Two days after police searched the home of longtime Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie -- who is under investigation for sexually abusing two boys who served as ball boys for the basketball team -- the woman who shared that home is involved in a major development in the scandal.
According to ESPN, Fine's wife, Laurie, admitted her knowledge of the alleged abuse to one of the possible victims, Bobby Davis, during tape-recorded telephone conversations between the two from October 2002.
A segment from the conversation as played on ESPN's 'Outside The Lines:'
Laurie Fine: I know everything that went on, you know. I know everything that went on with him. Bernie has issues, maybe that he's not aware of. But he has issues. And you trusted somebody you shouldn't you have trusted.
Bobby Davis: Yeah.
Fine: Bernie is also in denial. I think that he did the things he did, but he's somehow, through his own mental telepathy, has erased them out of his mind.
In other segments of the tape recordings aired by ESPN, Davis and Laurie Fine frankly discuss the nature of the abuse, the coach's need for male companionship as well as the possibility that there were other victims.
WATCH ESPN SEGMENT ABOVE
Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim was extremely vocal in defense of his longtime assistant coach when child molestation allegations were recently made public, going as far as to call Davis a "liar." These recordings may make Boehiem reconsider his stance.
According to recording obtained by ESPN, Fine's wife and Davis discussed Bernie's belief that he would not be punished for his alleged crimes.
Davis: He doesn't think he can be touched, like...
Fine: No. He thinks that, I think, he thinks he's above the law.
On Monday, Nov. 21, Syracuse Police stated that their investigation into the allegations by Davis and another former Syracuse ball boy will take several weeks.