Kansas, United States
Roger Golubski, a former Kansas police detective who was indicted for kidnapping and raping two Black women decades ago, has committed suicide ahead of his trial.
The white officer who was accused of sexually assaulting multiple Black women throughout his career was found dead when authorities conducted a check on his Edwardsville house after he failed to show up for jury selection in his long-awaited trial.
How did he die?
As per a CNN report, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation officers, while responding to a 911 call, found Golubski dead of a gunshot wound. His body was discovered on the back porch of his house.
In a press release, the KBI said there were no indications of foul play, and that the death remains under investigation.
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What were the allegations against him?
Prosecutors contended that the former Kansas police detective, throughout his career, was using his position to exploit vulnerable Black women. They said that Golubski hand-picked victims he felt sure wouldn't be believed.
During court appearences, the former detective denied the allegations and after news of his suicide broke, his lead defence attorney, Chris Joseph, said that his death should not be construed as an admission of guilt.
In 2022, after a lengthy investigation, federal authorities indicted him on charges of sexually assaulting two women between 1998 and 2002. He was separately indicted, along with three others, on charges that included collaborating with a drug lord to traffic underage girls. The cases were built largely on the testimony of his alleged victims, with prosecutors admitting there was limited corroborative evidence beyond their accounts.
The charges came to light as part of a civil trial against him and his police department alleged that a Kansas City teenager, Lamonte McIntyre, was framed for double murder. McIntyre was released from prison in 2017 after more than 23 years behind bars.
Community calls for accountability
Golubski's death has left many in Kansas City deeply unsettled. Cheryl Pilate, the attorney who represented McIntyre, expressed disappointment that the trial would not go forward. "The community was looking forward to justice, to a full and public accounting, and now that has been denied to them," she said. Pilate also called for an independent investigation into his death by officials without any connections to local law enforcement.
The case had drawn widespread condemnation, with civil rights groups and public figures calling it a glaring example of unchecked police abuse.
Rap mogul Jay-Z’s non-profit, Team Roc, once described Golubski’s actions as "one of the worst examples of abuse of power in US history" in a full-page Washington Post ad.
Federal prosecutors acknowledged the disappointment of not seeing the case through to its conclusion.
(With inputs from agencies)