One of the women behind bars for her alleged involvement in last week's fatal freeway shooting has been in the middle of a scandal before.
Jamie Prescott, 18, is in the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of the Feb. 3 shooting death of Diane Purper on the 500 South on-ramp.Police are looking for her boyfriend, Manueillo Valenzuela, who is believed to be the triggerman. (Valenzuela is pictured here last year after he was shot in the face in an unrelated incident.)
Three years ago, Prescott came forward to say two of her friends willingly had sex with players of the the Portland Trail Blazers, who were in town for a game against the Utah Jazz.
Two Murray girls - who were 16 at the time - said they had sexual contact with four Portland players, and Prescott - then 15 - said she was present but didn't participate.
Prescott strongly disputed allegations that one of the girls was coerced into sexual acts. She told police her friend willingly got into bed with the basketball player.
"It wasn't rape," she told the Deseret News in January 1993. "I will go before a judge and say there was no force and there was no rape."
Because the sex was deemed consensual, no charges were filed. But rookies Tracy Murray and Dave Johnson were suspended for three games and fined. Blazers Reggie Smith and Jerome Kersey were fined but not suspended.
Now Prescott is in jail but hasn't been charged in Saturday's shooting. Jose N. Armento-Corrales, 17, and a 16-year-old girl have also been booked into jail. A 12-year-old who police believe was in the car during the shooting was released to his parents' custody.
Purper died after being shot twice during a traffic altercation on the freeway on-ramp. Purper was a West Jordan mother of five.