A father whose three daughters were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar tried to attack the pedophile doctor in a Michigan courtroom on Friday.
Randall Margraves stood at the podium as two of his daughters read their victim impact statements in Eaton County Court, and when the girls were done asked Judge Janice Cunningham if he could have five minutes alone in a room with ‘this demon.’
When she denied that request he asked for a minute alone with the convicted child molester, which was also denied by the judge.
He then lunged toward the defense table and raised a fist before being brought to the ground and handcuffed by deputies.
And it was, fittingly, Nassar’s defense attorney who shielded him from the angry father, who appeared to be almost twice the size of former USA Gymnastics team doctor.
‘Give me one minute with that bastard,’ said Margraves as he was pinned to the ground.
‘I want that son of a b****.’
Fight club: Randall Margraves lunged at Larry Nassar in court on Friday after his daughters had finished delivering their victim impact statements (Margraves in blue with Nassar’s defense attorney Matt Newburg in glasses)
Turtle time: He had asked Judge Janice Cunningham just moments prior if he could have five minutes alone in a room with Nassar, after refusing a chance to give a statement (Nassar hides for cover)
Protecting a pedophile: Nassar was shielded by his defense attorney, who shoved Margraves away from the pedophile while deputies quickly pinned him to the ground and cuffed him
Mad: ‘Give me one minute with that bastard,’ said Margraves as he was pinned to the ground
Here we go: ‘I want that son of a b****,’ he added before being cuffed by Detective Andrea Munford, the MSU police officer who led the investigation into Nassar’s crimes (Munford above in red)
Margraves could have given a brief statement had he wished, but opted not to do so, and instead listened to his two girls read their statements.
Their sister Morgan Margraves had previously delivered a victim impact statement in Ingham County Court for Nassar’s previous sentencing, which was read in court by a member of the attorney general’s office.
He could be seen getting increasingly angry during their readings, and will parents of previous victims had been seen burying their faces or looking to the sky, Margraves kept his gaze fixed on Nassar.
‘I would ask you, as part of the sentencing to grant me five minutes in a locked room with this demon. Would you give me one minute?’ said Margraves after his daughters had finished speaking and were preparing to return to their seats.
It was said in a slightly threatening tone, which Judge Cunningham did her best to diffuse as she told Margraves that is not how the legal system operates in this country.
He then paused for a moment and said: ‘Well, I’m gonna have to…’
At that point Margraves made a direct line towards Nassar, sprinting out from behind the podium and coming shockingly close to laying a blow on the doctor.
Newburg managed to shove him off however, at which point he was pinned and then handcuffed by Detective Andrea Munford, the MSU police officer who led the investigation into Nassar’s crime.
His daughters, who were already in a fragile state, seemed to be in a state of shock as they looked on from behind the podium as their father was dragged out of court.
Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis was quick to disavow Margraves’ actions, saying: ‘You cannot behave like this. This is letting him have his power over us.’
Margraves, who was taken out by four officers, fired back: ‘You haven’t lived through it, lady.’
In the end, the victims did not suffer any more because of the outburst, which could have threatened statements moving forward.
Judge Cunningham made a calming call for peace in the courtroom after a brief recess, adding: ‘If it is hard and difficult for me to hear what his daughters have to say, I can’t image what it is like for a parent.’
Sixty-five women are scheduled to speak over the course of three days in Eaton County Court, where Nassar is being sentenced after entering a guilty plea on three charges of criminal sex abuse, with each carrying a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
This was day two.
Nassar was sentenced to 175 years in prison just last Wednesday after a highly emotional seven-day sentencing hearing in a Michigan courtroom.
‘I just signed your death warrant,’ said Judge Rosemarie Aquilinia, referencing the fact that Nassar would never again be a free man and die in prison.
Nassar had agreed to serve a minimum sentence of 40 years as part of a plea deal, with that prison time coming after he completes his 60-year federal sentence for child pornography charges.
He was expected to get a maximum of 125 years in prison, but Judge Aquilina went well beyond that mark.
Prior to that, the pedophile doctor addressed his victims in a brief statement, choosing to turn and face the women as he made his remarks.
‘Your words these past several days, your words, have had a significant emotional effect on myself and has shaken me to my core,’ he mumbled through tears.
‘I also realize what I’m feeling pales in comparison.’
He then added: ‘I will carry you words with me for the rest of my days.’
Those tearful words were revealed to be completely hollow however by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who proved that point by reading from the letter that Nassar had submitted to the court.
‘What I did in the state cases was medical, not sexual, but because of the [federal porn conviction] I lost all credibility,’ read Judge Aquilina from the letter.
‘So I’m trying to avoid a trial to save the stress to my community, my family. But look what’s happening. It’s wrong.’
He then wrote about his victims in words that were a far cry from the statement he had made moments earlier in court.
‘I was a good doctor, because my treatments worked and those patients that are now speaking out were the same ones that praised and came back over and over,’ wrote Nassar.
‘The media convinced them that it was wrong and bad.’
The crowd then gasped as Aquilina read: ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’