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How did John Geddert die? Conspiracy theories float online after tragic end: 'I bet he didn't kill himself'

Geddert had reportedly agreed to surrender at a sheriff's office on February 25 before a 2.15 pm arraignment but he never showed up

CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN: Police found the dead body of former US Olympics women's gymnastics coach John Geddert, 63, who was earlier on February 25 charged with 20 counts of human trafficking and forced labor, one count of first-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree sexual assault, racketeering, and lying to a police officer. Geddert was the former owner of Michigan's famed Twistars Gymnastics Club, one of the places Larry Nassar, the disgraced former gymnastics physician, had admitted to sexually abusing young female athletes.

Geddert died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and his body was discovered in Grand Ledge, Michigan, according to Kelly Rossman-McKinney, a spokeswoman for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. As per NBC News, Geddert had agreed to surrender at a sheriff's office on February 25 before a 2:15 pm arraignment but he never showed up, Rossman-McKinney said. “This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved,” Nessel said.

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Charges against Geddert

"John Geddert used force, fraud, and coercion against the young athletes that came to him for gymnastics training for financial benefit to him," Nessel told reporters. "The victims suffer from disordered eating, including bulimia and anorexia, suicide attempts and self-harm, excessive physical conditioning, repeatedly being forced to perform even when injured, extreme emotional abuse and physical abuse, including sexual assault. Many of these victims still carry these scars from his behavior to this day."

"Mr. Geddert knew that Nassar was sexually abusing these patients and that he failed to take action," Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman-Clark said. "And that when he was asked about it by police officers during the 2016 investigation into Nassar, he lied about that."

Geddert could have faced up to 20 years in prison for the six charges involving minors and up to 15 for the other 14 charges. The first-degree sexual assault charge would have carried a sentence of up to life in prison.

As per reports, several women who alleged former US gymnastics national team doctor Nassar -- a convicted serial rapist and sex offender -- sexually abused them also said that Geddert knew of this abuse. The two sexual assault charges involve a 13 to 16-year-old person. The victim is the same in both charges. Geddert also allegedly lied to the police about Nassar's role as a team physician at Twistars, saying he had never heard any complaints about Nassar's treatment, denying he was aware of any athletes receiving intravaginal treatments at Twistars, saying males were not allowed in the female locker room.

Geddert was reportedly under investigation for three years, beginning almost immediately after Nassar’s sentencing hearings in January 2018. Eaton County began investigating Geddert in February 2018, about a month after USA Gymnastics suspended him. In early 2019, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office took over the investigation. 

Geddert was investigated by police twice for reports of physical assault, once in 2011 and once in 2013. Both times, he was not charged. Reports earlier noted that several gymnasts and parents who watched Geddert coach said he regularly berated young girls in his program and pushed them or stepped on their toes to get their attention.

During Nassar’s sentencing, a woman said Geddert was aware in the late 1990s that Nassar had performed an “inappropriate procedure” on her when she was 16. Shortly after Nassar was sentenced in 2018, Lindsey Lemke, a former gymnast, spoke about alleged abuses she had suffered at the hands of Geddert. Lemke, who trained under Geddert before joining the team at Michigan State, said Geddert should follow Nassar to prison. "He was abusive," Lemke said. "He deserves to be in jail with Larry."

What social media had to say

Geddert’s death sparked a lot of reactions on social media. One Twitter user said, “Our attitude cannot be, "Well, he's dead, nothing we can do now." John Geddert was the least important person in this entire saga. The important ones--his long-suffering victims--are still with us, still listening & watching. We need to tell them how much they still matter.” One Twitter user wrote, “John Geddert is dead. May he burn in hell alongside every abuser who escaped through their own hand the consequences of their own actions.”

Quite a few were also in disbelief and suspected foul play as one said: " bet John Geddert didn't actually kill himself." and others reiterated the same saying: "John Geddert didn't kill himself."