CHARLESTON — Another woman who says she was drugged, kidnapped and brutally raped by a West Virginia State Trooper has notified the agency she intends to sue.
L. Dante diTrapano with Calwell Luce diTrapano in Charleston sent a letter on April 5 detailing the events the unnamed woman claims occurred on July 9, 2021, and July 10, 2021.
Calwell Luce diTrapano and Forbes Law Office were hired by the unnamed woman to prosecute the claims against the West Virginia State Police and Trooper Michael J. Miller.
diTrapano
"The alleged conduct of your employee is abominable and should be investigated and, once proven, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," diTrapano wrote in the April 5 letter.
On the evening of July 9, 2021, and early morning hours of July 10, 2021, Miller drugged, kidnapped and raped the woman, all the while repeatedly telling her that he was a trooper and then forcing her out the backdoor of the Front Room Bar & Grill in Logan.
After forcing her from the establishment, Miller took her to a vehicle and proceeded, in conjunction with two other men, to sexually assault and penetrate her in the vehicle and then drive to another nearby club where she managed to leave the vehicle with her belongings and the clothes that had been removed, the letter alleges.
"These events have completely altered our client’s life and she intends to pursue all available legal remedies for the associated damages," diTrapano wrote.
Hours after the incident, when the woman contacted local law enforcement, she was told not to go to the hospital because she had already showered and the hospital couldn't help her.
"When (the woman) inquired about filing a report, the Deputy stated, 'don’t f*ck with the brotherhood,'" the letter states. "It is our understanding the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into this matter along with the other rapes."
In the letter, diTrapano stated that the actions and failures of the trooper and the West Virginia State Police have caused extremely troubling and life-altering damages to their client.
Last month, another letter was sent involving a similar situation with Miller.
In that letter, sent March 21, another woman claimed she was drugged, kidnapped and raped by Miller on Dec. 17 and 18, 2021.
"Your police officer, while flashing his badge around the American Legion Post 19 club in Logan, West Virginia, changed my client’s life forever," that letter states. "(The woman) is a loving mother of five beautiful children and a grandchild."
Because of the incident, the woman cannot go back to work because she is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and is in intense treatment and counseling, according to that letter
The letter also says the Federal Bureau of Investigations is aware of Miller’s “incomprehensible acts.”
“(The woman) woke up naked in her bed with blood, urine and feces all over her,” the letter continues. “Her earrings were ripped out of her ears, her hair was pulled out, her teeth were damaged, and she had been raped vaginally and sodomized with some instrument. This is all confirmed by the rape unit at the emergency department of CAMC Women’s and Children’s Hospital …
“To show you how ignorant your trooper is, the morning after he shattered this lady’s world, Trooper Miller sent a Facebook message to (the woman) and asked if he’d left his hat in her car.
“The FBI has this message, and his hat, so you may want to discuss that with them as well.”
The letter concludes by saying the lawsuit will be filed next month. State agencies must be notified 30 days in advance of a civil lawsuit being filed against them.
The State Police has been the subject of criticism and investigation in recent weeks following an anonymous letter making monetary and sexual allegations about the agency and troopers.
At least seven women have filed notices of intent to sue the agency over allegations a hidden camera was used in the female locker room of the West Virginia State Police Academy.
