Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane is reportedly discussing a potential settlement with the victim of the alleged rape investigation in Hamburg, NY of which Kane is a primary suspect. Per a report from Lou Michel of The Buffalo News, a grand jury investigation into the rape of a woman at Kane's lakefront home in Hamburg early last month was "abruptly postponed" just prior to beginning on Tuesday afternoon.
Michel, citing "three current and former law enforcement sources with knowledge of the case," indicates that the delay "appears" to be due to "the possibility of ongoing settlement talks" between Kane's attorney's and the victim's representatives.
The news of a grand jury convening was reported last week, as was the fact that the victim's friend, who was said to have accompanied the victim to Kane's home on the night in question, would be asked to testify.
Kane is accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met at a bar in downtown Buffalo last month. The woman and her friend accompanied Kane back to his Hamburg home for a party. The victim alleges that she went into another room by herself, into which Kane followed her, overpowered her and raped her. The woman was said to have bite marks on her shoulders and scratch marks on her legs after the incident.
Talk of Kane's future in Chicago and the NHL have swirled in recent weeks, with some reports indicating that the Blackhawks franchise have lost patience with their troubled star. It's likely that the league, the team and Kane would like to see this issue go away as quickly as possible.
