More Witnesses Sought in Kennedy Case

WASHINGTON —  Palm Beach police, saying they are “nowhere near” ready to discuss rape allegations against William Kennedy Smith with prosecutors or defense lawyers, disclosed Monday that detectives have identified additional witnesses to question.

The assessment that the high-profile inquiry is going to take longer to complete than initially thought came as a Florida supermarket tabloid published the name and photo of the 29-year-old woman who charged that she was sexually assaulted by Smith, nephew of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Under Florida law, publishing the name or other identifying information of a rape complainant is a misdemeanor, with maximum punishment of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

The woman, whose name had not been published previously in the United States, told police that the rape occurred about 4 a.m. on March 30 near the swimming pool at the Kennedy family’s ocean-front Palm Beach estate. Earlier in the evening, she said, she met Smith and Kennedy at a chic Palm Beach bar and later drove Smith back to the mansion.

Smith, a fourth-year student at Georgetown Medical School in Washington, has declined to be interviewed by police but has denied using force or abusing the woman and denounced her allegations as “a damnable lie.” The police report said that the woman suffered “minor” injuries, including bruises, abrasions and a possible broken rib.

Police officials would not name the additional witnesses they are seeking. But it was learned that at least six people--in addition to Smith, Kennedy and Kennedy’s son Patrick, 24, a Rhode Island legislator--were in the mansion when the crime was alleged to have taken place just below bedroom windows that overlook the pool.

These included William’s mother, Jean Kennedy Smith, some friends of the Kennedys, and two staff members at the estate. Police have questioned the two Kennedys and the employees, but not the others, a source familiar with the investigation said.

Palm Beach police Monday received from the local sheriff’s laboratory the results of preliminary blood and hair tests of samples from Smith and evidence taken during a medical examination of the woman. They declined to make public the results. These tests could rule out Smith as having had sexual relations with the woman but the tests could not prove that he did have relations with her, because they type suspects in such broad categories.

However, police said that the FBI laboratory in Washington is conducting additional forensic tests, which include DNA examinations. The FBI received the samples late last week and will require four to six weeks to complete its DNA tests, which can positively establish that an individual had sexual relations with another person.

The police announcement that they are “nowhere near” being ready to discuss the investigation with lawyers came after Palm Beach Police Chief Joseph Terlizzese angrily dismissed as “just crazy” the state attorney’s announcement that he would meet with Smith’s lawyers and hear their evidence before deciding whether to file charges.

“I’ve never seen this kind of procedure before,” Terlizzese told the Miami Herald. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Actually, meetings between defense attorneys and prosecutors before the filing of charges are not unusual, particularly in high-profile cases and those where prospective defendants have been able to retain lawyers and private investigators as Smith has.