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Investigation into police handling of Nassar's abuse in 2004 released

March 26, 2019
Brianne Randall gives a statement on the sixth day of Ex-MSU and USA Gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar's sentencing on Jan. 23, 2018 at the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing. (Nic Antaya | The State News)
Brianne Randall gives a statement on the sixth day of Ex-MSU and USA Gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar's sentencing on Jan. 23, 2018 at the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing. (Nic Antaya | The State News)

In 2004 Brianne Randall-Gay saw Larry Nassar for back pain. During the appointment Nassar touched the then 17-year-old's breasts and genitals. Randall’s parents reported Nassar to Meridian Township Police and the case was dismissed by police Detective Andrew McCready. Per Randall's request, Meridian Township hired Kenneth Ouellette Investigations LLC to conduct an investigation into the Meridian Township Police Department's handling of her case.

The 88 page conclusion of this investigation report was released Tuesday morning. According to this investigation report Randall made a criminal sexual conduct report Sept. 17, 2004.

Nassar came into the police department for an interview for the investigation Sept. 29, 2004. Detective Bart Crane was also present for the interview.

Nassar explained his methods were medically sound and the techniques used were published in medical journals. He sent McCready a PowerPoint presentation explaining the procedure. This presentation is included in the investigation report.

McCready contacted Randall's mother after the interview with Nassar. She expressed concern over how Nassar explained the procedure to her daughter and his lack of latex gloves during the procedure. McCready said he would pass along her concerns to Nassar and closed the case.

McCready said in an interview for this investigation that he did not consult medical experts on Nassar's procedures and instead "believed (Nassar's) lies." McCready said Meridian Township didn't have funds to consult a doctor and "You just can't walk into a doctor's office and ask them questions about something like this."

The police report does not confirm if the interview with Nassar and the two detectives was audio recorded. During this investigation, McCready said only written documentation was used during the interview.

McCready said the role of obtaining expert witnesses belongs to the prosecutor's office and not police.

Randall's mother, in an interview for the investigation said she believed Nassar's claim that his procedure was valid, but that she, the police and Nassar had a meeting at the Michigan Athletic Club to talk. Randall's mother said she is 100 percent certain the meeting took place and is 80 percent certain of the location. In the investigation report, McCready said he is 99.9 percent sure no such meeting took place.

Because of the "vagueness of McCready's explanation" the investigation report says a meeting between Randall's family, Nassar and police did not take place.

This investigation found that in the two-and-a-half years McCready was an investigator in the Detective Bureau, he was assigned 15 criminal sexual conduct investigations, or CSC, one of which was determined to be out of Meridian Police's jurisdiction.

Of the 14 investigations within jurisdiction, 13 were sent to either the prosecutor's office or probate court. Randall's case was the only case not forwarded to the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office.

In an interview with McCready during investigation, he was asked if there were any circumstances that made Randall's case different. McCready said he believed Nassar's lies and he was working on about 40 cases at the time. Meridian Township had had a triple homicide at around the same time Randall reported her CSC.

McCready's supervisor declined an interview for the investigation, so questions posed about his responsibility and hand in the investigation are unanswered in the investigation report.

Interviews with current Police Chief Ken Plaga and retired Chief Dave Hall, indicated there was no internal investigation conducted in reviewing this case.

Township Manager Frank Walsh said in his investigation interview that he initiated a manager's review to determine if any disciplinary action was required in the police department. He concluded no such action was required.

On Feb. 1, 2018, Meridian Township officials addressed the 2004 report and Walsh apologized to Randall-Gay and her family.

“We failed you, we let you down,” Walsh said during the press conference. “I know we’ve had a lot of private conversations, private apologies, but we felt this needed to be done in public because what happened was in public.”

On Jan. 16, 2018, at the Ingham County sentencing for Nassar, Assistant Attorney General Angie Povilaitis, read a statement from Randall-Gay.

Randall-Gay spoke herself Jan. 23, 2018.

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"Today I ask all parents, police, institutions, including MSU and USAG, and other authority figures to please listen to children when they report abuse and take action," Randall-Gay said. "Mr. Nassar’s abuse went on for too long because nobody was listening to us. The time is up for you, Mr. Nassar, and for all perpetrators."

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