The Associated Press is reporting that Robert Williams, the ex-convict charged with torturing and raping a Journalism School student last year was found guilty of 44 of 46 counts.

For further details -- though Bwog warns that it's extremely disturbing -- the New York Times has a detailed summation of the events of the 19-hour torture session.

Spec is reporting that an employee at Appletree supermarket tipped off police to a man he believes to be the suspect in the recent Journalism School student rape. We don't know at this point if it was in fact the suspect himself [UPDATE: He's not], but police responded to the tip and searched the area this morning.

UPDATE: Barnard students received the following e-mail at 5:45 PM:

"This is a further updated advisory concerning the sexual assault of the Columbia graduate student in her West 141st Street apartment.

We have just been notified by the Manhattan Special Victims Squad (MSVS) that their analysis of the Apple Tree surveillance tape confirms that the person spotted in the store early this morning who resembled the police sketch of the suspect IS NOT in fact the person being sought in connection with this crime. We will continue to keep you apprised of important developments as they occur.

William Plackenmeyer
Director of Safety and Security"

Add quelling your worries about wandering rapists to the possible benefits of Barnard over Columbia.

The internets are afire with talk of this weekend's "Modern Love" column in the NY Times, authored by one Ashley Cross, a reputed student at our very own university. The mysterious Ms. Cross, who could not be located by Facebook, Columbia directory, or truly thorough Googling (unless she happens to own this site), has come under attack for defending her relationship with a Harvard student suspended from the institution after being accused of rape. In her piece, Cross divulges the two are no longer together, her ex-lover's apparently attractive assertiveness having been suppressed by the re-education programs he was ordered to attend as part of the plea bargain he worked out after criminal charges were filed (which also included house arrest). Still, she is now seen by many as having severely downplayed the allegations against him-- and helping to cast doubt on future rape accusations.

A tour of the controversy so far: a thread on the topic at liberal politics blog Daily Kos, where some seem confused by the fact the story has not run as a straightforward news item and others link the social implications of Cross' piece to the Duke rape case, has run to 340 responses; Gawker questioned Cross' reasoning...twice, Harvard's Gadfly ran lots of Crimson documentation on the question of the rape case, and IvyGate wants Cross' number.

Outside Hamilton, at about 8:59 PM last night:

Guy 1: "Ayn Rand, you really need sex, but not with me!"
Guy 2: "Help! Help! I'm being raped by Ayn Rand!"

What's terrible is that the hero of The Fountainhead actually does rape his love interest. Bwog shudders.

Thanks to Bwog tipster Jason Patinkin for overhearing.