nbc's ron allen reports from stubenville, ohio. >> reporter: stubenville, ohio, is a struggling, old industrial town that's seen better times. its greatest glory now comes from the big red, its powerhouse high school football team that just about everyone here is connected and devoted to. >> let's be clear. they knew she was drunk. >> reporter: that's why the upcoming rape trial of two star football players, malik richmond and trent mays, named publicly in court, their faces concealed because they are 16, is rocking this community. they have pleaded not guilty. >> shame on you! >> reporter: with hundreds of protesters supporting the 16-year-old accuser, known only as jane doe, who prosecutors insist was subjected to several sexual assaults against her will. the case exploding on social media, images purporting to show the defendants carrying the alleged victim, unconscious, the night in question. and video showing teenagers making fun of the girl, released by online activists, including the group, anonymous. >> you can hide no longer. >> reporter: most known for hacking into governme

plenty of good people live in stubenville, our program tonight is not about them. it's about two members of the local high school football team. hometown heroes now charged with raping a teenage girl back in august. it's about young witnesses who instead of doing what good people do, took pictures, took video, and then some of those pictures and that video was leaked online. it's about those who attacked the alleged victim. tonight's program is about young and old most who down played what happened because they care so much about the local high school football team. hometown heroes now charged with raping a teenage girl back in august. it's about young witnesses who this is not about them. poppy harlow begins our coverage. >> reporter: on the night of august 11th, teenagers gathered to celebrate the end of september. the first day of school was two weeks away. by many accounts, there was heavy drinking going on for most of the night spread out over several different parties. it seems that there was more than that, far more. tweets, photos, and videos possibly docum

. >> welcome to stubenville. >> "the world is watching! the world is watching!" hundreds gathered outside the jefferson county courthouse saturday to expr ess their feelings about the alleged rape of an underaged girl at a series of back-to-school parties in august. with a rally cry that evil triumphs when good men do nothing, some protesters are urging that the two football players accused get no special treatment. however, steubenville city officials are defending the way the investigation has been handled. >> issue was unresponsive and let us be clear that they knew that she was strong.drunk however, this incriminating text message allegedly from the victim says " she said a texas says " i know that you did not read me ". >> to you have that text message? >> yes. >> this attorney will not confirm the possession of the text message. >> she will not know weather or not she was raped. she was unconscious. also, weather or not the defendants were trying to defend her or build up a defense after realizing. as this was unfolding. >> this was an all-night partying on

school officials in stubenville, ohio, reaching out to students and parents 0 of a rape case that gainedal attention. the town's board of education said it's encouraging students with information to come forward. the district is also expanding the program to raise awareness of sexual a harassment, date rape and other issues. >>> and the fda asking makers of am by enand other similar sleeping pills to lower the recommendations dosage of their drug. new research shows blood levels in some patients may be high enough the morning after taking the drugs to cause impairment in certain activities including driving. fda says women run a higher risk because the bodies process the drug slower. >>> 85th annual oscar nominations are out and "lincoln" takes the lead with 12 nods. and the film about the hunt for osama bin laden "zero dark thirty" made for the nomination. and "argo" nominated for beth film but not best director. joining me is mark malkin senior editor at e. thank you for your time. >> good to be here. >> start off with "lincoln." 12 nominations. >> did not surprise me at all. as soon a

. >>> the legal guardians of one of the accused in the stubenville ohio rape case are defending him todaynd will support him regardless of the outcome of the case. >> completely out of his character. that's not the type of person he is. >> police say richardson and one other person raped a 16-year-old girl in august. the case has gotten national attention and provoked protests amid accusations that because the accused are football players, they've gotten special treatment and because of all of the attention, lawyers for the suspects may ask for the trial to be moved and the proceedings closed to the public. >>> and a mystery in chicago, the medical examiner there is expected to exhume the body of a lottery winner whose death has now been ruled a homicide. officials say he ingested a lethal dose of cyanide one day after the state cut him a check for $425,000. no suspects have been named so far. >> well, his first cabinet was the most diverse in history but with the recent choices, some questions about whether 2013 will be a step back. >> there are obviously other remarkably capable women i

stubenville has been -- or has, rather, a new website that says relays facts not rumor two high schoolall players are accused of raping an unconscious girl at a party back in august. city leaders say that the football team does not runt town. >>> it was a narrow escape from death a small plane crashed into a home in florida killing three people on board, but the homeowner got out somehow and gives cred doity to god. here is nick valencia. >> reporter: some of the drama was captured in this 911 call from the airport control tower. >> reporter: all three people were killed in an explosion that engulfed the home in flames but the would woman who live there is escaped with only minor cuts and bruises. her daughter called 911. >> all i could say is i'm alive. i'm still here. >> reporter: susan crocket says she was in the exact spot where the plane ripped through her home moments before it happened and she escaped the fire by crawling through a window. the plane had just taken off from nearby airport and headed for tennessee when the pilot reported smoke coming from the engine and vibrations

a 16-year-old girl alleged lly raped by two high school football in the ohio town of stubenville.re were reports that the girl was drunk and possibly unconscious. now two special prosecutors are just of a month away from trying at least two teens on rape charges. but what makes this case stand out more is talk about the alleged attack last august has been playing itself out through social media. even ohio's chief law enforcement officer says this case might never have come together a decade ago. that's because police in part found out about the alleged rape by piecing together outrageous tweets, a cell phone photo that claims to show the girl at the center of the attack being carried seemingly limp by her arms and legs, and at least one online video showing young people callously laugh being it. >> what if that was your daughter? >> but it isn't. if it was? if that was my daughter, i wouldn't care. i would let her be dead. >> listen to yourself. >> i'm listening to myself fine. >> in about ten years, i'm going come back to this video. >> in ten years, my daughter's going to be rap