The Marine Corps dropped charges against a flight instructor accused of assaulting the woman who blew the whistle on the Tailhook scandal, citing lack of evidence.
Capt. Gregory J. Bonam had insisted it was a case of mistaken identity. He denied seeing anyone attack Lt. Paula Coughlin and said if he had, he would have tried to assist her.Marine investigators said Thursday there wasn't enough evidence to warrant charges of indecent assault and conduct unbecoming an officer against Bonam.
At an August hearing, Coughlin had identified Bonam as the man who grabbed her buttocks, stuck his hand inside her bra while someone else tried to pull down her underpants during the 1991 Tailhook Association convention.
At a hearing last week at Quantico Marine Base, two witnesses testified that Bonam spent most of the evening with them at the Las Vegas Hilton pool, away from the hallway where aviators assaulted scores of women.
Another witness who saw the assault on Coughlin said her attacker was only slightly taller than her 5-foot-4 height. Bonam is 6-foot-1.