe part of her demise was that attack," said brother Paul McGowan of Maine. "It was a significant catalyst." Paul McGowan said news that charges against Nelson had been dropped were "deeply troubling," although he was aware of that possibility following his sister’s death. "I think this is a sad and really strange twist," said Jeff Golden, a local radio host and friend of McGowan’s. "In Joanie’s memory, I hope nobody else gets hurt. Joanie wasn’t interested in revenge. She was interested in making sure nobody else gets hurt." Golden and Ashland resident Ron Roth, another longtime friend of McGowan’s, agreed she was different after the attack. "She was beat up physically and it beat her up mentally," Roth said. "She still tried to be a tough victim and love her enemy." About two weeks after the assault, McGowan organized a community meeting to discuss ways to help victims and their assailants. She advocated therapy for people accused of violent crimes. Nelson, who hopes to soon begin a career as a police officer, said repeatedly during Thursday’s interview that he never should have been accused of any crime. Although McGowan’s death resulted in the dismissal of charges, Nelson said allegations that he got drunk and punched a woman have damaged his reputation and career. "It’s unfortunate that she passed away — it’s sad she felt that was her only option," he said. "But I’ve been a victim, too." Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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