Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Rape Culture’ of A&E’s ‘Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life’ sheds light on the case of Abby Honold, who was sexually assaulted on the night of a football tailgate in 2014. When the authorities got involved, the culprit — Daniel Drill-Mellum — deceived them by manipulating Abby into claiming that what happened that night was consensual. However, when another survivor raised her voice, it was only a matter of time before the member of Sigma Phi Epsilon was brought to justice.
Daniel Drill-Mellum Sexually Assaulted Two Women in 2014
Hailing from Waconia, Minnesota, Daniel “Dan” York Drill-Mellum was brought into the world by Richard Drill-Mellum and Laurie. While growing up, he attended Chaska High School in Chaska, Minnesota, where he was DECA president and Co-captain of the cross-country team. For higher studies, he joined the University of Minnesota and became a fraternity member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He also enrolled in the Carlson School of Management from 2012 to 2014. At some point, he also interned with former Governor Mark Dayton and US Senator Al Franken. Daniel, a popular figure in college, met 19-year-old Abby Honold at a football tailgate party on November 8, 2014.
Not long after they began talking, Daniel convinced her to go to his apartment right across the street, where he sexually assaulted Abby even after she allegedly kept fighting back. Right after he was done, she left the house and called 911, informing them of the incident. Since she had suffered multiple injuries, she headed to the hospital to get examined. Soon, Daniel was brought in for questioning and taken into custody for being accused of sexual assault. Meanwhile, Abby talked to a couple of fraternity brothers over call, not knowing that the call was being recorded. During the discourse, she explained that Daniel had raped her, but when he asked her if they had consensual sex, making it sound like “actual sex,” she said “yes.”
In light of this evidence, the accused was released from prison. While Abby was fighting to get justice for herself, she encouraged other women who might have faced assault from Daniel too. It turned out that on Halloween 2014, he had sexually assaulted another woman named Margot in the laundry room of his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. Following the testimonies against him, he was suspended from campus for ten years and also expelled from his chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. On the next Halloween, Daniel attended the Halloween party at the fraternity despite being expelled. However, since it was situated outside the university campus, the police could not arrest him. About a week later, Margot decided to give a statement against him and get justice for herself and Abby.
It Took Two Years to Bring Daniel Drill-Mellum to Justice
As the authorities began the process of arresting Daniel, they learned that he had moved to Australia for an indefinite period of time to work and study. Fortunately, they discovered he would be flying back home to attend his sister’s wedding in December 2015. So, as soon as he landed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport and got out of the plane on December 24, 2015, the police arrested him for sexual assault. In August 2016, he pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and apologized in court, saying, “I am sorry, I was selfish. I am ashamed of what I did.” He added, “I am deeply sorry. No one should have to endure the trauma and harm I have caused you. … I have only begun to understand the impact I have had on you.”
Before his sentencing, Daniel joined a sex offender treatment program and was registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Finally, on August 31, 2016, he was sentenced to six years in prison. However, after four years of prison time, he was released on September 29, 2020. After his release, it was declared that he would be moving to Carver County, Minnesota. To be specific, he reportedly began living near Highway 7 and County Road 155 in Watertown Township. In order to pacify the locals, the authorities announced that there was a set of rules that he had to follow and abide by the special conditions of his specific release. It was also declared that failure to do so would result in Daniel being imprisoned yet again.
Read More: Travis Crouch: Where is the Convicted Rapist Now?
