Catherine Anne Cesnik SSND (born November 17, 1942; disappeared November 7, 1969) was an American Catholic religious sister who taught English and drama at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland. He claims he interviewed more than 100 girls in the case who knew of or were involved in sexual abuse. His remains were exhumed in February of this year and reports in recent days have stated that a DNA sample from Maskell was not a match from a DNA sample retrieved from evidence from the murder scene in 1969. She was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and had been an English teacher at the Catholic, all-girls, Archbishop Keough High School in Landsdowne. Much like everyone else who . Baltimore's Metro Crime Stoppers has republished the reward for information about the murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik. The filmmakers said they were not trying to solve the murder of Sister Cathy, or the murder of Joyce Malecki, which is also featured in the series. And I can hear Cathy saying 'I told you I'd take care of this' and I said, I didn't think you meant 20 years later. Im also not a journalist or a detective but I borrowed a lot of skills from Gemmas skillset over the years. The suit was thrown out and Richter was never convicted of any wrongdoing. Were you impressed with Gemmas investigative skills given that she has no police or journalism experience? As documentary-maker Ryan White asserted: 'What we discovered during the filmmaking process is that everything wasn't as it appeared to be. With new evidence cropping up recently, this article has been updated to reflect evenmorefacts and clues that the docuseries overlooked. 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. Sharon A.H. MayThe Baltimore State's attorney working on the Maskell case in 1994. Tom Nugent, author of the acclaimed Death at Buffalo Creek, and an investigative journalist, has been writing about Sister Cathys case since 1994, and recently in his online publication, Inside Baltimore.. Frightened and feeling threatened by the strapping, dominating clergyman who was popular with churchgoers for his Sunday masses the girl decided to keep secret her gruesome discovery. It started with a freelance journalist, Tom Nugent. We met Gemma in a Home Depot parking lot, a few blocks from where Sister Cathys car was found. After the complaints were made to the archdiocese, Maskell was temporarily removed from his post at the school for psychological evaluation. Moreover, she said that along with the priest, she was abused by police officers. I would hang on to her, and she was like, Youre gonna get me thrown out! , And shed tell Cesnik, Thats what Im trying to do, Cathy, Im trying to do. Id say to my dad, Get the car, well steal her. . Caine says the church believes Maskell who overlapped with Cesnik while at Keough, where he worked as the school chaplain and counselor from 1967 to 1975. was sexually abusive. I mean, its a survivor story at its core. Sister Cathy's battered body - she had been beaten over the head - was discovered . Part 1 - Victim Featured in The Keepers Tells Story of Survival in New Book, Part 2 - Attorney Believes Criminal Charges A Possibility in Sex Abuse Investigation. I think this is it, Hoskins said, in a recent interview. So we didn't want to set that as our bar, Hargrave said. The Baltimore Archdiocese reached a $35,000 settlement with VonDenBosch in 2016. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. 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. Today, almost a half-century later, the murder of Sister Cathy who was once compared to Julie Andrews' character in 'The Sound of Music' because of her beauty and bubbly personality is still one of law enforcement's most mysterious cold cases. Do not sell or share my personal information. There is one living suspect in Cesniks homicide, according to police spokeswoman Elise Armacost. In the immediate aftermath, as they made preparations for her funeral, Radakovic was given a piece of advice by the head of Cesniks convent: It is your job, Marilyn, to always keep Cathy alive. ', One former student, Teresa Lancaster, told WJZ-TV in Baltimore, that Sister Cathy had 'confronted' Maskell 'and she lost her life for it. Sign up today to get daily, up-to-date news and views from Irish America. The theory that people in position of authority and power are ableto decide what we as the populous know or dont know or whether survivors of abuse are validated or not I also liked the institutional meaning of The Keepers.. The Keepers: Pieces Of Evidence The Show Leaves Out, 16 TV Shows Too Disturbing To Binge-Watch, 10 Exciting New Netflix Originals Still Coming In 2019, Netflixs Tiger King: 15 Best Joe Exotic Quotes, Everything Available At Launch On HBO Max, 10 Creepy Documentaries To Watch If You Loved The Keepers. On November 7, 1969, Cesnik disappeared. Find out what it is in TheWraps Q&A with White below. Father Maskell was a counselor and chaplain at Archbishop Keough from 1967 to 1975. Her hope clung to a strange letter she had received in the mail, apparently sent by Cesnik and postmarked the day after she went missing. However, Spitz, who worked on the case, later confirmed that there had been maggots in both the victim's mouth and trachea when found. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse. However, she didnt want to go on the record. I thought they would have been more participatory. "[9], Wehner said that Cesnik once came to her and said gently, "Are the priests hurting you?" And I no longer need to have validation from others about what I witnessed during the crimes that were committed against me and others., The victim added that the archdiocese of Baltimore has been hiding behind the statute of limitations.. I hope this documentary can be a tool of healing, but its about to be very triggering for the survivors, saidWhite. 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.. She doesnt recognize that of course she lives small. On November 7, 1969, 26-year-old Sister Catherine Cesnik vanished. Our focus was definitely on the survivors of Keough, but many Maskell victims cameafter Keough, and its horrifying. ', 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.'. Since then, he's been tracking and investigating the story over the years and is one of the investigators of her death in "The Keepers.". On the evening she disappeared, Sister Cathy was reportedly counseling one of the abused girls when Maskell unexpectedly showed up. Stirred to action, the Police exhumed the remains of A. Joseph Maskell, the former priest accused of murdering Sister Cathy, and took a DNA sample to test against DNA found at the murder scene. One of those calls went to a retired Baltimore County teacher, Gemma Hoskins. In 1994, Fr. Except for that day, she said. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. There was only the two of us for a long time, so we were really close, Radakovic says. Catherine Anne Cesnik was born on November 17, 1942, in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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. ", Up Next: Netflix Hidden Gems For Sci-Fi And Fantasy Lovers. She may have made a purchase at Muhly's Bakery in Edmondson Village, since a box of buns from that bakery was found in the front seat of her car. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Later in 1994, authorities exhumed boxes Maskell had buried in a Baltimore cemetery and found one to contain child pornography. Schaub was previously a nurse. What do you think happened to Sister Cathy? In the ensuing years, the sisters stayed in touch via letters and phone calls. Gemma connected us with so many people in The Keepers.. Tom NugentFreelance journalist Tom Nugent covered Sister Cathy's death starting in 1994. Their work is featured prominently, in "The Keepers.. He and his friend and fellow priest, Peter McKeon, discovered Sister Cathys car parked at a strange angle across the street from her apartment. As The Keepers details, Radakovics engagement may have been one of the last things on Cesniks mind before she vanished while shopping on Nov. 7, 1969. He had been a chaplain and counselor at Archbishop Keough while she taught there. 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. I've talked to the hunter that found Cathy, and he said that since the day he found her the police have never talked to him. And although the seven-episode seriesexplores through its lead investigators Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Schaub three main suspects, including Father Maskell, who diedin 2001, White does havehis own theory on who abducted and murdered the nun. Her cousin was soon to be married and Sister Cathy wanted to shop for an engagement gift, she told her roommate, Sister Helen Phillips, with whom she shared a small garden apartment in Southwest Baltimore, a blue-collar area of the city. According to CNN, Bode Cellmark Forensics laboratory in Lorton, Virginia was responsible for comparing the DNA to the sample from the murder scene. She also thinks Sister Cathy was murdered because she knew about Maskells abuse and was going to come forward. Because the federal government keeps stalling and refusing to release information under the FOIA regarding Joyce Maleckis murder, there are likely countless pieces of possibly helpful evidence related to the homicides of both Joyce Malecki and Sister Cathy. It would be two months later, on January 3, 1970, that a couple of hunters came upon Sister Cathy's decomposed, frozen and mutilated body, and notified police. In one scene, Jean told her friends, we are the keepers of the secrets, and I knew that had to be the title. Magnus died in 1988 and was never charged with any crimes. Radakovic still tears up when she talks about Cesnik, who died more than 46 years ago. Police dropped him as a target before he died. I'm determined that if there is something I can do in my lifetime to change things, I think the keepers has already changed society quite a bit, Hoskins said. Theyd ring a bell and [the girls] were required to get up and just walk away., But Radakovic couldnt let go. - May 30, 2017 05:42 pm EDT. It is still in the process of dealing with the legal fallout, and atoning for the deeds of those who preyed on the most vulnerable. Because no criminal charges were leveled against Maskell, Wehner and Lancaster became plaintiffs in the 1994 lawsuit against Maskell and the archdiocese. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 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. 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. 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Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up. Cesnik felt called by God to be a nun, her sister says, and she had a gift for teaching. It remained shrouded in mystery until those close to Sister Cathy started sharing their experiences and theories last year, They were told to 'stop harassing him,' he said. [12] After obtaining permission from the state's attorney's office, the BCPD exhumed the body of Maskell, who died of a major stroke in 2001, but did not find a DNA match to evidence from the crime scene. But hes only willing to share a slice of it. Cesnik was born in 1942 and grew up to become a nun at the all-girls Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, where . Beverly WallaceThe attorney for "Jane Doe" and "Jane Roe" in the 1994 lawsuit against Maskell and the archdiocese. No one, not even fellow Keough graduates, knew that Jean Hargadon-Wehner was the so-called "Jane Doe" who came forward in the early 1990's and accused the Archdiocese of Baltimore of allowing the abuse to continue. It allowed for Cesnik's . His family believes he may have had something to do with Cathy's death, along with his brother, Ronnie, and an unknown man called "Skippy." The only way to do that was to find people who were involved. White can only say this about it: Her story is chilling.. RELATED: 10 Exciting New Netflix Originals Still Coming In 2019. She was just 26 at the time of her death. In 1994, two women identified only as 'Jane Doe' and 'Jane Roe' alleged that Maskell had raped them when they were students at Sister Cathy's school. A headline in a Baltimore newspaper blared: 'City Police Fail To Find Missing Nun.'. On May 17, the Baltimore Sun reported that his DNA did not match a sample that was taken. Unless some brave sleuths or particularly inspired detectives go digging, Keough High School is now, for better or worse, closed to a continuing story. For the next 47 years, the case went unsolved until now. Jean and other former students of Sister Cathy believe that the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the authorities covered up Sister Cathy's murder after she suspected Father Maskell was sexually abusing several young girls at the school. More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. Joyce MaleckiThe 20-year-old Baltimore woman went missing on Nov. 11, 1969. He then left to work as pastor of a church in Baltimore, but later returned to his duties after an archdiocese investigation failed to support the abuse allegations. She was a member of the Keough class of 1970. Her body was found in a wooded area two days later. Detectives revealed on Wednesday that after weeks of testing, Maskell's DNA did not match evidence found from the murder scene nearly 50 years ago. accessed ), memorial page for Sr Catherine Anne "Cathy" Cesnik (17 Nov . Published on May 18, 2017 10:03 AM. Audiences reacted poorly to how cold, smarmy, and arrogant Sharon May appeared to be, and with good reason: they have every reason to believe she was very much involved in a cover-up for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, evident enough from her complete inaction throughout the case. This is huge news regarding Sister Cathy's case. Nine months later, when Radakovic got married, she didnt throw her bouquet, instead leading everyone to the cemetery to put the bouquet on Cesniks grave. The Baltimore police has since reopened its investigation. Here's our quick guide to all the people in "The Keepers" you need to know. Still wondering what happened to Baltimore's Sister Cathy? Sharon Mays husband, V. Eric W. May, Sr., was a state cop while Sharon was a prosecutor, providing the two of them even more opportunity to participate in a cover-up. He wrote that the evidence, all circumstantial, shows that Sister Cathy was probably killed because she was ready to blow the whistle on widespread sex abuse at Keough by Father Maskell and others, in the late 1960s. 'Father Maskell picked me up, took me to a wooded area where there was a lot of policemen gathered around, he left me in the backseat and two policemen abused me while Maskell stood next to the car. Also Read: 'The Keepers': What's Behind the Name of the Netflix Documentary Series? We werent actively looking at what he was doing after Keough but obviously, Charles [another abuse victim] played a narrative in the abuse. But I can whole-heartedly say, Cathy has been very much a part of all this.. When you say survivors, how many are there?
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