On Wednesday, George Tyndall, 76, the former University of Southern California campus gynecologist facing sexual abuse charges from hundreds of women in 2019, was found dead at his home in Los Angeles.
A close friend of Tyndall witnessed his lifeless body on Tyndall's bed when he did not answer his phone several times. He was found dead before his stand trial of 55 sexual charges.
George Tyndall's Sexual Charges
Tyndall's criminal charges started with a rape case in 2016, as a nurse at a rape crisis center reported. He was suspended from the University with considerable payment the following year.
According to the Los Angeles Times, there were complaints in the 1990s. In 2019, he was charged with 35 felonies and was settled with 27 cases. The misconduct includes eighteen sexual penetration of an unconscious person and nine inappropriate touching by fraud. The victims are his former patients at the University's health center.
The victims reported his wrongdoings to the police, but some were junked due to lack of evidence and fell outside the 10-year statute of limitations. His victims are women aged 17 to 29, prosecutors said.
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Tyndall Arrested After Consecutive Years of Being Not Guilty
Tyndall was arrested and was seen leaving his apartment on a Wednesday morning, and the police confiscated a .38-caliber revolver with a 2-inch barrel, police Chief Michel Moore told CNN.
"The investigation continues, and more charges are possible," District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. Tyndall tried to get away by telling the police he needed to be hospitalized due to his chest pains.
Attorney Leonard Levine said, "He remains confident that he will be exonerated."
He insists he was falsely accused, and the inappropriate touching allegations were professional as a doctor. Tyndall's pending case made the USC approve the $852m settlement with the victims in 2021. Later on, USC also agreed to pay $215 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit for his 18,000 women patients.
"We hope this arrest will be a healing step for former patients and our entire university," Interim President Wanda M. Austin said.
With a ton of felony and sexual charges, Tyndall handed over his license in September 2019. Tyndall's death ended his stand trial, and there was no evidence of suicide or murder.
According to CNN, the federal court approved a preliminary amount of $215 million for a victims' fund, and 17,00 women could receive the settlement.
Tyndall's case caused great suffering and loss to USC. After the case, USC is now required to safeguard their students by tightening their background checks and suggesting they see a female doctor.
