Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary was expected to testify during Jerry Sandusky‘s trial... it’s just that no one thought he would take the stand on Day 2. But, in a trial already full of twists and turns, McQueary was called upon early this afternoon following the emotional testimony of alleged Victim 1 (which we’ll have links to later tonight).
McQueary reiterated many of the comments he made in the trial of two PSU administrators -- vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley -- that ended up in the grand jury indictment of Sandusky that was released last fall, though the largest difference is the change in date. McQueary originally said he saw Sandusky and a young boy in the showers of an on-campus facility in 2002; that alleged incident has since been determined to have happened in 2001.
To read McQueary’s quotes, click HERE (warning: the link contains graphic content).
But what McQueary did once he saw the alleged incident remains a point of interest because it begins the line of communication to PSU administrators. This morning, KDKA in Pittsburgh reported that Schultz, who is facing perjury charges, had a “secret file” of allegations against Sandusky. NBC News reported yesterday that Schultz and former PSU president Graham Spanier exchanged emails in 2001 allegedly saying involving authorities wouldn’t be “humane” to Sandusky.
McQueary’s reported witness to the 2001 incident has also prompted questions about what the assistant coach “should have done.” Additionally, McQueary’s account of the exact incident and his supposed immediate reaction has changed. Here’s what he said today, per the Associated Press:“I made the loud noise in an attempt to say ‘Someone’s here! Break it up!’” McQueary said, adding that he stepped closer to the opening of the shower room and saw they were separated and facing him directly.
“We looked directly in each other’s eyes and at that time I left the locker room,” and went upstairs to his office, he said.
“It was more than my brain could handle,” he said. “I was making decisions on the fly. I picked up the phone and called my father to get advice from the person I trusted most in my life, because I just saw something ridiculous.”McQueary added that he went to coach Joe Paterno‘s house the next morning to describe what he had seen, but did not do so explicitly out of what he said was respect for the coach and his own embarrassment.