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The Ray Rice incident has been resurfaced by the release of the Robert Mueller investigation into the incident, and how the NFL handled the situation. The former FBI director focused on two main issues with the February 15th incident where the former Baltimore Ravens running back was seen striking his then fiancee in an elevator and knocking her unconscious.
The first issue: Did the NFL possess or view the in-elevator video of Mr. Rice and Ms. Palmer from the Revel Casino before it was publicly released?
The second issue: What information was obtained by, provided or available to the NFL during its investigation of the Rice incident?
Mueller's report shows he believes, after interviewing over 200 NFL employees, as well as any female employee who was in the office the day where a female employee reportedly saw the in-elevator footage, the NFL did not have, or see, the in-elevator footage of Rice striking his fiancee before the public.
The report included a press release summing up the lengthy document:
"We found no evidence that anyone at the NFL had or saw the in-elevator video before it was publicly shown. We also found no evidence that a woman at the NFL acknowledged receipt of that video in a voicemail message on April 9, 2014.
"We concluded there was substantial information about the incident-even without the in-elevator video - indicating the need for a more thorough investigation. The NFL should have done more with the
information it had, and should have taken additional steps to obtain all available information about the February 15 incident."
The NFL originally suspended Rice for two games, but upon the release of the in-elevator footage suspended him indefinitely as the Ravens released the running back the same day. Ray Rice appealed the charges, and has since won his appeal to have his indefinite suspension lifted. No NFL team has yet to claim him as a free agent.
The report was a 4-month investigation, which doesn't truly point to any answers, but indeed leaves more questions as why the NFL clearly didn't do enough even with the information it was given originally.
To see the entire Mueller report, you can access the entire database here.