9 Troubling Questions About The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal

On the heels of the revelation that the judge who freed Jerry Sandusky on bail was a donor to Sandusky’s Second Mile charity, and the incredulous questions as to why she did not recuse herself, here are some more unanswered questions surrounding this awful scandal.

Jerry Sandusky in 1999. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A mother whose son was involved with Sandusky’s Second Mile charity contacted University Police in 1998 after learning her son had been showering with the Penn State Defensive Coordinator.

Detectives eavesdropped on a conversation between the mother and Sandusky in which she confronted him and asked if his “private parts” had touched her son. Sandusky responded, “I don’t think so…maybe. I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won’t get it from you. I wish I were dead.”

Despite testimony from the mother and Sandusky’s statement caught on tape, Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar refused to bring charges against Sandusky. Sandusky “retired” from Penn State football the next year, but continued to run Second Mile from an office on the Penn State campus, where he still had access to the athletic facilities.

Missing Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar. (Centre Daily Times Photo)

D.A. Ray Gricar disappeared in 2005, 7 years after the first Sandusky case and 9 months before his retirement.

After telling his girlfriend he was going for a long drive, his car was found abandoned at an antiques market 50 miles from the courthouse where he worked. His laptop was discovered months later in the Susquehanna River, its hard drive removed. Investigators learned Gricar, shortly before his disappearance, had done internet searches on how to destroy a hard drive.

Gricar’s daughter had him declared legally dead this year.

Ray Gricar’s laptop computer at the Bellefonte Police Department on August 1, 2005. (Centre Daily Times Photo)

The Centre County District Attorney refuses to release any records on the disappearance of Gricar, rejecting Right-To-Know requests from the Associated Press.

More troubling, when the Associated Press requested Gricar’s file on the 1998 allegations against Sandusky, the District Attorney’s office said they could not release the file because “there are no such records in the office.”

The Second Mile headquarters on the campus of State College. (REUTERS/Pat Little)

According to sports writer Mark Madden, who was one of the first to break the Sandusky child rape story, investigators are currently looking into whether Sandusky may have been at the center of a child prostitution ring.

If Sandusky was using Second Mile as a recruiting ground for victims, it should be asked if anyone else in the charity was doing the same.

Jerry Sandusky in handcuffs on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/The Patriot-News, Andy Colwell)

A New York charity, who worked in conjunction with Second Mile, is investigating whether any disadvantaged children it sent to stay in Sandusky’s home may have been abused.

It is a stark reminder that the 8 children from the Grand Jury Report are probably not the only victims. Sandusky is alleged to be a serial rapist and his crimes may not have been contained within Second Mile.

Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno, Aug. 6, 1999. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)

Jerry Sandusky was a renowned assistant coach who helped Penn State win two national championships. He was 55 years old when he “retired” from Penn State in 1999, still in the prime of his coaching life. Sandusky was widely considered a successor to Joe Paterno.

Why was he not recruited by other football programs? Did it not seem odd that a successful member of one of the most respected football dynasties in the nation would suddenly step down and not pursue other career options? Surely these questions were asked, and quite probably answered, in the college football community.

Mike McQueary and Joe Paterno, Oct. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar, File)

Assistant Coach Mike McQueary is in the Grand Jury Report as an eyewitness to Sandusky’s rape of a 10 or 11-year-old boy in the shower room of the Lasch Football Building. He did not report what he saw to a law enforcement or child protective services agency. Head Coach Joe Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier were fired for similar lack of action.

Penn State president Rodney Erickson, who replaced Spanier, will only say McQueary is still on staff because of unspecified “legal reasons.”

It is speculated McQueary is being protected so he can be a credible witness when he testifies against Sandusky in court. As of this writing, McQueary has been put on paid leave and is in protective custody.

Joe Paterno at football practice, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

According to the Grand Jury Report, Paterno knew of allegations against Sandusky at least as far back as 2002. It is reasonable to assume he was informed of the investigation of Sandusky in 1998, which likely led Paterno later that same year to inform Sandusky he would not be the next head coach at Penn State.

Also of interest is how much Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier might be paid as part of their contract termination.

Jerry Sandusky’s mugshot, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General)

District Judge Leslie Dutchcot released Jerry Sandusky on $100,000 bail at his preliminary arraignment. A baffling move, as Sandusky faces the possibility of life in prison. Prosecutors had requested $500,000 bail for Sandusky and that he be required to wear a leg monitor, arguing that he’s a flight risk.

It has since been revealed that Dutchcot was a volunteer and donor to Sandusky’s charity, Second Mile.