Jerry Sandusky Pens Jailhouse Letter, Says He’s Trying to 'Grow' - East Idaho News
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Jerry Sandusky Pens Jailhouse Letter, Says He’s Trying to ‘Grow’

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Getty 062112 JerrySandusky?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1356363698146Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WILKES-BARRE, Pa.) — Jerry Sandusky penned a handwritten note from jail saying that he was trying to “learn from, grow from, and endure the struggles” he’s faced since being charged with 48 counts of child sexual abuse in 2011.

Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator of Penn State University’s football team, was convicted of 45 of the counts in June, and sentenced to at least 30 years in prison. At age 68, he would be 98 years old before he is eligible for parole.

His first appeal hearing is set for Jan. 10.

In a letter written on a scrap of paper to the Citizens’ Voice newspaper of central Pennsylvania and dated Dec. 18, Sandusky declined a request for an interview because of his pending appeal, but reiterated his belief that “justice and fairness were not a focus” of his trial.

“Right now our focus is on appeal. There is much to learn, issues and information not presented,” he wrote. “Nobody who covered the case and reported it had the time or took the time to study the allegations, the accusers, the inconsistency, and the methods.”

More than 10 individuals have come forward claiming Sandusky sexually abused them when they were young boys. He knew all of the children through the charity he founded, The Second Mile.

In the letter, he wrote that his new goal and motto is the word “ENDURE,” with each letter representing a different goal:

E – Embrace each day as a gift
N – Never surrender except to God
D – Don’t let your situation get the best of you
U – Understand God’s purpose and presence
R – Remain as positive as possible
E – Exercise your mind, body, and spirit

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