49ers' Ray McDonald Won't Be Charged in Domestic Abuse Case

The Santa Clara District Attorney's office will not file formal charges against San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald following an investigation into an alleged domestic violence incident.     

"Conflicting versions of the event, a lack of verifiable eyewitnesses and a significant lack of cooperation from Jane Doe, we cannot prove a crime occurred," said Santa Clara Deputy District Attorney Lindsay Walsh, per Tim Keown of ESPN.com. "In this particular case, there were particular pieces of information missing."

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport provided further details on the decision:

The 49ers also issued a statement following the announcement, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee:

McDonald himself spoke about the news via Mindi Bach of CSN Bay Area:

Last month, Tracey Kaplan of the Contra Costa Times reported prosecutors were "leaning against charging" McDonald. The case has been rife with difficulties from the investigator's perspective, including a potential conflict of interest with a San Jose police officer who worked security for the 49ers.      

McDonald, 30, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence on Aug. 31 after police found "visible injuries" on his pregnant fiancee. It was the second time police have been called to McDonald's house for a domestic incident this year. He has maintained his innocence throughout the case and has been cooperative with police.

"I am confident in our decision," Walsh said. "We really don't know what happened between the two parties."

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the chances of discipline for McDonald following the announcement:

McDonald has appeared in all nine games while the investigation was ongoing, a decision that has led to pointed criticism of the 49ers franchise. Starting at the left defensive end, he's made 24 tackles without a sack.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter