Penn State horror story

[clyons]

The conference has decided to remove the Paterno name from the new Big10 Championship trophy:

 

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/...532522/33310400

[southsider2k5]

At the end, they almost make it sound like the DA disappeared himself. Interesting.

 

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/248309/201...ry-sandusky.htm

 

By Julia Greenberg | November 12, 2011 9:29 PM EST

 

The mysterious circumstances surrounding former District Attorney Ray Gricar's disappearance in 2005 have gained attention in light of the Penn State child abuse scandal.

 

Gricar was an esteemed District Attorney of Centre County when he was approached in 1998 with allegations towards Jerry Sandusky of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy. Gricar surprisingly decided not to prosecute the Penn State defensive coordinator and never explained why. Then, six years later in 2005, Gricar suddenly went missing.

 

The mysterious circumstances surrounding former District Attorney Ray Gricar's disappearance in 2005 have gained new attention in light of the Penn State child abuse scandal. Gricar was an esteemed DA of Centre County and surprisingly decided not to prosecute Jerry Sandusky in 1998. Then, six years later in 2005, Gricar went missing.

 

The mysterious circumstances surrounding former District Attorney Ray Gricar's disappearance in 2005 have gained new attention in light of the Penn State child abuse scandal. Gricar was an esteemed DA of Centre County and surprisingly decided not to prosecute Jerry Sandusky in 1998. Then, six years later in 2005, Gricar went missing.

 

Former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged Nov. 5 with 40 counts of sexual abuse against young boys. The case has revealed an elaborate cover-up of the alleged crimes that occurred between 1994 and 2009. Numerous Penn State officials, including revered Penn State Coach Joe Paterno, seem to have been aware of Sandusky's sexual involvement with young boys that he mentored through his charity, Second Mile.

 

The case of Ray Gricar is important because it's an added mystery to an already complicated mess. Many have wondered why DA Gricar failed to prosecute Sandusky in 1998. Further speculations have been made that perhaps Gricar's disappearance was foul play and may have been related to a cover-up of the Penn State scandal.

 

According to the Grand Jury Report, Gricar was well aware of at least one allegation against Sandusky.

 

Victim 6's mother reported to the Penn State University Police that Sandusky made her son feel uncomfortable in the shower in 1998. When the mother told Sandusky he could not see her son anymore, he reportedly said, "I understand. I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won't get it from you. I wish I were dead."

 

University Police Detective Ronald Shreffler conducted a lengthy investigation on Victim 6 that was ultimately closed by Gricar. The district attorney determined that there would be no criminal charges, according to the report. Gricar never gave a justification for his decision to close the case without pressing charges or at least pursuing the investigation of the alleged sexual abuse.

 

Years went by, but in April 2005, circumstances surrounding Gricar once again became suspicious. The 59-year-old district attorney suddenly went missing and was never found.

 

Gricar had served for nearly 20 years as the district attorney and was planning to retire that year. He had had a successful career, was close with his 27-year-old daughter, Lara, and was happily involved with his live-in girlfriend, Patty Fornicola.

 

On April 15, 2005, Gricar called his girlfriend and told her he planned to take the day off from work to visit an antique mall off Route 192 in Pennsylvania. He said he would not be home in time to take out the dog. Gricar never returned home and later that night Fornicola called the police.

 

The next day, Gricar's red and white MINI Cooper was found abandoned in a lot in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, according to CNN. There was no sign of forced entry, but the keys were nowhere to be found and the doors were locked.

 

Once police gained access to the car, they noticed cigarette ashes in the passenger area. This was notably strange because Gricar didn't smoke and didn't like to be around people who did. His cell phone was found turned off in the glove compartment.

 

Two employees at the mall told police they had seen Gricar. Search dogs were brought to the scene and police began searching for the missing district attorney, but his body, dead or alive, was never found.

 

CNN also reported that three months later, fishermen unknowingly found Gricar's work laptop in a Lewisburg river. The hard drive was missing, but was found three months later in the river as well. The hard drive was unreadable and nothing was recovered.

 

However, it was found on Gricar's home computer that someone had done research on how to destroy a hard drive, how to get rid of it and how to successfully do water damage to a notebook computer.

 

While Ray Gricar was declared officially "dead" in July 2011, his body was never found. Some have speculated that Gricar committed suicide, while others question if he may have been murdered or been black-mailed and forced to "disappear."

 

While it may never be known why Gricar chose to keep allegations against Sandusky a secret or why the former district attorney suddenly went missing, the circumstances remain suspicious, especially in light of the developing child sexual abuse cover-up that has been revealed at Penn State this week.

 

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: [email protected]

 

To contact the editor, e-mail: [email protected]

[Balta1701]

2nd mile's President has resigned now, and there are some details in here about how big this charity was. Even one of the judges in Sandusky's case has contributed.

The youth charity at the center of the child sex-abuse charges against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky received donations in recent years from hundreds of corporations, community groups and individuals -- including the judge who arraigned Sandusky earlier this month.

 

On Monday, The Second Mile's president resigned, saying he hoped his departure would help restore faith in its mission. The group also announced it had hired Philadelphia's longtime district attorney as its new general counsel.

 

Jack Raykovitz, a practicing psychologist, had led the group, which was founded by Sandusky in 1977, for 28 years.

 

Raykovitz had testified before the grand jury that recommended indicting Sandusky on child abuse charges. The panel said Sandusky found his victims through the charity's programs.

 

Annual reports show how widely popular the charity was before the scandal hit. Hundreds of corporations, community groups and individuals donated each year.

 

Among them was State College District Judge Leslie A. Dutchcot, who set Sandusky's bail earlier this month. She and her husband donated between $500 and $999 to The Second Mile in 2009, and she volunteered for the group, according to annual reports and her website.

 

The judge set bail for the 67-year-old Sandusky at $100,000 unsecured -- meaning he did not have to post collateral to be freed but would have to post $100,000 if he ever failed to show up for a hearing.

 

Dutchcot did not immediately respond to a question on whether she will recuse herself from the case because of those past ties to The Second Mile. She has also removed the mention of The Second Mile from her website.

 

Major companies and their foundations also have given to The Second Mile. Between 2008 and 2010, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Highmark Foundation, The Hershey Company and State Farm Companies Foundation all gave $50,000 or more to the charity.

 

Raykovitz said in a statement Monday that he hopes his resignation would mark the beginning of a "restoration of faith in the community of volunteers and staff" at The Second Mile.

 

Tax forms indicate that Raykovitz's wife, Katherine Genovese, was executive vice president of The Second Mile. She has been with the group since 1984. It's not clear if she still works at the charity, as the staff biography page has been removed from the website.

 

The Second Mile has said that its youth programs serve as many as 100,000 children a year.

 

Sandusky, who retired from Penn State in 1999, informed The Second Mile board in November 2008 that he was under investigation. The charity subsequently barred him from activities involving children, charity officials said.

[LittleHurt05]

darrenrovelldarren rovell

Sandusky to Costas tonight on @RockCenterNBC: "I have horsed around" showered, touched, but no sexual intent. Watch on NBC at 10pm ET.

 

@NBCPhiladelphiaNBC Philadelphia

"I'm innocent of these charges" Jerry Sandusky tells Bob Costas in exclusive interview airing tonight on @RockCenterNBC 10p/9c #RockCenter

[LittleHurt05]

@PeterAlexander: #BREAKING (1) #Sandusky witness, McQueary email to fmr. teammates: "I did the right thing…you guys know me…" #PennState

(2) McQueary: "... the truth is not out there fully... I didn't just turn and run... I made sure it stopped..."

[Kyyle23]

I cannot help but think that Sandusky isnt doing himself any favors with that interview. Showered and touched and played around.....40 accounts of sexual attacks...8 victims named, more have come forward....yet you say you arent guilty. Sometimes shutting up is the better course of action

[iamshack]

I cannot help but think that Sandusky isnt doing himself any favors with that interview. Showered and touched and played around.....40 accounts of sexual attacks...8 victims named, more have come forward....yet you say you arent guilty. Sometimes shutting up is the better course of action

It's obviously an act of desperation. He certainly isn't going to be able to claim he didn't shower with any of them. The only thing he can try to do is gray the line more between merely inappropriate conduct and egregiously criminal sexual acts.

[lord chas]

Sandusky just burying himself wow. "I enjoy young people" Sicko

[iamshack]

Sandusky just burying himself wow. "I enjoy young people" Sicko

He's already buried, is the problem.

 

He has to say he enjoys being around young people. His only argument can be that he enjoys working with young kids and unfortunately, he is a bit naive and inappropriate in his behavior at times (unbeknownst to him). He's not going to fool anyone, but it's not like he can come out and say 10 kids are lying and all conspiring against him or something.

[southsideirish71]

Sandusky just burying himself wow. "I enjoy young people" Sicko

 

Edited November 15, 2011 by southsideirish71

[max power]

He should have said absolutely nothing.

 

Taking 20 seconds to answer the question, "Are you sexually attracted to young boys?" is not a good strategy.

Edited November 15, 2011 by MAX

[RockRaines]

So Sanduskys lawyer impregnated a 17 year old client of his?

 

 

Wow.

[iamshack]

So Sanduskys lawyer impregnated a 17 year old client of his?

 

 

Wow.

What a team!

 

 

[Texsox]

@PeterAlexander: #BREAKING (1) #Sandusky witness, McQueary email to fmr. teammates: "I did the right thing…you guys know me…" #PennState

(2) McQueary: "... the truth is not out there fully... I didn't just turn and run... I made sure it stopped..."

 

No Sparky, it continued because YOU didn't go to the police with an eye witness account.

[LittleHurt05]

So Sanduskys lawyer impregnated a 17 year old client of his?

 

 

Wow.

 

When he was 49 years old...

[Balta1701]

So Sanduskys lawyer impregnated a 17 year old client of his?

 

 

Wow.

Well, technically the age of consent in PA is 16...so...

[Balta1701]

It's worth asking how a trained psychologist hears about something that made the children "uncomfortable" and then decided to do nothing.

Raykovitz, who is a licensed psychologist, said in a statement last week that Penn State officials had told him only that the graduate assistant who witnessed the attack was “uncomfortable” with seeing a young boy shower with Sandusky. That graduate assistant has since been identified as a current Penn State assistant, Mike McQueary, who has been placed on leave.

 

“I hope that my resignation brings with it the beginning of that restoration of faith in the community of volunteers and staff that, along with the children and families we serve, are the Second Mile,” Raykovitz said in a statement released by the Second Mile.

 

In announcing Raykovitz’s resignation, which was accepted Sunday, the Second Mile also said that it would conduct an internal investigation to assess its policies, procedures and processes, and to make recommendations regarding the organization’s future operations.

 

The vice chairman of the organization, David Woodle, will be in charge of the Second Mile’s day-to day operations.

 

Raykovitz made $132,923 from the Second Mile during the calendar year that ended Aug. 31, 2010, according to its tax forms.

Link. There's more to this one.

[Kyyle23]

something tells me that the Second Mile foundation will not survive this

[bmags]

something tells me that the Second Mile foundation will not survive this

 

There are many other charities not run by child rapists that can take its place.

[Balta1701]

something tells me that the Second Mile foundation will not survive this

earlier in this thread someone posted the list of names on the board of directors of that foundation, and there were some very heavy hitters on that list. I def. recall Andy Reid being on it.

[Kyyle23]

earlier in this thread someone posted the list of names on the board of directors of that foundation, and there were some very heavy hitters on that list. I def. recall Andy Reid being on it.

 

Yep. And I can see all of them taking great steps to completely disassociate themselves from it after this

[Milkman delivers]

It's worth asking how a trained psychologist hears about something that made the children "uncomfortable" and then decided to do nothing.

Link. There's more to this one.

 

Making $130,000 a year by running a charity? That may be commonplace, but it sounds so wrong.

[iamshack]

Making $130,000 a year by running a charity? That may be commonplace, but it sounds so wrong.

They have to have talented people to operate the charity. In order to attract them, you have to pay the market rate.

[southsider2k5]

Making $130,000 a year by running a charity? That may be commonplace, but it sounds so wrong.

 

As Tom Jones said, it's not unusual...

[Balta1701]

Making $130,000 a year by running a charity? That may be commonplace, but it sounds so wrong.

 

 

They have to have talented people to operate the charity. In order to attract them, you have to pay the market rate.

#OccupyPennSt.