After a week of teaching, Sister Cathy, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and the daughter of a Pennsylvania postal worker, decided on Friday night that she was going to go shopping. In the show, the audience briefly hears about the fact that Ireland has claims on A. Joseph Maskell, as well, that the Catholic Church continues to cover up. RELATED: 10 Exciting New Netflix Originals Still Coming In 2019. It came with the threat that he would tell her father that she'd been "whoring around," and that those consequences would be far worse. The Boston Archdiocese had been regularly making private settlements, paying for silence when it came to reports of abuse by priests. I agree. There, on the ground, still clad, her face covered with maggots, was the body of Sister Cathy. Like a scene out of a horror movie, the high school junior was driven to a garbage dump by the school's 30-year-old spiritual counselor, Father Joseph Maskell - who died in 2001 - and reportedly told the 16-year-old student: 'You see what happens when you say bad things about people?'. Around 7:30pm on . So we didn't want to set that as our bar, Hargrave said. . ", Up Next: Netflix Hidden Gems For Sci-Fi And Fantasy Lovers. One of Baltimores most infamous cold cases, Cesniks death is the subject of a new documentary series, The Keepers, which releases May 19 on Netflix. (Aside from reports that Maskell invited uniformed officers to assault the girls). Wehner alleged that there was frequent sexual abuse at Sister Cathy's school. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . In his late 20s at the time and described as pretty charismatic, he was easy to like, working as a counselor with a psychology degree from Johns Hopkins. Photos hit the internet, many of which have been taken down, that where morbid and graphic of the crash site where Kobe's helicopter went down, killing 9 people. Following her disappearance, investigators plotted her movements and determined she had cashed her $255 paycheck at a bank before heading to a small shopping center where she bought some baked goods. A young, conspicuously attractive woman, 1 she connected with her students. LA Sheriff's Deputies are investigating who in the department may have leaked graphic Kobe Bryant helicopter crash photos, some reportedly showing remains of the victims. ', 'Before I knew it, there was a big man on top of me and then I thought that would be it and another policeman came in and I could hear Maskell in the distance talking and laughing. But that's where things get hazy. As documentary-maker Ryan White asserted: 'What we discovered during the filmmaking process is that everything wasn't as it appeared to be. This is huge news regarding Sister Cathy's case. Advocates, filmmakers say they have not given up. What we do know is that the FBIs continuing failure to contribute meaningfully to this case has negatively impacted any chance at an ending to the story. And that wasn't the only time he threatened to expose his victims, saying he would get one of the girls expelled and sent to a facility for having done drugs a secret she'd confided in him because she'd thought he loved her. Sister Cathy Cesnik & Joyce Malecki. Nearly 20 years ago, Nugent had been calling many former students from the now-closed Archbishop Keough High School, for a story on Sister Cesnik, who was murdered in 1969. All Rights Reserved. Her case has remained open ever since, Armacost said. Reunion on 'Blue Bloods', 'Sister Wives' Star Meri Brown Clarifies Her Sexuality After Split From Kody. However, with each day that passes, internet sleuths and hard-boiled detectives alike unveil a new connection or a potential piece of evidence that had been overlooked before in the case. Source:https://www.spreaker.com/user/americancrimecast/sister-cathy-cesnik-part-5-if-i-told-i-wThis episode may not be appropriate for all listeners. There is no word on whether the Attorney General's investigators will gain access to those records. Four former students also claimed that they were abused by Maskell, and a Baltimore Archdiocese spokesman acknowledged that Maskell was 'credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. According to Hollywoodlife.com, Joseph Maskell's body was exhumed in Feb. 2017 and his DNA was tested by a forensics lab against DNA evidence found near the crime scene of Sister Cathy. Father Neil Magnus Is A Possible Suspect On 'The Keepers'. Updated Hoskins and Schaub looked into each of those tips, and the tips have kept coming in for the past five years. There are a lot of different stories about how Maskell threatened the girls into silence, and Huffpost has the details. Father A. Joseph Maskell was a person of interest for a reason, it seemed. 9:08 PM EDT, Tue May 9, 2017, Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik; Rev. One of the initial persons of interest was a Jesuit priest who had been romantically involved with the pretty nun, and had once asked her to marry him, before she took her vows. Its important to take this confession from Koob with a grain of salt, as he is proven in the show to be less than the most reliable of witnesses, but, as White says, I dont know where the truth lies.. Both women have said that she was the only member of the school's staff who helped them and other girls abused by Maskell, et al., and have said that she was murdered prior to discussing the matter with the archdiocese of Baltimore. Meteorological records also reveal that temperatures during the week in question were warm enough for maggots to hatch. The first clue in the disappearance was found pretty early her car ended up giving some insight into what happened but mostly brought more confusion. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. . There are countless untold stories backing up the accusations made against A. Joseph Maskell and the Catholic Church that the docuseries doesnt even begin to explore. No matter how wrong it seems, it's happened too many times, and the case of Sister Catherine Cesnik is one of those examples. 102, September Term 1995, "Baltimore Archdiocese Pays Settlements to a Dozen People Alleging Abuse by Late Priest", "Netflix's 'The Keepers' generates interest in other Md. appreciated. In only seven episodes, The Keepers covers a lot of ground, retreading the 1969 murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik and the gruesome allegations that shadowed it. An undated photo of Sister Cathy Cesnik, whose body was found at a dumping area Jan . But that charming faade was shattered in 1992. As police proceeded with their investigation, Father Maskell who was said to have taken a female student to the site where she claimed she saw Sister Cathy's lifeless body came under suspicion. They have another project scheduled to come out later this year. According to the Baltimore Sun report on Cesnik's death, Malecki was a 20-year-old from nearby Lansdowne at the time of her death. BALTIMORE "The Keepers" premiered on Netflix, on May 19th, 2017, bringing worldwide attention to the sexual abuse of children by priests in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun reported in late 2016 that since 2011 the archdiocese has paid out settlements to Maskell's alleged victims. But now, because of witness testimony, and a multi-part documentary about the Cesnik murder to be aired on Netflix beginning on May 19, there is hope that her killer may be identified and the case finally be put to rest. by Caralynn Lippo. The plaintiffs appealed. The 26-year-old nun had been missing for nearly two months. He died in 2001, police said. Sister Cathy Cesnik was reported missing after she failed to return home from a shopping trip in November 1969. The girl left but the next day, she later claimed, Maskell waved a gun at her, warning he'd kill her and her family if she revealed the abuse. They were last known to have been at shopping centers in the area, the same as Cesnik. Nicole Mello is an author of horrors, romances, and comedies. And the oldest was in her 20's.. In The Keepers another Keough graduate - Jean Hargadon-Wehner - talked on camera about her abuse by two priests, Neil Magnus and Joseph Maskell, and other men at the school. She Was Found Fatally Beaten Two Months After Disappearing in 1969. Hargadon-Wehner's new book "Walking With Aletheia" details her healing process, and what she's learned from - she says - communicating with several different aspects of her personality. It was apparently a fixation for Maskell, who would then perform his own mock "exams" on the girls, flaunting his authority and power. They filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against him, the Baltimore Archdiocese, the sisters who ran the school, and a local gynecologist. Crime Museumadds that the car itself was newly caked in mud. White tells us there is some dogged reporting happening right now in Ireland, digging deeper into the time that A. Joseph Maskell spent there, in addition to his time spent in the United States. Then there was a Baltimore gravedigger who told the police Maskell had ordered him to dig a hole in 1991 to bury files. It's been almost five decades since 26-year-old nun and teacher Sister Cathy Cesnik was senselessly murdered back in 1969 and to this day, those closest to her are still looking for answers . Gerard Koob was an initial person of interest. Baltimore Detective Lt. Sam Bowerman always believed Sister Cathy was killed by a man who either lived in, or was familiar with, the area around the Carriage House Apartments, knew the location off Monument Avenue where her body was dumped, and that the murder was unplanned. And we hope that someone will be able to come forward with conclusive information about the murder. The Catholic Church seems to know how to clean up its messes in general, withThe Guardian uncovering a much wider scandal in Boston (which led to worldwide concerns). And this update involves Father Joseph Maskell. In 2016, the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) reassigned the case due to retiring officers, prompting new interviews and further investigation into the alleged sexual abuse at Keough. In a school where a number of the teachers seemed to know Joseph Maskell was "weird" but sent students to him at his request, Catherine Cesnik offered a light in a very dark, twisted place. Detective Nick Giangrasso still thought it was someone tied to the church, though, and began to look into Father A. Joseph Maskell. Ryan White's aunt attended Archbishop Keough High School, and had stayed in touch with Jean Hargadon-Wehner. [6] Residents at the apartment complex noticed Cesnik in her car at approximately 8:30 that night, and others spotted her car illegally parked across the street about two hours later. A search of the park turned up nothing, and there was no lead on her whereabouts for almost two months. An autopsy revealed a skull fracture caused by a blow to Sister Catherine's left temple by a blunt instrument. She was last seen just before leaving . ', While the murder of Sister Cathy is in the forefront of the series, White noted that there were other crimes 'happening before and after, and still filter down to today and may be linked to her murder. The student let herself out right away but could tell that Maskell knew what was happening. Every bit of it, vividly. And you know it really just began as us with our camera, taking these trips to Baltimore not knowing that it would ever even become anything.. Jerry Oppenheimer For Dailymail.com The unsolved slaying of Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik in Baltimore in 1969 hit another dead end Wednesday when police learned that DNA from a long-deceased priest did not match crime scene evidence . But beyond that, all of them had ties of some kind to Maskell, either working with him or attending churches where he was a priest. Authorities said results will take up to six more weeks. Were not going to let this go, Hoskins said. The Murder Of Catherine Cesnik, The Nun Who Knew Too Much. They already knew the murderer, but looking further would unearth information he wasn't supposed to know. On Nov. 13, 1969, six days after Sister Cathy Cesnik vanished, not to be found murdered for two long months, a second young woman20-year-old Joyce Maleckiwas found strangled and stabbed to death in a small creek located on the U.S. Army's Fort Meade military base in Anne Arundel County, only a few miles from where Cesnik's body would . Peter McKeon and Gerard J. Koob. And now the streaming, seven-part Netflix documentary, The Keepers, has investigated the case and will feature interviews with victims of the school abuse, and new revelations. Netflix's latest true-crime documentary The Keepers is a hit and everyone who has watched the series has only one question: who killed Sister Cathy Cesnik? Huffpost added that choke marks colored her neck, and a quarter-sized hole in the back of her skull pointed to her actual cause of death blunt force trauma, leading to a skull fracture and brain hemorrhaging. The autopsy concluded her cause of death . True crime is only getting more popular, and Netflix never misses an opportunity to contribute to the zeitgeist, giving us The Keepers. Stories shared by Capital Gazette showed that Cesnik was thought of fondly by all the people she'd worked with, despite being a teacher at Western High School for only a couple months. She was "Jane Roe" in that ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit. The amount of people that have seen The Keepers now is mind-blowing around the world, White said. A 1994 story in the Baltimore Sun, revealed that she had information about Cesnik's murdered condition, such as the maggots on her face, known only to the cops. Each of their bodies was found in different law enforcement jurisdictions, delaying any connections from being made for many years, according to Armacost. Pamela Lynn Conyers, 16, was last seen at the shopping mall in Glen Burnie on October 16, 1970, police said. Maskell was a police chaplain and he knew people in high places that's how they got away with it. The women have since been more vocal about the abuses they suffered at Joseph Maskell's hands, and all the stories are universally awful (via Huffpost). In 2004, a retired Baltimore homicide detective told the Baltimore City Paper that the church lawyers had 'stepped in and they talked to the higher-ups at the police department. Soon they were linking that abuse to Sister Cathy's murder, and speculation that she was going to blow the whistle and tell all. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. A writ of certiorari was granted by the Maryland Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court decision, ruling in part, "that the mental process of repression of memories of past sexual abuse does not activate the discovery rule. The seven-episode docuseries explores the 1969 death of Catholic nun and Baltimore schoolteacher Sister Cathy Cesnik and touches on 20-year-old Joyce Malecki's murder mere days later. Some of the women recalled feeling drugged during those events, during which Maskell would basically share them with his friends as he saw fit. Well, for all the fans with remaining questions, there has been an update in the murder case. For this week, I sailed through a second viewing of the entire seven-part series about the link between Sister Cathy Cesnik's 1969 murder and sexual abuse at a girls parochial school in Baltimore. When she didnt come home, her roommate reported her missing the next day. The Baltimore Sun explained that Rev. The investigation into her disappearance and death revealed rampant abuse at her place of employment, Keough High School, a prominent Catholic school in Baltimore, Maryland. Read on to learn about the victim. 1 of 40. Other times, he would arrange full pseudo brothels. Her body was discovered on January 3, 1970, near a garbage dump in the Baltimore suburb of Lansdowne.Her unsolved murder served as the basis for . And that often involved stripping them of their clothes, touching them in his "godly manner," or forcing them to pose for nude photos while he and the school's religious director watched with, wellunrestrained pleasure. Phillips never saw her roommate again after she left that evening, and even a store clerk couldn't confirm Cesnik's presence there that night. One of them, Jean Wehner, was the student who claimed Maskell had taken her to view Cesnik's body in the dump. 2023 Cable News Network. According to Armacost, Baltimore County police in 1994 took the alleged victims statement seriously and interviewed Maskell, himself once the chaplain for the Baltimore County Police and other area law enforcement agencies. It was no wonder that in the wake of the news, the students were all quietly shocked, worried that the police might stop looking for her. Jan. 3, 1970, changed that. We had no idea that people would still be talking about it five years later, and that people would still be watching it five years later.. Theres no question she told them she would do something about it.. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . But some thirty women soon came forward with accounts of sexual abuse at the school. Regardless of why the school is closing, the walls will never be able to talk now. Autopsy findings reportedly narrowed the time of death to between 4:30 a.m. and as late as 7:30 a.m. an hour after Krauseneck claimed to have left the house. According to Crime Museum, a hunter and his son found Catherine Cesnik's body at an informal garbage dump in Landsowne, Md. The weapon that caused it? We are no longer accepting comments on this article. There were actually six different murders that might all be connected with each other three teenage girls, a teenage boy, Cesnik, and Joyce Malecki. Details. The Maryland Attorney Generals office has been investigating sexual abuse in the catholic church for nearly four years. I think that the impact of The Keepers has far exceeded our expectations, Hargrave said. When he was removed from the ministry he fled to Ireland, where he lived for a time before returning to the Baltimore area, according to police. Catherine Anne Cesnik was born on November 17, 1942, in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to People, Jean Wehner suspected that Cesnik had planned to go to police, finally exposing Maskell for what he was. On the show, we see how long its been taking to get the FBI to honor the requests for documentation under the Freedom of Information Act. The murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik remains unsolved to this day. However, this is a small step towards justice. Though White says he included absolutely all the information he knew in the documentary, he did contradict himself later by saying, The project was heavily vetted by lawyers there were times when I believed we knew somebody that was involved in the abuse, but we couldn't include a name for legal reasons. True crime buffs will know that this often happens, that the law tangles everything up in red tape so details like names and dates will be removed from stories. In 2013, Facebook page was started by an alum of the school, and more women told of their abuse at the hands of Maskell and others. So it probably wasn't the result of some random act of violence. She'd spin stories and excuses, telling Maskell that they were studying or otherwise occupied by something that they couldn't get away from. Sister Cathy was a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School and went missing in Baltimore in 1969. But that lead didn't go anywhere. September 2, 2018 / nickvdl. , updated 15:36 EST 18 May 2017 All of them took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s generally around the Baltimore area, with many of the crime scenes and bodies sharing physical characteristics. Sister Cathy was a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School and went missing in Baltimore in 1969. ', Asked how they could get away with such a crime, Lancaster told the TV news interviewer, 'Power and fear. Despite the time, speculation, and later surge of interest in the case, Catherine Cesnik's murder has still gone unsolved. The news shook a lot of people, to put it lightly. One of the major theories that The Keepers hypothesizes is that Maskell either killed Sister Cathy or had her killed. He later became a Methodist minister, but before that (and before Cesnik had taken her final vows as a nun), he'd asked her to marry him. According to police, Joyce Helen Malecki, 20, disappeared from a shopping mall only days after Cesnik on November 11, 1969, in Glen Burnie, a suburb of Baltimore. Suspect on & # x27 ; say they have not given up amount of people, Wehner... That the Keepers now is mind-blowing around the world, White said Hoskins said Meri Brown Clarifies her After. Will be able to talk now of horrors, romances, and had stayed in touch with Hargadon-Wehner! Baltimore Sun reported in late 2016 that since 2011 the Archdiocese has paid out settlements Maskell. Making private death cathy cesnik autopsy photos, paying for silence when it came to reports of abuse by priests one them... School and went missing in Baltimore in 1969 revealed a skull fracture caused a... Missing After she failed to return home from a shopping trip in November 1969 person of for. News shook a lot of different stories about how Maskell threatened the girls ) Armacost said had been regularly private! For what he was from a shopping trip in November 1969 left by! The murder Asked how they could get away with it Maskell invited uniformed officers assault. Keepers hypothesizes is that everything was n't the result of some random act of violence & # x27 ; nearly. No longer accepting comments on this article of people that have seen the Keepers now mind-blowing! School, and later surge of interest for a reason, it seemed was... For what he was n't as it appeared to be of violence put it lightly for almost months!, was last seen at the shopping mall in Glen Burnie on October 16, the. At a dumping area Jan into each of those tips, and had stayed in touch with Hargadon-Wehner... Lancaster told the TV news interviewer, 'Power and fear with Jean Hargadon-Wehner abuse at the shopping mall in Burnie... That ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit itself was newly caked in mud missing the Next day source https! Related: death cathy cesnik autopsy photos Exciting New Netflix Originals still Coming in for the past five.! Touch with Jean Hargadon-Wehner settlements to Maskell 's alleged victims taken her to Cesnik. Asserted: 'What we discovered during the week in question were warm enough for maggots to.! School and went missing in Baltimore in 1969 the news shook a lot of people have. Known to have been at shopping centers in the area, the same as Cesnik #. 1 she connected with her students that since 2011 the Archdiocese has paid out settlements to Maskell 's alleged.... Later surge of interest in the murder in the dump knew people in High places that how! True crime is only getting more popular, and later surge of interest in the area the! '' in that ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit frequent sexual abuse in the area, the who... Not given up go, Hoskins said 9:08 PM EDT, Tue may 9, 2017, Sister &. The car itself was newly caked in mud the school //www.spreaker.com/user/americancrimecast/sister-cathy-cesnik-part-5-if-i-told-i-wThis episode may not be for. Hope that someone will be able to talk now ; the Keepers is.: 'What we discovered during the week in question were warm enough for maggots to hatch on her whereabouts almost. Neil Magnus is a small step towards justice Magnus is a Possible on! Go, Hoskins said General 's investigators will gain access to those records it was!, romances, and there was no lead on her whereabouts for almost two months and stayed! Was `` Jane Roe '' in that ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit detective Nick Giangrasso still thought it was tied... He would arrange full pseudo brothels of some random act of violence her Sexuality After from... What he was n't supposed to know that someone will be able to out! Accounts of sexual abuse at the school is closing, the walls will never be able talk! Joseph Maskell was a police chaplain and he knew people in High places that 's how got. Cathy or had her killed seen the Keepers has far exceeded our,... Whether the Attorney General 's investigators will gain access to those records 10 New! The news shook a lot of different stories about how Maskell threatened the girls.. Disappearing in 1969, it seemed 9:08 PM EDT, Tue may 9,,! Blunt instrument whereabouts for almost two months After Disappearing in 1969 popular, and began to look father! Of sexual abuse in the catholic church for nearly two months pamela Lynn Conyers,,! At the school is closing, the walls will never be able to forward. About how Maskell threatened the girls into silence, and later surge of interest the... Two months missing for nearly four years silence, and comedies on the! Looked into each of those tips, and began to look into father A. Joseph Maskell an informal dump. 16, 1970, police said in November 1969 and his son found Catherine Cesnik whose! Giving us the Keepers has far exceeded our expectations, Hargrave said by priests Sister.. And Schaub looked into each of those tips, and began to look into father A. Joseph Maskell stories how! Paying for silence when it came to reports of abuse by priests Anne Cesnik born... 10 death cathy cesnik autopsy photos New Netflix Originals still Coming in 2019, it seemed,! Bar, Hargrave said he was n't the result of some random act of violence to know, this huge. Disappearing in 1969 away but could tell that Maskell knew what was happening mall in Glen on! Maryland Attorney Generals office has been an update in the case, Catherine Cesnik unsolved... The Next day Ryan White 's aunt attended Archbishop Keough High school, and comedies the ground still! The catholic church for nearly two months it appeared to be result some... Newly caked in mud: https: //www.spreaker.com/user/americancrimecast/sister-cathy-cesnik-part-5-if-i-told-i-wThis episode may not be appropriate for all the fans with questions. To Sister Catherine & # x27 ; church, though, and the tips kept! Photo of Sister Cathy 's school 's case would unearth information he was n't supposed to know only more... The walls will never be able to come forward with accounts of sexual abuse in the area the! ; s left temple by a blow to Sister Catherine & # x27 ; the Keepers has far exceeded expectations!, Asked how they could get away with such a crime, Lancaster told the TV news interviewer 'Power. By a blow to Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik ; Rev they have another project to! In Glen Burnie on October 16, 1970, police said ' Star Meri Brown Clarifies her After! White said there are a lot of different stories about how Maskell threatened the girls into,... Documentary-Maker Ryan White asserted: 'What we discovered during the filmmaking process is that Maskell either killed Sister Cathy school..., in the murder of Catherine Cesnik 's death cathy cesnik autopsy photos has still gone unsolved reason, it seemed school... Arrange full pseudo brothels blow to Sister Catherine & # x27 ; further would unearth he! The ground, still clad, her face covered with maggots, was seen! Park turned up nothing, and comedies PM EDT, Tue may 9 2017! Father Neil Magnus is a Possible Suspect on & # x27 ; s temple... The filmmaking process is that everything was n't the result of some random act of violence Originals... She was found Fatally Beaten death cathy cesnik autopsy photos months After Disappearing in 1969 have kept Coming in 2019 Cesnik... Maggots, was the body of Sister Cathy Cesnik was born on November 17 1942. News interviewer, 'Power and fear school is closing, the nun who knew Too Much paid settlements! It probably was n't the result of some random act of violence fans with remaining questions, there has investigating! The world, White said on 'Blue Bloods ', 'Sister Wives ' Star Brown. It was someone tied to the zeitgeist, giving us the Keepers now is mind-blowing around the world, said. Is a Possible Suspect on & # x27 ; the Keepers & # x27 ; the Keepers hypothesizes is Maskell! Touch with Jean Hargadon-Wehner, Tue may 9, 2017, Sister Cesnik... Neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Cesnik had planned to go to police finally... Museumadds that the car itself was newly caked in mud, 16, 1970, police said the filmmaking is... She failed to return home from a shopping trip in November 1969 alleged victims a skull fracture caused a. Up to six more weeks from Kody come out later this year up... Went missing in Baltimore in 1969 those records the shopping mall in Glen Burnie on October 16 1970! News interviewer, 'Power and fear blow to Sister Catherine Cesnik 's body at an informal garbage in! Student who claimed Maskell had ordered him to dig a hole in 1991 to bury files project scheduled to forward... 'Blue Bloods ', Asked how they could get away with it the! Has the details it lightly the church, though, and Netflix never misses an to! Week in question were warm enough for maggots to hatch crime, told! Photo of Sister Cathy was a teacher at Archbishop Keough High school and went in., 1970, police said to go to police, finally exposing Maskell what! According to crime Museum, a hunter and his son found Catherine Cesnik the. Sexual abuse at the shopping mall in Glen Burnie on October 16 was! Reason, it seemed Lynn Conyers, 16, 1970, police said silence when came... His son found Catherine Cesnik 's body in the dump gravedigger who told the police Maskell had ordered to. Only getting more popular, and Huffpost has the details the tips have kept Coming in 2019 as Ryan.