Gophers basketball player Reggie Lynch won't be charged with sexual assault

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - University of Minnesota basketball player Reggie Lynch will not be charged with sexual, Lynch, 21, was arrested in May after a 19-year-old woman said she was assaulted in a Roy Wilkins Hall dorm room.

Monday afternoon, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said there is not enough evidence to prove a crime was committed. Lynch had been suspended since his arrest in May, at which point university president Eric Kaler said "it is important that we allow [the investigation] to conclude before drawing conclusions."

Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman released the following statement:

"Two very experienced prosecutors reviewed this case and worked closely with the University of Minnesota Police Department.  It is their, and my, unanimous opinion that there is not sufficient evidence to prove a crime was committed.

Cases concerning sexual conduct are often very difficult.  Criminal sexual cases are very hard to prove and here when the prosecutors looked at all of the evidence, we concluded we simply could not prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

This office has aggressively prosecuted rape cases, including those of other athletes.  However, it would be an injustice to charge any case where the evidence of a crime is lacking."

The investigation came in the wake of 3 other suspension within the Gophers basketball program. Kevin Dorsey, Nate Mason and Dupree McBrayer were suspended for a violation of team rules before the team's Feb. 28 game against Illinois. Those 3 players have each been reinstated.

The Minnesota native attended Edina High School where he led the team to a third place finish in the 2012-13 state tournament. His uncle is former Gophers basketball great and TV/radio analyst Kevin Lynch.