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Tag: jerry sandusky jury reaches verdict

  • Jerry Sandusky Jury Reaches Verdict: Twitter Reacts

    Jerry Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse against 10 minors last night, and the crowd outside the courtroom was filled with onlookers who erupted into cries of joy when the verdict was read. Sandusky’s trial has been a particularly trying one for the families of the victims and the victims themselves, of course, as their terrible memories flooded the courtroom after several years of being kept a secret.

    Sandusky’s own adopted son, Matt, came forward with a desire to testify against him, though his statement wasn’t taken into consideration because the jury had already begun to deliberate. Matt was one of six children the Sandusky’s adopted and has a troubled past, which includes a suicide attempt barely four months after moving into the home.

    The overwhelming amount of evidence trumped the lack of corroborating witnesses to Mike McQueary’s claim that he saw Sandusky having sex with a young boy in the Penn State showers several years ago; McQueary was an employee of the school. His allegations that Penn State coach Joe Paterno did nothing to stop the abuse got Paterno fired last year. Paterno died in January.

    Twitter fairly exploded with the news late last night as word spread about the verdict; for most, it seems, justice has been served.

  • Jerry Sandusky Jury Reaches Verdict: Guilty On 45 Counts

    Cheers of jubilation could be heard outside the courtroom tonight as a judge and jury handed down the life-changing verdict in the Jerry Sandusky case: guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse against 10 boys, occurring over a period of 15 years.

    Sandusky reportedly showed little emotion when the verdict was read and made his way calmly to a waiting car outside, accompanied by officers who escorted him to jail. He will stay there around three months, awaiting sentencing. And word is, the sentences will be long enough to keep him in prison until he dies.

    The prosecution called upon former Penn State employee Mike McQueary to testify that he found Sandusky having sex with a young boy in the school showers; his allegations that Penn State Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno didn’t do anything after being told about the abuse led to Paterno’s termination from the university. Unfortunately, he passed away in January, so McQueary’s story couldn’t be corroborated. Among the victims who testified against Sandusky, the stories remained shockingly linear; similar tales of oral and anal sex being forced upon them on school grounds or at his home were a consistent thread, as were tales of abuse occurring in the school showers.

    Sandusky’s adopted foster son, Matt, asked to be included in the witnesses for prosecution yesterday but was denied since deliberation had already begun amongst jurors. His statement was still taken, however, and officials discovered that he tried to commit suicide as a teenager after living in the Sandusky home for just four months. He was ultimately adopted, along with five other children, and as of now he is the only one to come forward with a story to tell. What that story is, we’re not sure just yet, as his statement hasn’t been made public. In such extremely emotional and painful situations, the mental state of the victims is always taken into consideration.

    Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said thanked the victims for their bravery in coming forward.

    “One of the recurring themes in this case was, ‘Who would believe a kid?’” she said. “The answer is ‘We here in Bellefonte, Pa., would believe a kid.”