The New York Times is Now Buying Matt Sandusky's Bogus Suicide Story; Here's the REAL Truth

I have long ago reached the point where correcting specific inaccuracies in the media coverage of the "Penn State Story" is like trying to bail water out of the engine room of the sinking Titanic. However, from time to time something reaches such a level of absurdity that it warrants a response. The garbage that the New York Times published today certainly qualifies.

An opinion piece by Joe Nocera (in which he ironically admits to being part of a "rush to judgment" regarding the Freeh Report) literally quotes Matt Sandusky as the source of truth on the whole "scandal" while using the "documentary" "Happy Valley" to back up his premise. This is roughly the equivalent (only even worse) of using only close friends of Michael Brown to tell the story of his shooting.

But even more absurd than believing the clearly lying Matt Sandusky's claims of abuse at the hands of his adopted father Jerry, is the notion that Nocera actually uses the tale of Matt's attempted suicide to try to bolster his claims. The writer is clearly completely clueless about what actually happened there (and, even more disturbing, not remotely troubled by this reality), and yet it still somehow makes it into the pages of the nation's premiere newspaper.

The truth is that Matt's suicide attempt had nothing at all to do with abuse from Jerry (which didn't happen). It also didn't happen alone. He tried to kill himself (not very effectively) along with a girl he was involved with who was also living in the Sandusky home. How do I know this? Because this woman emailed me out of the blue after Dottie Sandusky and I went on the Today Show earlier this year. After getting this email I spoke with her extensively. Unfortunately, she is afraid of what Matt might do to her if she went public, so I need to protect her name (the email is slightly edited for facts which could be used to identify her) and she has declined a formal interview.

Here is most of that initial email after she introduced herself to me. I think you will find it to be very interesting on numerous levels.

From what I gather, your ultimate mission is about proving Paterno's innocence...but through this process and evaluating all the evidence, you've found Jerry to be innocent as well. I'll admit that I knew nothing of who you were until I watched The Today Show interview a few weeks ago. Dottie sent an email to me in error about an interview (there were no specifics), but she replied right away that the email wasn't intended for me. Since viewing that interview, my perspective has changed and my interest, for lack of a better word, has peaked...interest in that an innocent man should not be in prison.

I don't want to waste your time and I have nothing really to contribute in Jer's defense except to say that my story with this family and Matt is much different than what I've seen play out in the media.

My life got involved with The Sanduskys in 1995. I got pregnant at the age of 16 and when my dad found out, he didn't give me long to find a new place to live. I stayed with my sister for a several months before one family agreed to take me in - The Sanduskys. I wasn't close to my extended family...I had been to a handful of bowl games as a child and saw them at a few family gatherings, but they were still foreign to me. I could hardly pass up the chance at a better life, college, etc...so moving in with them seemed like the best and only option.

I was 17 when my XXXX and I moved in with them. Our bedroom was the first on the left as you walked through their front door. I'd describe the next few months as awkward and quite an adjustment...I enrolled at Penn State, got a job and tried to do exactly what I had moved there to do. Kara and Jon David still lived there at that time...and of course, Matt. Kara and Matt's rooms were upstairs and Jon's was in the basement. This family was unlike any I'd ever witnessed...church every Sunday, nightly family meals at the table, game nights... I now know that this should be the norm, but I wasn't familiar with all this "togetherness" and structure...and I quickly felt like an outsider.

Because of this, I was drawn to the other "outsider" of the house - Matt. We immediately bonded and our friendship grew into something more. I won't go into details, but needless to say, Matt and I kept things secret. Obviously, this "relationship" would not be approved by Jerry and Dottie. During a school break, I went back home to XXXXXXXXX and made a phone call to Matt. He was very brief and distant...I didn't find out until I went back to State College that Jerry had been on another line of that phone call. Things got very strained when I returned and Jerry, Dottie, Matt and I had a long talk. I don't really remember the specifics of what was said, but basically it was that this "relationship" couldn't go on.

I'm not sure how much time passed from that conversation to the one Matt and I had later, but we decided together to end our lives by overdosing. One night, we waited until everyone was asleep, took one of the family cars, and attempted suicide together. That night is very blurry to me, but I woke up in a hospital. Matt came and sat on my bed (he was in a hospital gown as well) and he let me know that Jerry had ordered that we not communicate with each other. I was sent to a mental institute for a few weeks and then Jerry had arranged for me to be placed in a group home back in XXXXXXXXX. As a kid (I was 18, but still very much a child), I still imagined that I would be with Matt one day...but time passed and I didn't hear from him...and then I found out he had been adopted and changed his last name to Sandusky...which was so incredibly weird to me in every way. And so...I moved on with my life. I've only interacted with Matt a few times since then. Each time, he's messaged me on Facebook...the most recent being in 2011 (I think), but never once having mentioned any of the "drama" unfolding behind the scenes. His messages were casual... eventually reaching a point of uncomfortableness and I'd end the conversation quickly.

I've tried to replay the past in my mind to see if there was any indication that something inappropriate was going on between Jer and Matt, but of course, Matt was 16-17 at that time and from what I've read, he claims that the abuse took place from 8-15, right? I remember one time...and only once...him mentioning that Jer would put his hand on his leg while in the car. I think we laughed it off...I'm sure I had something smart to say about it...I don't know, but Matt never mentioned actual sexual abuse to me. That strikes me as odd, and when listening to Matt's audio about the abuse that took place and him mentioning that he wanted nothing more than to die at that time, hence the suicide attempt...if he wanted to die because he was abused, I never had a clue about that...in my eyes, it was "us" being ignorant kids and wanting to die because life stunk and we weren't getting our way. I'll admit that I still suffer from depression, but I'm well aware in knowing that Matt and I had terrible judgement at that time and were completely selfish in our acts.

Aside from that, I just can't understand a person being abused for so many years..and then "choosing" to be adopted at the age of 18. He'd be free to move out - why would he stay? That makes no sense to me and I think people are under this impression that he was adopted at a young age without consent...I believe people would feel differently if they knew he was not a Sandusky until he was 18 and it was ultimately his choice to take on that name.

Anyways, it's very unsettling revealing all of this to a complete stranger and maybe I should be sharing this with a counselor and not a filmmaker/author. Not many people know my brief history with Dottie, Jerry and Matt...and I don't want it known for the protection of my family. I'm happily married and have been for XXyrs. My husband agrees that this entire case is bogus.

All this being said, I don't want to minimize or bring dishonor to the "victims" - if they are in fact victims, but I think Matt is the key to bringing the "truth" out. If he was truly abused, I'd feel horribly for not being aware of it...but why wouldn't he run as soon as he had a chance? Why would he allow his children to be with Jerry and Dottie? No parent would allow that if they knew the slight possibility of abuse was there.

Unfortunately, I think the media and the world already have and will always have their views...they like to see people fall. But then again, I'll admit my views were very much the same initially. I thought, "Whoa, I grew up envious of this family and the life they lived of absolute perfection...maybe it was all a farce." My perception has changed though...and although I still think showering with boys is a bad position to put yourself in...I think Jerry, brilliant as he is as far as football goes, simply has a childlike mind and soul (no matter his age or physical appearance) and that our culture and society don't understand that kind of "innocence" and playfulness today. It's very much like Michael Jackson...who knows the absolute truth where he's concerned? But it was beyond obvious that he had a child-likeness about him and that kids are who he related to. I think that's Jer...and it's deemed inappropriate by everyone. I have a memory of Jerry's mom crouching behind something...her white hair pulled back in a bun, jumping out to "scare" us in a playful way...that's a strange visual of an old woman, but I think it was in her nature...and probably where Jerry gets it from.

As I said earlier, I apologize for wasting your time, but I've sat here for a few years now...struggling and trying to understand all that has transpired. I'm heart broken for The Sanduskys and am still amazed and inspired by Dottie...her strength and faith...to have it after all of this...

...you mentioned in the interview that Jerry hasn't broken down once...with a confession. He's a 70 yr old man in prison...he's seen all who have been affected - his own children...he's seen the school he loves and the man he admires (Joe) crumble before him. No man, surely, could watch all of that unfold and not admit their fault...unless they were truly innocent.

I wish you the best in your journey...I will be praying for Dottie, Jerry and the kids...and now you. Take care!

Update: A supporter contacted me with a very interesting ABC news link from back when Matt Sandusky was still strongly supporting Jerry. What is interesting about it (other than some hilarious quotes from Andrew Shubin who would soon be Matt's attorney after he flipped), is that the basic facts about Matt, which the media now ignores because they are inconvenient to their preferred narrative, all reported, correctly, without any controversy. Included among these facts is the reality (now discarded by the New York Times) that Matt tried to kill himself with a girlfriend.

Here is a link to that story from back when it was still okay to tell the truth about Matt Sandusky:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/penn-state-scandal-mother-sanduskys-adopted-son...