EAGLE, CO - The sexual assault case against Kobe Bryant centers on what really happened last June 30th inside room 35 of the Cordillera Lodge and Spa near Vail, Colorado. But, eight months later, there is a new mystery surrounding that room at the ritzy Colorado hotel, and the room's furniture.

A Denver chair wholesale company claims to have the sofa and chair from Bryant's room, and the owner thinks they may be worth thousands of dollars. Yet, the manger of the Cordillera Lodge said, "he has no idea what he has."

Company hopes to cash in
Steve Farland, owner of "The Chairman," said he bought several truck-loads of used hotel furnishings from the Cordillera Lodge. Some of the items include club chairs covered in fabric from Ralph Lauren ($100), writing desks ($225) and king-sized mattress and box springs discounted about $800 below retail. But, Farland knows the hot items are a sofa and desk chair tagged "35."

"I know for a fact it's from room 35," said Farland. "I talked to the man who took it from that room and labeled the pieces by room number." 

In court testimony, investigators quote the accuser in the case who says Bryant forced her to bend over a chair and then raped her. Bryant is charged with felony sexual assault, but has said the sex was consensual.

Farland said normally, a used chair and sofa would bring about $200, but he says these pieces could be worth much more to a Kobe Bryant fan, "20 thousand dollars? Who knows?"

But the manager of the Cordillera Lodge said Farland is just out to make a quick buck. The Lodge is currently undergoing a $5 million renovation, and as part of that the furnishings of all 56 rooms are being replaced.

Manager Paul Pastoor said when the rooms were cleared for renovation, "all the furniture was loaded into one central location, and there was no indication of which room the pieces came from." Pastoor said the furniture dealer, "has no idea" whether a specific chair or sofa came from a specific room.

The alleged rape victim is scheduled to testify in a closed court hearing Wednesday in Eagle. The judge in the case is allowing defense lawyers to question her about her sexual history before and after she met Bryant.

Interest in infamous 'room 35' still high
Because of the criminal case, interest in room 35 is still very strong, according to Pastoor. The Lodge manager said customers still call to request the "Kobe suite." But, they will have to wait. The Cordillera is now closed and will not reopen until the summer for the golf season.

Bryant has been back in Colorado almost a dozen times since the incident, but he has never returned to the Cordillera Lodge. "No, Mr. Bryant has certainly not been back to see us," laughed Pastoor. "I'm sure he has stayed in the area, but not at the Cordilera."

Back in the Denver showroom of "The Chairman" business is lively. Farland said more than a dozen customers were looking over the sofa and chair Tuesday, and television crews were arriving to take pictures. "I'm not selling yet, but I'm willing to take offers," said Farland. He said he wants to see what the market will bear before he sells a used chair and sofa which just might have been part of the crime scene of the century in Eagle County, Colorado.

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