LANSING, Michigan (AP) – A former US gymnastics trainer linked to sports wretch Larry Nassar killed himself on Thursday, hours after being accused of turning his Michigan gym into a human trafficking center by coercing girls to train and then abuse them.
John Geddert faced 24 charges that could have led to years in prison if he had been convicted. He was due to appear in an Eaton County court near Lansing, but his body was found in a rest area along Interstate 96, according to state police.
“This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Nessel previously announced that Geddert was accused with a bushel of crimes, including sexual assault, human trafficking and execution of a criminal company. The accusations were the ultimate consequences of the sexual abuse scandal involving Nassar, a former sports doctor at Michigan State University now in prison.
Geddert, 63, was not arrested and transported to court. Instead, Nessel’s office allowed him to appear alone.
“We had no indication that Geddert intended to run away or hurt himself or others. We had contacted his lawyer and we were assured of his cooperation, ”said Nessel spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney.
Calls seeking comment from attorney Chris Bergstrom were not immediately returned.
Geddert was the head coach of the United States Olympic women’s gymnastics team in 2012, which won a gold medal. He was long associated with Nassar, who was the Olympic team doctor and also treated injured gymnasts at Twistars, Geddert’s academy in the Lansing area.
Among the charges, Geddert was accused of lying to investigators in 2016 when he denied having heard complaints about Nassar. But most of the case against him involved his gym in Dimondale and how he treated young athletes whose families paid to train them with him.
The charges against Geddert had “very little to do” with Nassar, said Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman-Clark.
Geddert was accused of using his strong reputation in gymnastics to commit a form of human trafficking, earning money from the forced labor of young athletes.
“Victims suffer from eating disorders,” said Nessel, “including bulimia and anorexia, suicide attempts and self-harm, excessive fitness, repeatedly being forced to act even when they are injured, extreme emotional abuse and physical abuse, including sexual assault.
“Many of these victims still carry these scars from this behavior to this day,” said the attorney general.
Nessel acknowledged that the case may not fit the common understanding of human trafficking.
“We think it predominantly affects people of color or without means to protect themselves … but, honestly, it can happen to anyone, anywhere,” she said. “Impressionable young women can sometimes be vulnerable and open to trafficking crimes, regardless of their stature in the community or the financial well-being of their families.”
Geddert was suspended for American gymnastics in Indianapolis during the Nassar scandal. He told families in 2018 that he was retiring.
On his LinkedIn page, Geddert described himself as the “most decorated female gym trainer in Michigan gym history”. He said his Twistars teams have won 130 club championships.
But Geddert was often portrayed in unflattering ways when Nassar’s victims spoke during court hearings in 2018. Some insisted that he was aware of the doctor’s abuse.
Sarah Klein, a gymnast who trained with Geddert for more than 10 years and was assaulted by Nassar, said the coach’s death was an “escape from justice” and “traumatic beyond words”.
“His suicide is an admission of guilt that the whole world can now see,” said Klein, a lawyer.
Rachael Denhollander, the first gymnast to publicly accuse Nassar of sexual abuse in 2016, said she was proud of the women who came up against Geddert.
“So much pain and sadness for everyone,” she said on Twitter after her death. “For the survivors, you have been heard and believed, and we are with you.”
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White reported from Detroit.
Nichols is a member of the Associated Press / Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national nonprofit service program that puts journalists in local newsrooms to report on covert issues.