Steubenville rape trial divides Ohio town

Published: March 13, 2013 Comment on this article

As two high school football players go to trial on charges of raping a 16-year-old girl, Steubenville's scars surface under glare of international attention.

Steubenville football is among the winningest programs in the country. (Yahoo! Sports)

The case of Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond, both 16, continues to polarize this town of almost 20,000 in eastern Ohio. From the crassness of the charges to the videotape of the alleged incident, to the influence of the legendary local football program ("Roll, Red, Roll") on the investigation, to allegations of cover-ups, lies and cronyism, the case has festered on amid international attention after the hacking group Anonymous blew up the story this winter by ridiculing local authorities.

This is a classic small-town crime story set against the backdrop of a once-proud city dealing with the economic struggles of the Appalachian coal region.

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