The stabbing attack on disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar in federal prison was not captured on camera, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
A person familiar with the matter said Nassar was attacked inside his prison cell, a blind spot for cameras, which only cover the common areas and corridors. He was stabbed multiple times in the neck, back and chest by another inmate at United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida.
He was declared to be in stable condition as of Monday.
Nassar pleaded guilty in 2017 to sexual assault charges after being accused by dozens of gymnasts of sexual abuse throughout his career. He was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in 2018.
He has also been sentenced to 60 years in prison for possession of child pornography and 40 to 125 years in prison for three additional counts of sexual assault.
More than 150 individuals who shared their own experiences of abuse by Nassar spoke at his sentencing hearing or submitted statements to be included in the record, including Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.
Nassar has admitted to sexually abusing gymnasts while working at Michigan State University and for USA Gymnastics.
A person familiar with the stabbing incident told AP that a prisoner armed with a makeshift weapon attacked Nassar, and the two officers guarding the cell where the he stayed were working overtime shifts because of staffing shortages.
The attack on Nassar in prison is the second time that he has been targeted since he began his sentence. He was previously assaulted at a federal prison in Arizona in 2018 within hours of being placed in the general prison population.
His attorneys blamed the attack on the attention given to his case and the weeklong televised sentencing hearing in which his victims made their statements.
Cameras from outside Nassar’s cell might have been able to capture the assailant walking in and out of Nassar’s cell, even if the attack itself was not recorded; cell doors in most federal prison units are usually open during the day to allow prisoners to move around.
The Associated Press contributed.