The 1998 Investigation

[BigCat]

Thanks, Julien, for your last 2 posts...from what you have put together it seems that, although it was said the case was turned over to Lauro at DPW because of the CPS county conflict with TMS/JS, the powers that be managed to have CPS involved after all in arranging the Seasock evaluation of the boy and having it accepted and the Chambers report ignored, and running interference around Lauro. I smell a cover up but it is not clear if it was coming from Harmon/campus police or higher in PSU or maybe both since Harmon was reporting to Schultz. They certainly were all glad to 'get it behind us'.....

Harmon's emails in the Freeh report did not give the impression that Schultz was 'in the know'. Harmon passes along scant information.

In one email dated 5/14/98, Harmon tells Schultz that "they decided to have a a child psychologist speak to the boys over the next week."

Who are "they"?

Is the "child psychologist" Seasock?

Why didn't he tell Schultz about Chambers' and Seasock's reports? Was he not aware of them?

Did the child psychologist meet with the boys?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Harmon's emails in the Freeh report did not give the impression that Schultz was 'in the know'. Harmon passes along scant information.

In one email dated 5/14/98, Harmon tells Schultz that "they decided to have a a child psychologist speak to the boys over the next week."

Who are "they"?

Is the "child psychologist" Seasock?

Why didn't he tell Schultz about Chambers' and Seasock's reports? Was he not aware of them?

Did the child psychologist meet with the boys?

"They" could have been DPW.

I'm not sure Harmon was aware of the reports, either one. The Seasock report was not written when Harmon made his comments.

 

[BigCat]

I wasn't sure where to place the following passage from Sandusky's autobiography; I decided to place it here since Sandusky's relationship with local law enforcement may have been a factor in the 98 investigation. It's a story that demonstrates that Sandusky had a close relationship with the local cops as early as 1981.

One night, at around three in the morning, I was awakened by a phone call from the State College Police Department. They wanted to inform me that "my kids had run away from home," and they had them in their custody. I kept thinking to myself: "What kids? Which one of my kid would want to run away from home?"

"What do you mean?" I said to the officer as I cleared my head. "Your kids," he answered quickly.

Finally, he expanded on his answer and told me it was a couple of the kids from the Second Mile home -- **** and **** to be exact. Actually, I had expected something like this at some point, so I went to the police station to claim them. I asked them why they did it, why they would want to run away, and they explained their troubles with #### and ####.

***********************************************
I didn't want this running away to become a habit, so I thought of a possible solution — at least an experiment to make them think twice about doing it again. "No, ****, I don't grab my kids like that. I grab them like this."

With that, I put my hands gently around his throat. By now, I could tell they were totally confused. Both boys had a scared look in their eyes. **** didn't want to go back to the Second Mile home, and **** didn't want to go to my house, so I sat at a red light at 4:30 in the morning debating with myself on where to go. Finally, I told them we would compromise. We would go to the Second Mile home that night, and another night they could come to my house. That was just an example of the organizational structure we had in the early days of the Second Mile.

 

[Reader]

BigCat;8328650]Harmon's emails in the Freeh report did not give the impression that Schultz was 'in the know'. Harmon passes along scant information.

In one email dated 5/14/98, Harmon tells Schultz that "they decided to have a a child psychologist speak to the boys over the next week."

Who are "they"?

Is the "child psychologist" Seasock?

Why didn't he tell Schultz about Chambers' and Seasock's reports? Was he not aware of them?

Did the child psychologist meet with the boys?[/

If they are talking about Seasock, from what I remember reading he only met with victim 6, not the other boy, and for about an hour before he made his report that JS did not meet the traits of a pedophile.

Harmon and Schultz could also have communicated by phone or even in person, not just by email. They just needed one report to cancel out what Chambers said and they got it....case fini...

 

[BigCat]

If they are talking about Seasock, from what I remember reading he only met with victim 6, not the other boy, and for about an hour before he made his report that JS did not meet the traits of a pedophile.

Harmon and Schultz could also have communicated by phone or even in person, not just by email. They just needed one report to cancel out what Chambers said and they got it....case fini...

I screwed up in my original post. The email I quoted was one from Schultz to Tim Curley. It was not from Harmon. Harmon actually did tell Schultz that a psychologist met with "the child."

Did Schultz deliberately mislead Curley? I have my doubts. It's my impression that Schultz wasn't overly concerned with the investigation, which was the reason he didn't get the details correct. And why would he have cared about Sandusky in 98? Sandusky wasn't his problem. In contrast to Paterno, who cancelled his plans in May of 98, Schultz went on vacation. (Schultz went on vacation in both 98 and 2001. He had a nice gig.)

So if there was a coverup in 98, I just don't see Schultz as a party to it.

JMO

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I wasn't sure where to place the following passage from Sandusky's autobiography; I decided to place it here since Sandusky's relationship with local law enforcement may have been a factor in the 98 investigation. It's a story that demonstrates that Sandusky had a close relationship with the local cops as early as 1981.

I really don't see that as being too unusual or indicating closeness. TSM wasn't that large at the time. People knew that Sandusky was actively involved in running it. It was basically a call of, "What do you want us to do?"

I could the State College Police making a similar call to the legally responsible person of any runaway.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I screwed up in my original post. The email I quoted was one from Schultz to Tim Curley. It was not from Harmon. Harmon actually did tell Schultz that a psychologist met with "the child."

Did Schultz deliberately mislead Curley? I have my doubts. It's my impression that Schultz wasn't overly concerned with the investigation, which was the reason he didn't get the details correct. And why would he have cared about Sandusky in 98? Sandusky wasn't his problem. In contrast to Paterno, who cancelled his plans in May of 98, Schultz went on vacation. (Schultz went on vacation in both 98 and 2001. He had a nice gig.)

So if there was a coverup in 98, I just don't see Schultz as a party to it.

JMO

I have the same impression, and Schultz isn't giving Curley a blow by blow account.

It is interesting that they are very much concerned about Seasock and DPW, but not about the actual police investigation.

 

[BigCat]

I really don't see that as being too unusual or indicating closeness. TSM wasn't that large at the time. People knew that Sandusky was actively involved in running it. It was basically a call of, "What do you want us to do?"

I could the State College Police making a similar call to the legally responsible person of any runaway.

I doubt that SCPD would call Jack Raykovitz in the middle of the night and say "we have one of your kids down here." Most cops in a university town have an established relationship with the football coaching staff. That's why they felt comfortable calling JS in the middle of the night and speaking to him in an informal manner.

I wonder if there were any times when a kid did not want to go with Jerry. Such a revelation could be potentially embarrassing for the police department.

JMO

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I doubt that SCPD would call Jack Raykovitz in the middle of the night and say "we have one of your kids down here." Most cops in a university town have an established relationship with the football coaching staff. That's why they felt comfortable calling JS in the middle of the night and speaking to him in an informal manner.

I wonder if there were any times when a kid did not want to go with Jerry. Such a revelation could be potentially embarrassing for the police department.

JMO

They might have called Raykovitz, or someone in a position of authority. In 1981, that was Sandusky. You have to remember that the program was smaller.

 

[Rlaub44]

They might have called Raykovitz, or someone in a position of authority. In 1981, that was Sandusky. You have to remember that the program was smaller.

Plus, nobody really knew who Raykovitz was. In Central PA, Sandusky has always been the public face of TSM.

 

[nittanylioness234]

I don't know if the meeting was about Sandusky, but I wouldn't be surprised if a message wasn't sent.

The first time I heard about any dislike between Gricar and Sandusky or Penn State was after 11/5/11.

I would like to know what you heard about the dislike between Gricar and Sandusky, and from where you heard it.

I've been wondering about this since you mentioned it, and have googled different things but found nothing.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I would like to know what you heard about the dislike between Gricar and Sandusky, and from where you heard it.

I've been wondering about this since you mentioned it, and have googled different things but found nothing.

Tony Gricar. The quote was "bitter taste in his mouth."

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/gricars_nephew_on_1998_sandusk.html

Until the scandal broke, I never any suggestion that RFG had negative feeling toward Penn State, Penn State football, or Sandusky.

 

[Rlaub44]

Former Asst DA under Gricar, Steve Sloane is facing felony charges for allegedly dealing pot:

Former Centre County assistant district attorney Steve Sloane is facing felony charges for allegedly selling marijuana he received from California and sold to employees at the law firm where he worked.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2012/10/01/3355533/former-centre-county-assistant.html#storylink=cpy

Didn't know where to post this, but we discussed Sloane in this thread, and I thought it was newsworthy.​

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Former Asst DA under Gricar, Steve Sloane is facing felony charges for allegedly dealing pot:

Former Centre County assistant district attorney Steve Sloane is facing felony charges for allegedly selling marijuana he received from California and sold to employees at the law firm where he worked.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2012/10/01/3355533/former-centre-county-assistant.html#storylink=cpy

Didn't know where to post this, but we discussed Sloane in this thread, and I thought it was newsworthy.​

I posted this on the Gricar thread. Sloane, aside from being an ADA, was one of Gricar's closest friends.

Thank you.

 

[Twindad]

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2012/10/03/Former_district_attorney_Steve_Sloane_arraigned.aspx

 

[Tipstaff]

Resolution on Sandusky inquiry brings state House to a halt
October 3, 2012 8:01 pm




By Laura Olson / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG -- An effort by state House Democrats to force a vote on a resolution seeking details about the Pennsylvania attorney general probe of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal led to an abrupt halt to today's legislative debate.

A measure calling for a federal investigation of how then-Attorney General Tom Corbett's office handled its inquiry into allegations against the former Penn State University assistant football coach has been sitting in committee since December.

Democrats filed a motion in June to bypass the typical legislative process and bring the measure up for consideration by the full House. When they attempted to do so today, House Speaker Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, ended session for the day.




Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories...s-state-house-to-a-halt-656000/#ixzz28KmZYUsA

 

[BigCat]

In the latest presentment, Harmon admitted he had the 98 investigation filed under an administrative number to avoid media scrutiny. In other words, he ordered a cover-up of the investigation, no other way around it.

Also, the presentment states that Curley gave a materially false statement about his knowledge of the 98 investigation. That will disappoint a lot of Penn State football fans who believe the perjury charge rest solely on the testimony of Mike McQueary.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

We did find out or can confirm two things about the 1998 investigation:

1. Gricar made his decision about not prosecuting Sandusky before Lauro did. Both Schreffler and Lauro say so.

2. Gricar made his decision prior to anyone interviewing Sandusky.

 

[Reader]

We did find out or can confirm two things about the 1998 investigation:

1. Gricar made his decision about not prosecuting Sandusky before Lauro did. Both Schreffler and Lauro say so.

2. Gricar made his decision prior to anyone interviewing Sandusky.

So, Gricar made his decision before the investigation was even completed, that's what it sounds like to me....along with the questions of why he took the usual SA investigator Karen (can't remember her last name) off the case, who overrode her instructions to LE not to bring in another psychologist than Chambers (who in DPW), and did Gricar have access to and read both of those reports by Chambers and Seasock.

IDK but it just seems to me he made the decision for no charges without a lot of information that normally would be needed and waited to be completed before any decision is made....makes me wonder what or who was influencing him in this decision and why the hurry before everything was completed?

And I understand he had/has a good reputation for prosecuting cases and being a tough SA, that's why it's so funny/strange in how he handled this case...it does not seem to be the normal way he operated....

 

[Twindad]

I have not delved into RG's history very much. It appears his actions have contributed to JS being allowed to continue for many more years. Looking at just this case, if he didn't have a "good reputation", what would people be saying? Lots of people involved in this case have/had good reputations. Some of them are in jail or awaiting trial. It would be very interesting to hear from Wendell Courtney.