Editor’s note: This article contains accounts of sexual assault
University of Wisconsin football player Danny Davis testified for the prosecution on the third day of the Quintez Cephus sexual assault trial Thursday.
Cephus is facing charges of 2nd degree sexual assault of an intoxicated victim and 3rd degree sexual assault for events that occurred on the night of April 21, 2018.
The night of the alleged assault, Davis and Cephus went out to the Double U, a Madison bar, and met up with three women. They all returned to Davis and Cephus’ apartment afterwards, when Cephus allegedly assaulted two of the women.
Davis admitted he took a picture of one of the victims at the apartment while she lay naked on the floor. In exchange for his phone to be used in evidence, the prosecution granted him immunity. He did not recieve immunity for his testimony.
Davis said he deeply regrets taking the picture. As soon as Victim 1 asked him to delete it, Davis said he complied, and then deleted it from the “recently deleted” file.
Davis said after he took the picture and deleted it, Victim 1 expressed regret about “hooking up” with Cephus — because she worried her boyfriend at the time, Cephus’ teammate AJ Taylor, might find out. Davis said she didn’t want Taylor to see the picture, and he spent several minutes comforting her. He claimed she also said she didn’t want everyone to think she was sexually promiscuous — or “a slut.”
“I’m just trying to calm her down, and get her relaxed so she can stop freaking out,” Davis said.
Later, Davis said Victim 2 ran out of Cephus’ apartment. He and Cephus brought Victim 1 back to her dorm, and then he, Cephus and the victims’ friend drove to Sellery Hall to make sure Victim 2 made it home okay.
Davis said they met Victim 2 outside of her dorm room, and the four of them ended up talking in the dorm room for a while. Davis said the atmosphere in the room felt relaxed and free of tension.
“It was relaxed,” Davis said. “It was a calm conversation, we were all just getting along.”
Victim 1’s friend and UW junior Marissa Rogoff came to the Double U and Cephus’ apartment with the others, though she didn’t allege to have been assaulted by Cephus.
Rogoff recalled seeing Victim 2 “flirt” with Cephus while at the Double U. She agreed some of Victim 2’s body language that night demonstrated a sexual attraction to Cephus.
Rogoff remembered leaving the Double U with the group thinking they were going to get food, though instead of going out to eat, they all headed to Cephus’ apartment.
At the apartment, Rogoff remembers talking with Davis in the living room, while the two victims and Cephus split off. Rogoff reported feeling “very intoxicated” at this time. Like Davis recounted, after a period of time, she watched Victim 2 run out of the apartment.
“She was really anxious to leave,” Rogoff said of Victim 2.
Rogoff said Victim 1 then emerged from Cephus’ room and she looked upset and wanted to go home. Rogoff expressed concern about Victim 2 walking home alone, so after she, Davis and Cephus dropped off Victim 1, Rogoff said they headed to Sellery, like Davis testified.
Rogoff had a key to the dorm, and they met victim 2 at her room. Inside, Rogoff said Cephus and Victim 2 had a conversation while she and Davis spoke.
Cephus sexual assault trial begins following previous delays
Rogoff doesn’t remember leaving Sellery, but she does remember going to bed in her own dorm room.
The final day of the jury trial for this case is set for Friday. On Thursday, Cephus’ attorneys said they would notify the court first thing Friday morning as to whether or not Cephus would be testifying.
