Live
Audio Only
The father of three young gymnasts sexually abused by disgraced former U.S. Olympic physician Larry Nassar lunged at the defendant in court during final sentencing on Friday.
RELATED:
After listening to his daughters testify about the abuse during the hearing in Eaton County Circuit Court in Charlotte, Michigan, Randall Margraves requested permission – as a distraught father – to speak. Eyeing Nassar, Margraves said: "You son of a bitch!"
Judge Janice K. Cunningham immediately interjected: "Sir... I can't imagine the anger and the anxiety and the feeling of wanting retribution."
Margraves then asked the judge to grant him "five minutes in a locked room with this demon." The judge corrected his language, saying she understood his distress, but couldn't legally allow it.
Margraves pleaded: "Would you give me one minute?"
The judge replied: "You know that I can't do that; that's not how our legal system works."
Margraves responded: "Well, I'm going to have to take it" and lunged in the direction of the defense team, where Nassar was sitting flanked by his attorneys.
Three officers leapt into action and restrained the distraught father as he demanded the judge give him "one minute with that bastard."
As he was escorted out of the courtroom, he asked the officers what they would do if it had happened to them. Margrave later returned to the courtroom to apologize. He will not be facing any charges.
"I'm not here to upstage my daughters, I'm here to help them heal," he said. "I got to hear (his daughters' testimony), and I got to see Larry Nassar over here shaking his head 'no,' like it didn't happen," Margraves said.
Judge Cunningham described the incident as "scary," but acknowledged that she understood Margrave's actions: "I recognize that Mr. Margraves had three daughters that he has had to watch go through the pain and the hurt. I can't imagine what it is like for a parent."
RELATED:
US Gymnastics Doctor Faces up to 175 Years for Sexual Assault
The number of known victims abused by Nassar during his career with the Olympics and while working as a sports doctor for Michigan State University has risen to 265. The courts sentenced the former physician to up to 175 years in prison last week following testimony from almost 160 victims.
The 175 years are in addition to his current sentence of 60 years, which the 54-year-old is serving for possession of pornography relating to child abuse.
Newsletter
