Woman who accused luxury real estate broker Oren Alexander and his twin brother of rape dies

An Australian woman who sued luxury real estate broker Oren Alexander and his twin brother Alon for sexual assault, sparking a catalyst for several other women to come forward with similar claims, has died.

Kate Whiteman’s death was reported to the coroner at the end of last year, the Coroner’s Court of New South Wales confirmed to NBC News in a statement. Her death was found to be non-suspicious, the court said.

"The investigation is concluded and the file is now closed," an emailed statement read.

The court said it would not be releasing any more information out of consideration for her family. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Her death came shortly before the twins, and their older brother, Tal Alexander, are scheduled to go to trial in a federal sex trafficking case.

Whiteman's complaint, filed in the New York State Supreme Court in March 2024, accuses the twins of sexual assault, battery, false imprisonment, and emotional distress.

Oren Alexander, 37, and Tal Alexander, 38, were prominent real estate brokers who sold luxury properties in New York City and Miami. Alon Alexander was an executive at a private security company owned and operated by the family.

Whiteman said in the complaint that she met the twins in New York City in 2008. Oren Alexander would "constantly text" her to meet up, but she would decline, the complaint says.

It alleges that Alon would "sometimes pretend to be his twin brother Oren, trying to help his brother and call or text plaintiff on Oren’s behalf."

In May 2012, the complaint says that Alon Alexander "forcefully grabbed" Whiteman's hand as she was leaving a New York City nightclub and forced her into a black SUV where Oren was waiting.

They drove her to Sir Ivan’s Castle in the Hamptons, which is known to host parties, and led her into a garage, according to the complaint.

Whiteman tried to flee, the complaint says, but a security guard stopped her. The complaint alleges that the brothers forced Whiteman to strip and change into a sarong and locked her phone in a locker before taking her to a bedroom where she was "sexually assaulted, abused, raped, pinned, groped, harassed, battered, and fondled by defendants Alon and Oren."

In a Nov. 3 court filing, the brothers denied Whiteman's allegations against them.

Earlier this week, the twins pleaded not guilty to a new count related to their federal sex trafficking case. Oren and Alon Alexander were charged with sexual abuse by physical incapacitation, according to a superseding indictment filed in federal court on Monday. The charge stems from a January 2012 incident involving an unnamed woman who was allegedly assaulted on a cruise ship, the indictment states.

In addition to the new charge, the twins and Tal Alexander were charged with 11 counts of conspiring over a decade to drug, sexually assault, and rape dozens of women in Miami, New York, and the Hamptons.

Prosecutors said the brothers, while working with others, repeatedly and violently drugged, assaulted, and raped the women. According to the indictment, they arranged for sexual assaults in advance, using the promise of luxury experiences, travel, and accommodations. The indictment alleges that the women were sometimes raped and assaulted by multiple men, including one or more of the Alexander brothers.

The brothers have pleaded not guilty to all of the other counts. Their attorney did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday.

Their parents defended them, saying that they "believe our sons are innocent."

"Our family has been living with this ordeal since allegations first appeared in civil lawsuits and were widely publicized long before any criminal charges were filed, and the toll has been deeply painful," Shlomi and Orly Alexander previously said in a statement.

All three are in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City.