Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Report: NFL Star Attacks Pregnant Woman

Episode Date: October 18, 2021

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. has been accused of assaulting Joann "Jodi" Blakney in a North Carolina hotel in 2020. At the time, the Bears were in Charlotte for a game against the Carolina Panthers. Blakney is suing Edwards, the team, and an off-duty Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer. According to Blakney, she and Edwards have known each other for over 10 years and have dated off and on during that time. The lawsuit alleges that when the pair met up in Charlotte, Edwards Jr. assaulted her in a hotel room after she refused to have intercourse with him. Blakney was pregnant at the time. Afterward, Blakney reported the assault to an off-duty CMPD officer in the lobby, but the officer did not call the police. Members of the Bears staff were called to the lobby when they offered to have Edwards come to apologize to her. Blakney was taken to the hospital over concern for the baby and diagnosed with a concussion. While she was hospitalized, assault charges were filed against Blakney on Edwards' behalf. Blakney alleges she lost her job and has not been able to find employment due to the charge.Mario Edwards, Jr. has not been charged in connection with this lawsuit. There has not been a trial and he has not been found guilty.Joining Nancy Grace Today:  Joann 'Jodie' Blakney - Victim  Arcangela Mazzariello - Attorney at Law, Instagram: @Arcmazzesq, Twitter: @NYStrega Dr. Shari Schwartz - Forensic Psychologist (specializing in Capital Mitigation and Victim Advocacy), www.panthermitigation.com, Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrialDoc, Author: "Criminal Behavior" and "Where Law and Psychology Intersect: Issues in Legal Psychology" John Guard - Chief Deputy – Pitt County Sheriff’s Office (Greenville, NC), Specializes in Investigating Domestic Violence Cases Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Ray Rice. Ray Lewis. Aaron Hernandez. Lawrence Taylor. These are just the ones off the top of my head. But it goes on and on and on.

And now I'm adding to that illustrious list the name Mario Edwards Jr. All pro athletes, all accused of horrible crimes on victims much weaker and much less cunning than themselves. Why are they making millions of dollars and many of them walking free after horrible crimes, including violent crimes even caught on video. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Today, we look at the case of Mario Edwards Jr., a 27-year-old star athlete. But it's not just the case about him. It's the case of Jody Blakeney, his victim. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. Does everybody

recall the most recent incident? Let's take a listen to our cut 14. This is Angela Yee at Power 105.1. Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler. He was arrested over the weekend and they were called by a woman. The police were called by a woman. She had locked herself in the bathroom and she told a 911 dispatcher that she was being killed. According to the report, Chad Wheeler attacked her, dislocated her shoulder and choked her to the point of unconsciousness. And when she woke up, she says that he was shocked that she was still alive. She said what was most terrifying was how cold he was. He thought I was dead on my bed and continued to eat dinner.

When I ran into the bathroom, he said, wow, you're still alive while sipping on a smoothie. Wow, you're still alive and continue drinking his smoothie. That's not all. Take a listen to Cut 15 CBS This Morning. This morning, an NFL lineman is accused of choking and beating a woman last Friday. Chad Wheeler faces two charges of domestic violence assault. The woman survived with a broken arm. It's another example of an ongoing problem in pro football.

As Jamie Ucas reports, the woman told police she thought Wheeler was killing her. Take a listen to cut 22 Olivia LaVoie's Q13. Six feet and seven inches tall and over 300 pounds, Chad Wheeler was charged today with several felonies, including domestic violence assault. Court documents paint a disturbing picture of a brutal attack on Wheeler's girlfriend that left her unconscious and with severe injuries. Wheeler allegedly made a comment himself suggesting he was surprised she was alive when she came to. And when officers asked her if she thought she was going to die, she responded, quote, I thought I already did. But the reality is this 300 pounds,

six foot seven inch pro athlete is walking free. But today we're not talking about him, Chad Wheeler. We're talking about Mario Edwards Jr. Joining me, John Garr, Chief Deputy of the Pitt County Sheriff's Office in Greenville, North Carolina, and he specializes in domestic violence cases. Dr. Sherry Schwartz, special guest joining us, forensic psychologist joining us, who specializes in criminal behavior. The title of one of her books, Criminal Behavior and Where Law and Psychology Intersect. Very special guest joining me out of the Carolina jurisdiction, Arcangela Mazzarello, attorney at law. And last but not least, the alleged victim of this violent assault, Joanne Jody Blakeney.

Jody, thank you for being with us. A pleasure. Thank you for having me. Jody, how long have you known Mario Edwards, Jr.? Right at 10 years. We met back in college. You met in college. Where?

Where were you in college? I went to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and he went to Florida State. We both were athletes. I ran track, and he played football. So both athletes. And you were at UNC, correct? Yes, Charlotte. How did you guys meet?

We met on Twitter. He happened to follow me, and I just kind of was like, oh, he's kind of cute and gave him a shout out. And then from there, the rest was history. Did you start dating immediately? We kind of shared some tweets back and forth and some private messages. And then he asked me to be his girlfriend. And then we started to see each other on occasion. What were you studying at University of North Carolina? Sociology and criminal justice. That's ironic. Arcangela Mazzarello is a renowned lawyer joining me who is working this case as best

as she can, basically taking on the NFL. Arc, when did you first meet Jodi? I met her last summer. I met her after her other lawyer had to be removed. He was conflicted out by the NFL. He actually boasted that he represented Michael Vick. in any event I was blessed by getting Jody and we've been together ever since getting ready to do this bring Mario to justice Archangela Mazzarello joining me

I want to before I have Jody tell her story I want you to explain to the viewers and the listeners that are joining us here at Fox Nation and Sirius XM 111, what you understand happened the day that Jody was beaten so badly. Well, as Jody said, that she and Mario had known each other since actually 2011. She was very excited that he was coming to North Carolina. The Bears were about to get themselves handed to them by the Panthers, the Carolina Panthers.

Mario told Jody he was coming to town. You know, first love, her heart leapt, and they started texting each other. October 17th came, the day before the game. She went to his hotel to see him at the Hilton. And here was part of the problem, COVID. So we had two different COVID protocols in place. The NFL had just come out the day before and the Chicago Bears. Matt Nagy, they called him Matt Nagy because he was so rabid about COVID protocol, said that nobody could leave their room.

You couldn't have third parties. You couldn't leave the floor. So Mario told Jody all of this and told her to get a room, tell her where he was, where she was, and she went and met him in his room. Now, remember, this is her first love. She sees him, they embrace, they catch up. He knows her family, she knows their family. As a matter of fact, she was the one that reconciled him with his mother when they were alienated. In any event, we're in a hotel room with our true love, and things happen. But because she was pregnant, she was almost 19 weeks pregnant, there were things Mario wanted that Jody couldn't give him. And for the first time in their relationship, Jody said no.

Okay, wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait. I know that she's pregnant, but Arc, you know me well enough that you can't just gloss over the facts. What happened? I'm not understanding what you're saying. He wanted real sex, not Bill Clinton sex. He wanted real sex and violent sex. Assume, Archangela, that you were in court, which you have been many, many times. To be clear, you are saying that because she was pregnant, she did not want to have intercourse,

and he was not satisfied with oral sex. Is that what you're trying to say? Yes, but here, let me give you one other bit of information. The last time they had been together, he was so aggressive sexually that he left her injured, and that's what she was thinking of in that hotel room. I'm pregnant, and you're not going to hurt me again. So no, Mario Mario no means no prime stories with Nancy grace so she agrees to do oral sex, and then what happens?

He wants to go further, and she said no. And I don't think Mario's heard the word no in a long time, and certainly never from Jodi. So he grabbed her, he picked her up, and she's tiny. She's like 5'3 and 110 pounds. He picked her up. He's a defensive end, and if you don't know what a defensive end is, their job is to knock everything out of their way. They're just big and they're brutish.

He attempted to rape her, and she got away and picked up her camera and said, oh, no, Mario, you know, and started to video him. That enraged him, and his arm instantly went out and swung at her, hitting her in the face. In the meantime, when he had her by the waist, she was punching him furiously, trying to get him off of her. And again, trying to get 280 pounds off of you wasn't easy, but she was little enough to wriggle out of his arms. So now we have an angry bear. We have an injured Jody and he walks out of the room while she's videoing him. She follows him, and she's pretending nothing happened. And she's like, can't believe you hit me, Mario. Can't believe you hit me. He goes on to an elevator, and guess what, Nancy?

He comes out and hits her again. She goes downstairs looking for CMPD, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, because she had seen one of their vehicles in the lobby outside of where you check in. And when she went downstairs, she saw a uniformed officer. And when she approached him, he said, yeah, I'm off duty. I'm just security here tonight. And she said, I need a police officer. I've just been assaulted.

He told her to wait right there. He would take care of it after he went to the bathroom. He had a break. So he went. It seems not to go to the bathroom. He came back with four of the Chicago Bears representatives. And that's when it really began. That's when they started calling her a prostitute, that she was there for a booty call.

What can we pay you to go away? The very person she did not want to see, Mario Edwards, they brought downstairs to apologize to her. He, of course, would not. He then started saying, after all I've done for her family, and it was overheard that, you know, well, we have something on her now, you have something, you know, to protect you. At that time, she said she didn't understand what that meant, like you both have something on each other. They want to know, did you call the police? Now, here's an important thing I had left out. When this happened, Jody was afraid he would grab her phone and break it, so she forwarded the video to a friend of hers who called her back immediately. Because one of the first things I said is, why didn't you call the police yourself?

And she said, because I had my friend on the phone. I was so scared. She was listening. I wanted her to listen because nobody would believe me. Once before, she had a very first breakup with Edwards in 2015. Instead of getting flowers from him trying to make up, she got a call from his agent threatening her in 2015, just as he threatened me in 2021 to expose her for what she is and all of their photos and whatnot. So out here in the lobby, she now has all these bears surrounding her.

Her friend finally gets there. She calls CMPD along the way. While she's being interviewed by CMPD, one of the other officers cut himself from them, saying he had to go talk to his sergeant to find out how to handle this. When he came back, all he wanted to know is, tell us about the sexual encounter. Tell us about the sexual encounter. She's like, I'm trying to tell you about being hit. You know what's amazing to me, Ark, is that when he's leaving, he goes to get on the elevator and then comes back and hits her again. Did you tell me that, Ark?

I sure did. Guys, it reminds me of another elevator incident. Take a listen to our cut 21 with Maggie Mazzetti. Running back Ray Rice was cut by the Baltimore Ravens Monday and indefinitely suspended by the NFL. Hours after the release of a new video that appears to show him knocking out his then-fiancee in a casino elevator last February. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and questions

over the NFL's stance on domestic violence. The grainy video is the second released by TMZ Sports. This one from inside the elevator, showing Rice knocking Janae Palmer off her feet and into a railing. The other video, released months earlier, showed Rice dragging his now wife out of the elevator. Rice was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault earlier this year, but avoided jail time by enrolling in a pretrial intervention program.

In July, he received a minor two-game suspension from the NFL, a decision widely criticized, prompting NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a month later to admit that the league needed to take a tougher position on domestic violence. Joining me right now, Chief Deputy Pitt County Sheriff's Office in Granville, North Carolina, John Gard. John, thank you so much for being with us. In that incident, the Ray Rice elevator incident where he was beating his then-girlfriend and dragging her, as I recall, dragging her by the hair out, that was caught on video and it went viral. John Gard, I really believe that in this hotel where Jody had met up with her beau,

who happens to be Chicago Bear, Mario Edwards Jr., there had to be video in the hallways, in the elevators. Where is that? I don't know. Certainly that leaves, there's a lot of questions there. Obviously, in domestic violence calls, we answer day in, day out, not just here in Pitt County and not just North Carolina, but across the country. We aren't fortunate enough to have that kind of evidence. But in this case, you would think that type of information would be available, that there would be videos throughout OTA. You're right.

Arcangelo Mazzarello, have you guys subpoenaed that video? We have sent out the subpoena. Have you seen it by chance yet? No. I mean, John Gard, I think the world was first shocked in the Chandra Levy case. When Chandra Levy, we think, left her high-rise apartment in D.C. at a certain time, but we learned from where she lived in the high-rise that the cameras recorded over every 72 hours. And by the time cops got there and asked for it, you know, after it was realized she was

missing, she couldn't be found. They started looking through her apartment. They found where they thought she had left that day. And they had taped over the video. So we didn't know, was she dressed to go jogging? Was she dressed to go out? Was she alone? Was somebody last with her? So much evidence was lost that I think it put everybody on high alert to maintain their cameras.

Although one was just murdered in Piedmont Park, and we find out those cameras haven't worked since about 2018. So I'm wondering if that video is actually there and what it will reveal. John Gard, as you pointed out, so often you don't have any evidence like that in domestic assaults or domestic homicides. But here, we've got it. Yeah, you potentially do. And it really goes back to their policy. And you see the gamut out here in our investigations today. Some places store the video information

in the cloud and they keep it for a lengthy amount of time, some indefinitely, but others, we've seen them record over after a set time, be it a week, two weeks, or a month. And it's frustrating, but it really does point out the need to, you know, get on these cases, start the investigation as soon as you can, and run down all the leads you have or the potential leads because tomorrow isn't promised. Mario Edwards Jr. has not been charged in connection with this lawsuit. It has not gone to trial, and Edwards has not been found guilty. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Now these two had dated on and off for several years before they had a breakup in 2019. So then when she gets the call that he's coming to town, and this would have

been around October 2020, she's thinking, is there going to be a reconciliation? Are we going to get back together? So joining me right now, guys, is the alleged victim in this case, Joanne Jody Blakeney. Joanne, thank you for being with us. You know, I was thinking about something you did. You called your friend and you said, I didn't think anybody would believe me. I have been in a lot of precarious situations investigating felonies for many, many years. And I remember on several occasions, I think I did it by instinct. I would actually call my mother long distance and say, I'm in this location and I'm

going out to deliver this subpoena or try to find this witness. And, you know, it's, it's a bad area and I'm worried, but I've got to do it. Just talk to me as I walk up to the front porch. I wasn't really thinking, you know, nobody would believe me. I wanted to feel like I was with somebody in that moment. And it happened a lot. So when you call your friend during this, what was your thinking? Um, so she happened to call me once I sent the video to her. Um, she was very privileged to my relationship with him. So, um, instant fear came over her and she asked it immediately, um, before I could even hit 911. She was right there on the phone just ensuring me that I was going to be okay

because it didn't set into me that, you know, my baby at that point. Like my adrenaline was up. All I could think about was what I had just went through. So once I had her on the phone, I felt safe. Like I could get my thoughts together and think about what my next move was because originally it was to get out of there. Like, just go, just leave. But she just kind of kept me level-headed and started to be my thinking and my brain at that. You know, I don't know if you've ever heard the name Ray Carruth and Sharika Adams, Arcangela. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Guys, take a listen to our cut number two, a 911 call. Uh-huh. Or your boyfriend, the one you said that was with you. Where's he at? In the car in front of me, and he's down in front of my car. I'm getting this. And then where'd he go? He's in the warehouse. Okay. All right, what's his name? Michael. Michael.

Okay, what's his name? Michael. Michael. Michael. Michael. You're hearing the voice of now deceased Sharika Adams, who also was pregnant at because when she was shot that night in an attempt for Ray Cruz to get out of child support, it cut off his air supply. So he has cerebral palsy, of course, forever.

So being pregnant, you would think Dr. Sherry Swartz would keep someone from attacking a woman. But as a matter of fact, the number one cause of death amongst pregnant women is homicide. Domestic violence homicide. You're absolutely right, Nancy. And, you know, in the case of Ray Carruth and what it sounds like in Ms. Blakeney's case, these are men who have absolutely no empathy for the woman, let alone for the baby, the unborn baby. You know, it's just a means to an end. You know, you are my property and I'm going to do what I want to do. And as Ms. Mazzarello said earlier, Mr. Edwards

wasn't used to hearing no. I think this is pretty much the culture, right, with these entertainers because that's what NFL players are. They are, in fact, entertainers. And so they know if they do anything bad, it's going to be fixed because they're a product, they're a commodity. I want to go back to Jody Blakeney, the victim in this case. Let's just start with the moment that you guys meet up that night. What hotel was it? It was the Hilton Center City, downtown Charlotte. Yeah, you know, John Gard, they definitely have video, John.

No doubt in my mind. I would agree. Go ahead, Joanne. Sorry about that. So, of course, I'm excited to see him because I haven't seen him in almost a year. So, I mean, I don't know what it is about him, but it's just always sparks. I always get like little butterflies. Whenever he texts me, I knew that he was going to text me.

So, us meeting up was going to be something that knew that he was going to text me. So us meeting up was going to be something that I already knew was going to happen. It's just a matter of when and how many times that I would see him while he was here. Because I've never, we never plan to see each other for just one day whenever we see each other. So seeing him was just, I don't know, warm, fuzzy feeling regardless of how our conversations go. We always end up fine and still being able to love each other and be okay with each other. So him coming through the door and just kissing me on the forehead and, you know, smiling. And it was just a little cut on his forehead that just kind of threw me off a little bit because he is a big, burly guy.

But that just kind of stood out to me. He's bruised up all over, tattoos everywhere. From playing. So, Jodi, when did everything go wrong? It went wrong with us that night when the advances were turned down. I've never in my life told Mario no that's just something I could not form my lips to say because I would drop anything for Mario and I think he knows that I don't think he knows that for sure that I will drop any and everything to come and aid him so

no is foreign to him it's like a different language to him. So me saying no that night, I guess it kind of sparked some anger coming from him because it's not something that he's used to hearing from me. It's always yes or how can I do it? What can I do and how can I do it? Okay, I need you to tell me in detail what happened. I get to the hotel and he tells me that, you know, there's the COVID protocols that he cannot break. And I am not allowed to be on his floor in his room.

He can't have guests. He can't come out to see me because originally I said for us to just like meet out in the open to talk, just to kind of catch up with each other. And he said he couldn't do that because of the COVID protocol. So I did go ahead and get the room. So on the phone with one of my friends, the friends who actually called me, she was on the phone up until he walked through the door. So she heard the original exchange between us.

Then she knew it was okay for her to hang up. So give him the kiss on the cheek, kiss on the forehead. We sit down on the bed. We just start talking about his dad and just family, just catching up about my daughter, about current pregnancy, just kind of catching up as friends would do that haven't really talked or communicated in a while, seen each other in a while, because we would text from here or there, but not really in-depth conversations. Just, hey, how you doing? So we just kind of caught up more in detail.

And sparks fly between us. Anytime we're together or around each other, sparks always fly. We had just great chemistry, great conversation. It's never really bad unless I don't do what he asked me to do. If I don't do what he has asked of me, or if I don't do something a way that he's asked of me, then I could have some issues there, but it would just be how I would deal with it. So we did engage in intimate, We had an intimate time together. But he tried to pursue for more.

And he made his advances, and I turned them down. And once it was known that, hey, I'm not wanting to go there sexually, vaginally, it was like I hadn't seen him before. It was back to 2015 when it turned no. What happened? So the first incident with me telling him no, he picks me up off of my feet from off of the bed facing him, grabs me and tries to pull my pants down. And I'm telling him no, I'm trying to get away from him. He's pulling on me, snatching me down. And I'm in between his legs and he's holding me tightly so that I cannot move.

So once I'm able to wiggle free, I sit back down. I pull my pants up first and I sit back down. And then he just begins to belittle me. Like all different types of names and speaking on my family. And he knows the right things to say to break me down he's done it before so Mario Edwards jr. has not been charged in connection with this lawsuit it has not gone to been found guilty. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Jodi Blakeney,

I know you don't like retelling this, but I need to understand exactly what happened. When you say belittling or demeaning, what exactly did he say? He called me a bitch, my daughter a whore. He said that the apple did not fall far from the tree and that my daughter was going to be a whore. He stated to me that I would never be his number one. I would always be someone that he came to whenever I was a last resort, and he never said that to me before.

I always thought that me and him would end up together. I've been patient with him for this amount of time. So he knew saying that and knowing how I was with him and knowing how our relationship was and what the goal was between us. He knew that he could get me to break all the way down. So. Okay. Wait, let me understand what you're saying. First of all, how old is your daughter? Two. So he called your two-year-old daughter a whore? Yes. Okay. Then he, let me understand that you think you guys were,

you thought you guys were going to get married? Eventually, with patience, with time. Yes, I did. Did he ever talk to you about marriage?, our initial, us being together in the very beginning. I fell in love with the potential of Mario. When you say he trashed your family, other than calling your two-year-old little girl a whore, what else did he say about your family? He called my family broken. He stated that we were trash. He called me all types of whores. He called us broke. He called us poverty stricken, all different types of names. I can't recall all of the names that he called my family and myself, but it was just the helping of insults just thrown off at me. And when I got to the point of my daughter. Now, wait a minute. Let me understand. This is after you've given him oral sex and he tries to rape you and you get away and pull your pants up.

Now, this is what he's saying. Do I have the chronology, the sequence of events correct? Yes. When he started telling you, you'll never be my number one, you're the woman I seek out as a last resort, you're now saying that he knew that would break your heart because you thought y'all were getting married. Absolutely. He knew that it would break me down. Why would you want to marry him? I think, as I said before, I fell in love with what he was before,

in love with the potential, the things that he promised and said to me before. The version of him before the NFL is what I fell in love with. You know, Dr. Sherry Schwartz, see, to us on the outside looking in, I'm saying, why would you even want him? But this is the pattern. Archangel of Mazzarello, John Gard, we all know it, embattered women. They fall in love with the man at the beginning.

And yes, it's typically the man beating the woman. When he was loving and romantic and fun to be with and caring. And throughout the relationship, they continue to think about that version, not the version that rips your pants down and calls you a whore and a bitch when you won't have sex, Dr. Sherry Schwartz. No, I was going to say that. Go ahead. Absolutely correct.

That is the cycle of domestic violence. And what it sounds like to me is there's a possibility that this is narcissistic rage, right? This is somebody who's got this inflated sense of self-importance. Everyone's always telling him how wonderful he is. He obviously is a very talented athlete. He made it to the pros. And so no one's ever really good enough for those individuals, by the way. But what they do to lure women in is they do something we call love bombing in the beginning. It happens really fast. And you're perfect for me. And we're soulmates. And we're going to get married. But that day never comes. And then in between the love bombing, there's this

devaluation phase where you say things to the person when you're not getting your way, like your family's trash, your two-year-old daughter's a whore. And this back and forth, this up and down, it is actually somewhat of an addiction for the victim, right? And they keep thinking, but when it's good, it's yeah you know dr sherry i've tried to say that before when i would be counseling people at the battered women's center that i guess your mind and you can jump in john guard the victim's mind uh their psyche is so used to the adrenaline of the highs and the love and the flowers and the let's get married and then followed by a beating and then the uh the relationship recuperation you're up and you're

down and it starts over again and it gets addicting and then when you're with a regular nice guy you're bored because you don't have that roller coaster of events. You get used to that. You're absolutely right. Yeah. I think what Ms. Blakeney's story really points out when we're looking at this issue, and intimate partner violence shouldn't be as complex as we make it out to be. I mean, first of all, only the faces and names change.

The behavior of offenders are absolutely the same. The dynamics she's speaking about, about going after someone's self-confidence, self-esteem, we see isolation and things like that. And you hear people say when they talk about offenders of intimate partner violence, when it's good, it's really good. But when it's bad, it can be really bad. When you point out the no, the offender being told no, this is all about power and control. And what Ms. Blakely has done is basically revocated the power and control from him. So when we look at, say, domestic violence homicides across the country, and I'll speak directly to North Carolina, in 2020, there was over a 24 percent increase in the number of individuals that were killed in this state by domestic violence. So it is an epidemic, and it's throughout society,

and it's a thing we need to address. Well, there's another issue, John Gard and Sherry, Dr. Schwartz and Arcangela. What is Jody Blakeney's thing? What will she think is going to happen when she reports a crime? Take a listen. I'm sure you all know LT, Lawrence Taylor, the NFL pro, went on to star on Dancing with the Stars. Take a listen to Brian Thomas, AP, Our Cut 18. A grand jury has indicted pro football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor on charges of third degree rape and patronizing a prostitute.

The indictment follows his May 6th arrest when prosecutors say he paid a 16 year old girl three hundred dollars to have sex with him. The former linebacker was also indicted on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse and criminal sexual act in the third degree. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison. First of all, she's not a prostitute. She's a 16-year-old girl. That's two years, 24 months older than my daughter. He paid not her, but the guy that beat her and delivered her like a pizza to Lawrence Taylor's hotel room.

That's who got the money. And when this little girl wouldn't have sex with Lawrence Taylor, she got beaten too. And the four years behind bars, that never happened. He walked and went on to star on Dancing with the Stars. So what are women, what do they think is going to happen if they report a beating by an NFLer? Joanne Jody Blakeney is with me. She describes a violent assault by NFL star Chicago Bear Mario Edwards Jr. So, Joanne, Jody Blakeney, he's trashing you.

You're trying to get your pants back on. What happened then? So, after the humiliation, I said, well, you know, I would love for people to know the type of person that you really are. And he kept questioning me saying, what are you going to do? What are you going to do, bitch? You're going to shoot me? And I'm like, no, I'm not. I want people to know who they're actually dealing with, the stuff that you're saying, the things that you're doing. So I pull out my phone to record. And as soon as I reach for my phone, he hits me in the face. And then after he

hits me in the face, I fall backwards. He snatched me off the bed by my arm and just starts to rip at my fingernails, tried to take my phone out my hand. And then he dragged me to the door. All of this is while my belly, this very, very noticeable is pressed up against him. So I'm just trying to fight my way free. And he's just let the phone go, bitch. Let the phone go and dragging me to the door. And once he gets to the door and let's go, the recording, that recording stopped. How pregnant were you at that time? I was 18 going on 19 weeks pregnant.

What happened next? Once we get in the hallway, I'm still recording at this point, just showing his outfit, showing what he's wearing, so that when I do report this, because I did tell him, if you ever put your hands on me again, I am going to tell the police. So I did just, I was going to do just that recording. We're talking in the hallway and he gets on the elevator to leave and he steps off the elevator again and he hits me again and gets back on the elevator. And from there, my vision's blurry in the left eye. So I go back into the room. I send the video as I'm walking. I'm going back into the room because I can't see and my things are in the

room. So I grab my things, find my contact, put them back in and I'm headed downstairs. I'm on the phone with the friend of mine and immediately because I knew CMPD was in the building, I said, let me go downstairs and speak with someone. Let me see if I can find someone to help me. And I did just that. I went to go find the security that was there for help. And what happened when you get down there? So once I got down there, I encountered a police officer by the name of Burton. I think his first name is Jeffrey. I encountered him and he was very chipper, very nice to me. And he told me, I let him know what was going on, and he said, oh, okay, well, I'll get you some help, and then he says he has to go to the bathroom, so I just kind of step off to the side, because at this point, I'm like, okay, well, I got police with me, so I'm

okay. I don't need to make any other moves or decisions at this point, because I have the police coming. It took him about 15 minutes to come back. And once he came back, I had four Chicago Bears personnel at the time had no idea who they were standing in front of me. And I just kind of look at him kind of puzzled like, hey, are they the police? And he's like, nope, but it's the best help that you're going to get. And so it kind of caught me off guard because I'm like, okay, well, if you're the police and the police can't help me and this is the best police, what's better than the actual police who serve and protect this community every day? So I wanted reassurance that I was in good hands because I knew before that I had a conversation with Mario and he stated to me that they had people to take care of situations that happen in hotels. So I didn't want it to be a situation like that one.

So I was very, very – I was against talking to the bears. I did not want to talk to them at all. So once they made me comfortable and stated that they were not with the Bears and that they were privately contracted, I agreed to speak with them. And? So once I started speaking with the Bears, well, at the time I didn't know they were Bears. I asked them, he said, yeah, privately contracted. Okay, well, we're going to make sure that everything's taken care of. If you need to call the police, we'll definitely take care of that for you as well. As we're talking, one of the gentlemen asked me who the player was, found his name and he

disappeared from me. And then there's another personnel. He comes over and he's very, very kind. He talks to me about what's going on, asked me my relationship with him, how long I had known him, what I was doing in the hotel, was I from the area, and then he starts asking me, is there anything that the Bears can do to make this right? Can they bring him downstairs so he can apologize? And all I wanted him to do was... Well, wait. So, wait.

They tell you they're not with the Bears. They are with the Bears, according to you and your lawyer, Arcangelo Mazzarello, and they offer up to bring Mario Edwards Jr. downstairs to apologize? Yes. Yes. This was after I explained to him my relationship with Mario, and they kept asking was there anything they could do, and I said, well, you can call the police because that's who I need to handle the situation. I'm going to call the police because that's who I need to handle the situation. I'm going to call the police.

Archangela Mazzarello, don't you know, if she had said, yeah, you can pay me 20 grand, I'll be quiet and go away, don't you know that would have been the first thing on the headline on every page, on every newspaper? Well, that's what they're still trying to do, Nancy. That's what they're still trying to do. I'm telling you. But your client

didn't do that. Did they bring him down for an apology, Jody? They brought him down for an apology, and as soon as I saw him, I immediately told him I did not want him near me to call the police. That was the theme, was call the police. You know, to John Gard, I've seen this before, and I think it's horrible, where judges have actually ordered a rape victim or a child abuse victim or any type of assault victim to talk to the perp for an apology. And they order that to happen. Nobody wants to see the perp. No, they don't. It just goes to prove the manipulation that has occurred out there of how

we are deficient in our knowledge of how intimate partner violence occurs and what's going on behind closed doors. Nancy, can I say something? Jump in. So, here's one of the things that

I learned when I first came to North Carolina. Assault on a female versus assault. I said, that's a 14th Amendment equal protections issue. How is it that women have more protection than men? Assault on a female. I called my constitutional law professor, and she said, Arc, stand down. The women in North Carolina need more protection. Look at the statistics of how many women are beaten in North Carolina daily in North Carolina. violence. We are aware that men beat women here because we actually gave them their own crime and a higher penalty than assault. Assault on a female. And in this case, on a pregnant female. To Jodi Blakeney, who says she was beaten and assaulted by an NFL star, Mario Edwards Jr., 27 years old of Chicago Bears. So he comes down. Did he apologize?

No. So he actually did not apologize. They didn't really allow him to speak until after one of the other security that was there finished watching the video that I had. They asked him what, they asked me a bunch of questions after and said, hey, it doesn't look like you did anything. It could mean anything. It's just you two in the room. And then at this time, I'm hearing people in the background saying that I'm a prostitute. And I'm like, wait a minute. So a lot of people are in Charlotte. I'm from here. So a lot of people are hearing that my name is associated with something that is frowned upon. So I immediately start to just yell like, hey, do you hear this? Like, Mario, do you hear them saying that I'm a prostitute?

And he just stood there and shook his head. It wasn't until I said, and this is when one of the bears security got upset with me because he asked me what I planned to do after him and I spoke. And I told him, well, I'm going to call the police. And he immediately gets mad and he storms off. And then Mario starts yelling and he becomes irate and he's backed into a corner. And then this is when they're, oh, well, I have something. You have something on her and she has something on you. It'll be okay. Don't worry. And he's talking about the thing. I don't even know what they're talking about. Yeah, at this point I have no idea. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

Guys, we are talking about Mario Edwards Jr. who signed a three-year, $11 million contract. $11 million plus. More like a $11,700,000 contract. $11 million plus. More like a $11,700,000 contract. Plus a $3 million signing bonus.

I mean, this guy is in the lobby calling a long time sweetheart, on and off again sweetheart, pregnant woman calling her a prostitute within a hearing shot. I mean, well,

it wasn't Mario. I can't even imagine that happening. Mario didn't actually do that. Nancy, one of the other people around said that, and he just stood there. And didn't somebody say, oh, this was just a booty call, Jody? They stated that it was a booty call and it was a paid call is what it was. A paid call.

Arcangela Mazzarello, does your client, Jody Blakeney, have any criminal history whatsoever? Not before this. Okay. What do you mean by that? That somehow out of this, she gets charged? Yep. Explain in a nutshell. In a nutshell, when she was on her way to the

emergency room, the police officer that, what, got tickets to the game, got paraphernalia, we don't know what, but all of a sudden, that officer took out assault charges against Jody. When she went to get her charges pressed against Mr. Edwards,

they said to her, there's a warrant for your arrest. She said, excuse me? A warrant for your arrest, Ms. Blakeney. And when she explained what happened, they let her, well, here, they just give you a piece of paper. And she immediately called the MPD and said, are you kidding me? That officer went to her house hat in hand that night and amended his report, allowing her to take out assault charges, yet, yet the charges against her remain and continue to remain. So let me understand this.

What's the claim against her, Archangela? Are you ready for this? I'm sitting now. She poked him in the forehead with her finger. That's the charge against her. She poked an NFL-er in the forehead with her finger. That's the charge against her. She poked an NFL-er in the forehead with her finger. That's the charge. That's it.

Because if it were coming from anybody else but you, Archangel Mazzarella, I wouldn't believe it. But knowing you and your legal track record, I know you're telling me the truth. So that's the charge against her. And what were your client's injuries? What were Jody's injuries? Oh, well, I don't even know how you describe what happened to her eye. It's some sort of a detached retina thing.

Again, there are medical records that can do this better than I. Plus, she had a concussion to her head. Complications with the pregnancy were huge. And believe it or not, a year later, she's still treating. Nancy, just for fun, I pulled the warrant, and Officer Ty wrote that there was probable cause to believe that Jody Blakeney poking the victim in the forehead with her finger. Let me understand something, Art.

That was it. Jodi sustained a concussion? Yes. And is that verified by medical records that she had a concussion? Yes. Everything. And a detached retina? It's not a detached retina.

Jodi, can you explain it? So what they stated was it was a optic eye nerve injury from being hit in the eye. I guess the immediate impact was directly to the eyeball and not to the actual skull itself, but impact. John Gard, do you ever feel completely overwhelmed with domestic violence? I mean, you're the chief deputy at the Pitt County Sheriff's Office specializing in domestic violence because it's like here we've got this famous guy, $11 million. You know, when I prosecuted, I had two night jobs to make my car payment. I've never known anybody. Eleven million dollars? And he has

actually brought a complaint against her that she touched him in the forehead with her finger. I mean, do you ever get overwhelmed? It's like it never ends, and the NFL is letting it happen? Well, I mean, I certainly get frustrated at times, and I know a lot of folks in this profession do as well, especially when we talk about this topic. But, you know, it's unfortunate, but sometimes folks around the country see maybe deficiencies our profession may have. You know, when I went to the academy back in the early 90s, there was no training specific to domestic violence.

And you're talking the second most committed crime, second only to death. Well, I got to tell you something, John. I just sometimes I don't even want to say anymore. And he's being rewarded with a new contract, a three-year deal for $11 million and trying to claim she was the aggressor. Jody, how tall are you? I'm 5'4". And how much do you weigh?

127 pounds. Okay, Arc, what is the status of the criminal charges and what's the status of the lawsuit you've just filed? Well, the status of the criminal charges are that Ms. Blakeney's charge against her brought by Mr. Edwards has been continued till May, the end of May of 2022. Thank you, COVID. His charges, her charges against him, he has not come back to North Carolina to be served. And the complaint was filed on October 14th at 10 o'clock in the morning. As in a few days ago? Yes, ma'am.

Jody, I want you to take a listen to our friends over at TMZ, and I'm talking about an NFL star named Jim Dunaway. Listen. Jim Dunaway's wife's murder case was not highly publicized. Before her death, Ms. Dunaway had won a divorce settlement that gave her 800 acres. The couple owned $1,800 a month in alimony payments and half of Dunaway's NFL pension. In 1998, non-yield Dunaway, Jim's wife, was found dead in a half-empty swimming pool. Although Jim wasn't indicted for the charges, his children filed a wrongful death lawsuit

alleging their father was responsible for their mother's death. In 2012, Jim was found liable and forced to pay $579,000 to his children. To his own children. But she's dead. Dunaway's wife is dead. Jody, I don't want you to be just another victim at the hands of an enraged NFLer. I want your case to count for something. But I thank God you didn't end up like Jim Dunaway's wife.

We wait as justice unfolds. We reached out to the NFL. That's right, Nancy. We did reach out to the NFL to find out how the organization is reacting and handling domestic violence cases. In 2014, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced a new league policy, which states, effective immediately, violations of the personal conduct policy regarding assault, battery, domestic violence, or sexual assault that involves physical force will be subject to a suspension without pay of six games for the first offense, with consideration given to mitigating factors such as a longer suspension when circumstances warrant. According to this policy, a player did not have to be charged to be suspended and for an independent investigation to be launched.

According to the policy, a second defense for domestic violence would result in a lifetime ban. Commissioner Goodell said this was an issue of respect. Since then, the NFL has suspended high-profile players for domestic violence and developed the NFL's No More campaign, airing anti-domestic violence ads. The league says it has devoted $50 million worth of airtime to anti-domestic violence ads. Mario Edwards Jr. has not been charged in connection with this lawsuit. It has not gone to trial and Edwards has not been found guilty. We wait. Goodbye, friend.