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The man, identified in court papers as "A.M.", or "Victim
#2," will take the stand for the first time in the case, which
led to Sandusky's 2012 conviction for molesting 10 boys. The
ex-coach is now seeking a retrial, reviving a scandal that
roiled Pennsylvania State University and the vaunted football
program run by the legendary head coach Joe Paterno.
Victim #2 is expected to say that investigators pressured him to
implicate Sandusky after he initially told them that nothing
improper took place when he and Sandusky were in the locker room
shower, according to court papers filed by Alexander Lindsay,
the lawyer handling Sandusky’s post-conviction appeals.
Victim #2 never testified in Sandusky's trial because
prosecutors concluded that his story had too many holes.
Sandusky was convicted on the testimony of eight other boys and
Michael McQueary, a former football player and graduate
assistant at Penn State. McQueary testified that he had told
administrators that he saw the ex-coach having sex with a boy
who appeared to be eight to 10 years old.
Last month, McQueary was awarded $7.3 million in damages from
Penn State. He accused the university of destroying his career
because he gave information to investigators that led to
Sandusky's conviction. He also accused Penn State of covering up
what administrators knew about Sandusky's conduct.
Lindsay aims to prove that the former coach's original lawyer,
Joseph Amendola, was incompetent. This is the fourth evidentiary
hearing to be held in the appeal.
By having Victim #2 testify, Lindsay hopes to prove that
Amendola should have called the boy as a defense witness, and
should have objected when state prosecutor Joseph McGettigan
told the jury that Victim #2 was “known only to God.”
Lindsay said in the court papers that Victim #2 will testify
that he initially told investigators that Sandusky was involved
in no misconduct against him and that they pressured him to
change his story.
To show that Sandusky was a mentor to him, the man is expected
to testify that he attended Sandusky’s mother’s funeral, lived
with the Sandusky family as an adult for a period and asked
Sandusky to attend his wedding, Lindsay said in the court
papers.
Judge John Cleland is expected to render a decision on
Sandusky’s petition for a new trial at a later date.
(Reporting by Frank McGurty; Editing by Andrew Hay)
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