Randall Margraves has won the support of the internet after the furious father attacked USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar in court, with online fans raising more than $30,000 for the man being called a hero.
Margraves spoke at Nassar’s sentencing on Friday, the ninth day of sentence hearings for the disgraced doctor across two separate counties. Two of Margraves’ daughters were molested by Nassar, who has been convicted of abusing a number of girls and young women under his care.
While many of the victims kept their composure, the anger boiled to the surface when Margraves spoke to the court.
“I can only hope that when the day comes that Larry Nassar has ended his days on this earth that he will be escorted to one of the deepest, darkest, hottest pits in hell there is,” he said (via NBC News ).
Randall Margraves then made an unusual request — just a few minutes alone with Nassar.
“I would ask you to as part of this sentencing to grant me five minutes in a locked room with this demon,” Margraves asked the judge.
“You know I can’t do that,” she responded.
“Would you give me one minute?” Margraves continued.
At that point, Margraves charged at Nassar and had to be wrestled to the ground by courtroom deputies.
The internet stood behind Randall Margraves, with many calling him a hero and saying that he did what any grieving father would do to the man who molested his children. His anger captured the feeling many others had toward Nassar, who abused his position of authority to sexually assault girls as young as adolescents, some for a number of years.
One person even started a GoFund Me page for Margraves, with an initial goal of raising $1,000 as a show of support. As the New York Post noted, the internet had something much bigger in mind. The fundraiser brought in close to $10,000 in just a few hours, and by the next morning, the total had reached $30,000 — with that total increasing quickly.
Montini: Randall Margraves, father who rushed Larry Nassar, is my hero https://t.co/IlfIOc8q8D via @azcentral
— E.J. Montini (@ejmontini) February 2, 2018
Randall Margraves will not need the money for any legal defense fund. After Margraves apologized for his actions, the judge decided to release him without any charges. The person who started the fundraiser noted that he would work with Margraves to make sure that the money goes to a good cause that benefits victims of sexual abuse.