A Middlesex County grand jury is investigating a suspect in the March 9 rape of a Harvard-affiliated woman in Byerly Hall, Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) sources confirmed yesterday.
"Evidence was presented to the grand jury, including...identification of the suspect," said a source in the police department.
Because the victim, whom HUPD has not identified, is reluctant to press charges, investigators said they knew from the beginning that the case would be tough to crack.
But after several weeks of investigation--which included a line-up of potential suspects--HUPD sources said they had enough evidence to bring to the Middlesex County District Attorney, Martha Coakley.
Anson Kaye, a spokesperson for Coakley, said he could not confirm nor deny that a grand jury had been seated in the Byerly rape, citing the confidentiality of the proceedings.
Generally, he said, grand juries have three months to investigate a case before their findings are made public.
"The grand jury is often used as a tool to get information that has subpoena power," Kaye said. Twelve grand jurors out of a possible 23 are needed to "move the case forward" or issue an indictment, Kaye said.
HUPD officials would not say who the suspect is and declined to say who identified the suspect.
Police sources also said the department is attempting both to preserve the victim's right to privacy while still protecting public safety.
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