SEATTLE — After a man who is suing Seattle Mayor Ed Murray revealed his identity to KIRO 7 Tuesday, Murray issued a response Wednesday, maintaining that he doesn't know the man.
Key developments:
- A 46-year-old man in Kent – Delvonn Heckard – filed a lawsuit last week claiming Murray sexually abused him.
- Two other men -- Jeff Simpson and Lloyd Anderson – accused Murray of abusing them in the 1980s and paying them for sex.
- Murray, 61, has denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated.
- Murray's attorney said the lawsuit has no merit after Murray's doctor exam.
- KIRO 7 News talked to Simpson, who claimed on camera he was abused multiple times
- A document obtained by KIRO 7 News shows a foster father relationship between Murray and Simpson.
- Lawyers for Heckard are trying to get the judge thrown off the case.
Murray has said he has no idea who his accuser is and maintains that the man’s name, Delvonn Heckard, “is not familiar” to him.
Heckard said he was inspired to reveal his name after two other men, Jeff Simpson and Lloyd Anderson, who said they were sexually abused by Murray when they were teenagers in the 1980s, revealed their identities.
Heckard's history
Heckard and his attorney admitted he was convicted of various charges "that include an extensive drug addiction," according to the initial complaint, "and acts of prostitution in 1990 during (an) unrelated sting operation."
Heckard's attorney said his criminal history does not change the facts of the sex abuse lawsuit.
In 2010 court documents, prosecutors said Heckard was unemployed without solid ties to the community. Heckard has acknowledged his criminal past, which includes assault, theft and false reporting.
“The defendant is a high risk to fail to appear for future court dates given he has had 63 warrants since 1989,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tuyen Lam wrote in April 2010 court documents.
That year, Heckard and another man claimed when they were fixing washing machines when they were actually trying to steal the quarters and flooding the laundry room, according to police. That led to a felony burglary conviction. Follow this link to read charging documents from that case.
Mayor Ed Murray provided the following statement Wednesday on the revelation of plaintiff's identity:
"I can state categorically that I have never had a sexual relationship with this individual, Delvonn Heckard, of any kind or at any time.”
"I have never paid for sex, and I have never had sex with a minor. Heckard's claims about my anatomy were proved medically false last week. His accusations are not true.”
"I just learned Heckard's name this morning, and can say that his name is not familiar to me."
"Is it possible I met this person before? Sure, it is possible. I have encountered thousands of people during my decades of public service. I cannot say for certain that I never encountered this person at some point thirty years ago, a time when I was very publicly and civically active. But Delvonn Heckard is not someone I knew.”
"Again, to be clear, I never had sex with Delvonn Heckard or any other minor at any time."
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Cox Media Group
