A former United States gymnastics coach died of suicide on Thursday after accused of physically abusing dozens of her young athletes and committing at least one sexual assault, said Michigan Attorney General. John Geddert, 63, is due on Thursday afternoon.
“My office was notified that John Geddert’s body was found in the late afternoon after taking his own life,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved.”
Michigan State Police said Geddert’s body was found in the rest area of an interstate in Clinton County at 3:24 pm. His death is under investigation.
When asked why Geddert was allowed to surrender instead of being arrested, a representative from Nessel’s office said that it was “standard procedure” and that they “had no indication that Geddert intended to run away or hurt himself or others. others”.
“We had contacted his lawyer and we were assured of his cooperation,” said the representative.
Geddert trained the 2012 Olympic team for the gold medal and previously owned a US fitness club in Michigan.
Prosecutors filed 24 criminal charges against Geddert on Thursday: 14 counts of trafficking in persons, forced labor causing injuries; six charges of human trafficking of minors for forced labor; an indictment of ongoing criminal activity; a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct; a charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct; and an accusation of lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation.
In court documents accompanying the announcement, prosecutors allege that Geddert was involved in the “sexual penetration” of a child between 13 and 16 in January 2012. He is also accused of having “sexual contact” with a child of the same age group. during the same period.
Kathy Willens / AP
In explaining allegations of human trafficking, the attorney general’s office alleged that “Geddert’s treatment of young gymnasts constitutes human trafficking, as he allegedly subjected his athletes to forced labor or services in extreme conditions that contributed to their injuries. and damages “.
“Geddert then neglected the injuries that were reported to him by the victims and used coercion, intimidation, threats and physical force to make them live up to the standard he expected,” the office said.
The office also claimed that Geddert made “false or misleading” statements to authorities investigating Larry Nassar, who worked as a doctor on Geddert’s team for approximately 20 years. Nassar, who was convicted of molesting women at the Geddert facility, is serving decades behind bars for child pornography crimes and harassing young athletes. The office said Geddert’s charges were unrelated to his broader investigation at Michigan State University.
USA Gymnastics said in a statement that “we expected news of the criminal charges brought against John Geddert to be brought to justice through the legal process,” adding: “With the news of his death by suicide, we share the feeling of shock, and our thoughts are with the gym community, which struggles with the complex emotions of today’s events. “
Sarah Klein, a gymnast who said she trained with Geddert for more than 10 years, said: “John Geddert’s escape from justice by committing suicide is traumatic beyond words. He has tortured and abused girls, including me, for over 30 years. and was able to deceive justice. “
Klein said in a statement that Geddert was “a narcissistic abuser” and said “his suicide is an admission of guilt that the whole world can now see”.
“As a survivor and mother of two girls, my only comfort is knowing that I can rest my head on the pillow every night, knowing that John Geddert will never terrify and abuse another child,” he added.
Costanza Maio and Erica Scott contributed reporting.