Angry at killer's lack of remorse, dad sprints across courtroom and makes flying leap, video shows
A wild courtroom scene was captured by a television news camera on Thursday, after the father of one of the victims of convicted Ohio serial killer Michael Madison turned to stare at the defendant during a victim impact statement at a sentencing hearing.
“Right now, I guess we’re supposed to, in our hearts forgive this clown, who has touched our families, taken my child,” Van Terry told the court, according to CBS News, just before turning around and pausing as he looked at Madison.
Then Terry sprinted across the Cleveland courtroom and made a flying leap across the defense table, apparently trying to tackle Madison. A melee resulted as those nearby converged, amidst repeated shouts of “No!” and “Terry!” to help court deputies hold Terry back, the video taken by CBS affiliate Cleveland 19 News shows.
Madison, handcuffed and wearing orange prison garb, calmly walked away and was then escorted from the courtroom by another deputy. Terry was removed from the court building but was not charged in connection with the incident, the Cleveland 19 News video reports.
After a 15-minute recess, the hearing resumed. The presiding judge had already accepted the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Madison to death in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas case minutes before Terry’s outburst.
Madison, 38, was found guilty of 13 counts including felony murder, kidnapping and rape last month in the deaths of three women, including Terry’s 18-year-old daughter, Shirellda, as Cleveland.com reported at the time. Madison’s crimes occurred between 2012 and 2013.
A relative of Terry’s later appeared on camera for Cleveland 19 and explained that he had been angered by the killer’s apparent lack of remorse.
Madison was described in news reports as seemingly taunting survivors of his victims in court, and he appeared to beam as Terry’s anger at him became visible, the New Orleans Times-Picayune says.
