Woman Testifies Former USU Player Was ‘Gentlemanly’ On Tinder Date

BRIGHAM CITY, Utah – Unlike his six accusers, a Boise woman said a former Utah State football player was gentlemanly to her as they met up after connecting on a popular dating app.

Attorney Skye Lazaro called witnesses to the stand Monday, establishing former USU linebacker Torrey Green’s defense in a court case, where six women have accused him of rape in different instances, over about a five-year span.

The Boise woman, Anna Cordova, said she and Green connected over the dating app, Tinder.

The two eventually met in person during the fall of 2015. Cordova testified that she spent the weekend with Green, his roommates, and some of Green’s friends.

She also said she and Green slept in the same bed, but were never intimate.

“We spent the weekend hanging out, playing board games, listening to music,” Cordova said. “We went to a Halloween party at a castle outside of Logan, and my car was hit that night. The boys put my car back together enough that I could drive back home.”

As Lazaro questioned Cordova at the stand, she established a story quite different from the ones accusers who also met Green on Tinder shared during the first week of the trial.

“Did he ever make you feel uncomfortable?” Lazaro asked.

“Never,” Cordova responded.

“How would you describe the way that he treated you?” Lazaro continued.

“Gentlemanly,” Cordova said.

Cordova further testified that while she might have intended to have sex with Green, the two decided there wasn’t any chemistry.

“I would say that was the intention, going into it,” Cordova said. “As we got to know each other there wasn’t a connection, so we weren’t going to force it.”

Lazaro also called Logan Police Officer Kendall Olsen to the stand, who was a detective who investigated some accusations against Green.

During one case in particular, she pointed out that prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue charges back in 2015, even though they were now on the same case.

“I didn’t get an explanation or reasons why it was decided to be declined,” Olsen said. “Just informed that it was declined at that time.”

During cross-examination, assistant Cache County Attorney Spencer Walsh asked questions to point out that Olsen might not pressed hard with Green while interviewing him.

“You didn’t even ask him one hard question.” Walsh said. “Can you remember any hard questions you asked him?”

“No… not explicitly,” Olsen said.

“Fair to say you treated this defendant with kid gloves?” Walsh later continued. “Maybe unintentionally, but that’s how you treated him in the interview?”

Olsen explained that he did so, to keep Green talking and gain his trust.

“I can explain that part of the interview process,” Olsen said. “Especially in a case like this is, allowing them to explain and talk, and sometimes a method used is just being a little downplaying, what occurred, and act as though it’s not as big a deal as some people may say.”

Green was expected to take the stand Tuesday, as the defense wraps up their case. The trial could go to the jury as soon as Wednesday.