Innocent Matt Rinehart Jailed On Unbelievable Rape Charges

By Edward Snook
Investigative Reporter

Crook County, OR – 18 year old Matthew Rinehart and his live-in girlfriend Diane Pike were sleeping together on October 6, 2012. According to witnesses, the two were involved in a very sensual and continuing sexual relationship. Pike was the same age as Rinehart and she was reportedly the aggressor during many of their intimate encounters.

Pike’s parents were very upset about the relationship and were allegedly applying severe pressure on Pike to end her “love affair” with Matt. Apparently, on October 6, their pressure finally produced the intended results. Diane Pike accused Matthew Rinehart of “taking advantage of her,” of sexually assaulting her while she was “physically helpless.”

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office took over and teamed up with the District Attorney’s Office to file not only false, but completely ludicrous criminal charges against Rinehart.

Diane Pike & text message sent to Matthew Rinehar

Matthew Rinehart was arraigned on October 10, 2012 on three counts – Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree, Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree, and Sodomy in the First Degree, all for one allegedly routine and common event that took place on October 6th at his grandparents’ home where the two were living and sleeping together.

I should note that the grandparents were on a hunting trip at the time and although they were allowing Pike to use a trailer on their property, they in no way condoned their continual and consensual sexual activity.

“Matthew, My Angel, love, amazing, kind, sweet, caring…”
~ Diane Pike

Diane Pike & Matthew Rinehart

Case History

Shortly before October 6, 2012, Matthew, his mother and his grandparents took in 18 year old Diane Pike who had just been made homeless when her parents reportedly “kicked her out of their home” in Prineville, Oregon.

Matthew and Diane had an on again off again romantic relationship, before Matthew and his family took her in to their home. According to several witnesses, Pike and Rinehart “had engaged in consensual sex-play before and after she moved in with his family.”

Diane, who had sought and obtained treatment for a urinary tract infection while she was living with Matthew and his family, took Matthew to Pioneer Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment for a traumatic injury he had suffered on October 5th.

Matthew was treated and released from Pioneer Memorial Hospital shortly after midnight as October 6, 2012 was just beginning. Matthew and Diane returned home and slept together in the same bed.

They awoke early that morning because Matthew’s 6 year old sister was in distress. They comforted the little girl. Diane returned to bed and claims she fell back asleep. Diane claims that when she woke up about 2 hours later she was naked and she did not know how she had gotten naked. However, one witness states, “I walked by the bedroom and Diane and Matt were sitting up in bed removing her clothing.”

Diane returned to Pioneer Memorial Hospital later that day and said that she thought she had been raped by Matthew.

Diane Pike & Matthew Rinehart

Crook County Sheriff’s Deputies “investigated,” which included an interview of a very naive Rinehart. At the conclusion of their interview they arrested him, even though he denied that Diane had been asleep between 7 and 9 a.m.

The allegations against Matthew are not that he used force on Diane. The allegations against Matthew are that Diane was asleep when he touched her sexually on October 6th.

She was allegedly “out cold” due to her taking antibiotics to treat her urinary infection. If this wasn’t such a tragic case, it would be laughable – Needless to say, the accusations placed Diane back in the “good graces” of her parents and she was headed back to her “family.” The false accusations also placed her “Angel,” her “love” in a cold jail cell with steel bars…

Public defender William J. Condron was appointed to represent Matthew. The public defender hired a private investigator to interview witnesses to the consensual sex play Matthew and Diane had displayed in public over the months and weeks prior to October 6, 2012.

As Matthew’s January 22, 2013 trial date approached his family became increasingly concerned that his appointed attorney was not prepared to defend Matthew. The family contacted the US~ Observer and I investigated and confirmed the family’s concerns.

Realizing that Matthew was clearly headed for prison if he allowed Condron to represent him at trial, I instructed the family that Matt should fire his attorney – he fired Condron without hesitation.

Attorney James Leuenberger

The family then turned to Lawyer James E. Leuenberger to help Matthew. Mr. Leuenberger spoke with the private investigator, Matthew, and Matthew’s family. He agreed to represent Matthew and has done so since the end of January 2013.

Mr. Leuenberger has been collecting information about the case and Matthew’s accuser. As the case stands in late March of 2013, Mr. Leuenberger is confident that should the state take the case to trial that the jury will find Matthew not guilty.

Leuenberger is a very competent lawyer from Portland and we are well aware of the cases he has won concerning false sex abuse charges – Should this case go to trial, I will be watching and taking notes from the front row.

There are many more startling and overwhelming facts to publish on this case and they will be published in the near future, however, I don’t want to alert Crook County Assistant District Attorney Victoria Elizabeth Schwartz to key evidence. My opinion of Schwartz is that she is totally corrupt, that she has a history of prosecuting innocent people and that she would attempt to twist the evidence and alter the facts.

District Attorney Daina Vitolins

It would behoove Crook County District Attorney Daina Vitolins to look into this case very closely. If she does, she will drop the manufactured charges that her office has filed against Matthew Rinehart and apologize to this innocent young man. Vitolins is ultimately the one responsible for this absolutely factual case of prosecutorial abuse… Matt is innocent Daina Vitolins and he has been locked up for close to six long months! As both a citizen and a reporter, I demand that you stop this false prosecution.

Anyone who has information regarding Diane Pike, her family or statements that Diane has made about Matt or this case is urged to contact Edward Snook at 541-474-7885 or email to ed@usobserver.com.