How Susan Shannon Destroyed Colonel David Riggins' Career

Susan Shannon wrote a blog post accusing Army Colonel David "Wil" Riggins of rape. It backfired with her having to pay for the damages for the rest of her life

By Rare StoriesPublished about a year ago • Updated 6 months ago • 3 min read

Susan Shannon, a blogger from Everett, Washington, who was 52 years old at the time, wrote an article that made some very serious claims about a US Army colonel. According to what Shannon's blog says, Army Colonel David "Wil" Riggins sexually assaulted her in 1986 when they were both cadets at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy in New York. In 2013, she wrote about the claims on her blog Short Little Rebel, which has been deleted.

Shannon said that Riggins raped her in 1986 when he drove her home from a party where she got drunk. Riggins gave her a ride, and when she fell asleep in the car, she says that he slept with her while she was out. Riggins went on to have a long and successful career in the Army, rising to the rank of colonel while she soon dropped out of West Point.

While she dropped out, Riggins progressed to higher ranks

Shannon says she didn't tell anyone about what happened at the time because of the army's "code of silence." Shannon says that even during her exit interview, she didn't talk about the alleged rape because the army told her to keep quiet and not tell on her peers. But after almost 30 years, she decided to share what she said was a painful secret.

Shannon says that she was moved to talk about what she says happened to her after reading about high-profile cases of sexual assault in the military that were brought to court. She didn't tell the police about it, though. Instead, she wrote about it on her blog, Short Little Rebel, and named Riggins as the person who had raped her. And the timing seemed unusual.

Riggins' Career and Reputation are Hurt

Just before Susan Shannon wrote the harsh things about Riggins, it was announced that the colonel had been chosen for a big promotion. Shannon said that she didn't know about Riggins' nomination when she wrote her blog. She said that she didn't find out about it until Army officials who were looking into her post called her.

Just before his major promotion, his career was cut short

Riggins' successful military career was turned upside down almost right away by the claims. The combat veteran from Alexandria, whose career included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was about to be promoted to brigadier general when Army leaders saw Shannon's rape claim on her blog. Riggins was quickly passed over for a promotion because his name was dragged through the mud.

Riggins Fights Back

All of the charges were strongly denied by the decorated colonel.

The military looked into it and found that there wasn't enough evidence to charge Riggins with rape, but the damage was already done. The investigation ruined his military career, and he had to leave the Army because of it.

He decided to fight back after the accusations hurt his career. 'I did not rape Susan Shannon. I did not sexually assault Susan Shannon. Every aspect of (her) story is verifiably false," he declared.

So, Army Colonel Wil Riggins sued Susan Shannon for defamation, saying that what she said about him hurt his chances of getting a promotion.

The jury sided with the colonel and told the blogger to pay $8.4 million in damages to Riggins: $3.4 million in compensatory damages for hurting his reputation and lost wages, and $5 million in punitive damages "to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

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It is possible Shannon's action was inspired by jealousy, seeing her former colleague thrive while may have triggered the dark side of her. She will live the rest of her life as a financial slave, trying to pay for the damages she caused.