Tacoma woman who claimed she was raped at Point Defiance lied to detectives, charges say
A 39-year-old woman accused of lying to Tacoma detectives about being attacked and raped at Point Defiance Park in December is facing criminal charges.
The city’s Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Emily Ann Harp for a knowingly false report that caused an emergency response on Dec. 11, 2024, according to charging documents from Tacoma’s Municipal Court.
Documents show Harp reported the rape took place at about 5 p.m. at a parking lot near Five Mile Drive.
Detectives spoke to Harp on Feb. 4 at her apartment where they told her that they concluded she did not go to the park that day.
“I did. I swear to God!” Harp replied.
A detective who confronted her could tell she was nervous and explained the timeline from that day to help Harp understand why they knew she never went towards the park.
Harp allegedly told detectives that the assault did not happen at the parking lot, but it happened near the Highlands Golf Course, about four miles from Five Mile Drive. When asked why she would lie about the location, Harp said, “because its weird that it’s close to my house,” documents show.
Documents show she changed the location of the assault again, claiming it happened on Dec. 7, 2024 at her apartment.
When detectives told her there was no male DNA found on her, she said the alleged attacker “had gloves on,” documents show. Harp’s account of what happened allegedly changed over time, including how the assault occurred, according to documents.
A detective spoke to Harp’s ex-husband and her child’s father who said that she is a “pathological liar” and has a “pill problem,” documents show. He told a detective that he got a text message from Harp a day after the alleged assault, which read, “I was raped by a stranger at five mile drive tonight, I just got home I’m not sure how or what to tell [the child].”
Harp’s brother spoke to detectives who also relayed that she allegedly has an addiction to pills. Her brother said that in the past she allegedly lied about having cancer.
After Harp’s initial report in December, the Police Department implemented emphasis patrols throughout the park, The News Tribune reported.
The department also expended numerous resources during the investigation, including forensic analysis and witness interviews.
Documents show that Harp will be arraigned for the charges on March 24 at Tacoma Municipal Court.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 3:48 PM.
