Jury selection underway in trial of Irish firefighter charged with raping woman in Boston hotel
Prosecutors allege that Crosbie raped a 'female stranger' at the Omni Parker House hotel in downtown Boston on March 14, 2024.
The 28-year-old woman went to dinner with co-workers and met a man, Liam O'Brien, along with his fellow Irish firefighters, officials said.
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Video shows that around 11:30 p.m., the woman left a restaurant with O'Brien and returned to the room he was sharing with Crosbie at the Omni Parker House. Crosbie left the room for about two hours.
O'Brien and the woman had a consensual encounter and then fell asleep in separate beds, according to authorities. The woman said she later awoke to Crosbie on top of her, raping her, prosecutors said.
The woman demanded that Crosbie stop, according to court filings. Crosbie allegedly remarked that he knew that she wanted this and his friend was pathetic for falling asleep, prosecutors said.
The woman left and messaged a friend to say she had been assaulted. She then went to a hospital, where she spoke with police and underwent a sexual assault examination.
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Crosbie was scheduled to leave the United States on March 19, after the parade. But after he spoke with police on March 15, Crosbie went to Logan International Airport for a 10:10 p.m. flight. He wound up boarding a 7 p.m. flight but was removed from the plane and arrested, officials said.
During an August hearing, prosecutors requested a DNA swab from Crosbie for 'comparative testing.'
According to court documents filed by prosecutors, a genital swab from the woman revealed male DNA.
'A known DNA sample from the defendant will produce evidence relevant to the question of his guilt,' wrote Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy, chief of the domestic violence and sexual assault unit, in court papers.
Crosbie objected to giving a sample on grounds of unreasonable searches and seizures, court filings show.
'My client is not concerned about what the DNA is going to return or say,' said Crosbie's lawyer, Daniel C. Reilly, at the time. 'He is adamant that he had no physical contact with her.'
The status of the DNA testing wasn't immediately clear on Thursday.
In court Thursday, Crosbie wore an off-white suit and had a neat crew cut. He sat alert between his attorneys as the presiding judge questioned potential jurors, and he also appeared to take notes.
Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report.
Travis Andersen can be reached at
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