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In 1994, Fr. Whoever dumped Sister Catherine's body on a snowy piece of isolated waste ground (now completely overgrown) in Lansdowne had to know the area well. Koob was a Jesuit priest at the time of Sister Cathys murder. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. Jean Hargadon Wehner (Jane Doe)The first former student to accuse Father Maskell of sex abuse, she appeared in the 1994 lawsuit as Jane Doe. Wehner said she waited to come forward because she had repressed her memories of the abuse and only recalled them later. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . But officials have declined to identify that person. I told her, everyone is going to recognize you and youregoing to be the worst PIin the world! Look, my mom and my aunt are women in Baltimore, so Gemma in a way is my mom and my aunt shes so much like them, and I hope The Keepers doesnt get relegated to another crime story in Baltimore. The homicide remains unsolved, and for decades Radakovic believed Cesnik was the victim of a wrong place, wrong time crime. When she first went in [to the convent], they had visitation days and my parents and I always went down for the visitation days, we never missed them, Radakovic says. "[9], Wehner said that Cesnik once came to her and said gently, "Are the priests hurting you?" He said that when he told his mother of the abuse, she told the Baltimore Archdiocese in 1967 -- two years before Sister Cathy's murder. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. The biggest hurdle was that the case was so old, that it was 45 years old. However, Spitz, who worked on the case, later confirmed that there had been maggots in both the victim's mouth and trachea when found. Her body was found January 3, 1970. Sister Cathy Cesnik's disappearance and murder remain an unsolved mystery. He first reported on Sister Cathy's story because of Wehner's accusation that Maskell was involved in her murder. Schaub was previously a nurse. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. Director Ryan White tells PEOPLE Radakovic was little more than an urban legend for his team as they worked on the documentary, as no one had been able to confirm Cesnik had any siblings. [13], Netflix produced a seven-part documentary series about the case called The Keepers, which debuted on May 19, 2017. She said Maskell knew people in high places and would allegedly 'allow girls at the school to talk about sex and drugs in his office'. He spearheaded the project because of his personal connection to Sister Catherine Cesnik, a nun who was found murdered in January of 1970 and who serves as the centerpiece of the true crime series. And as long as youre alive, Cathy will be alive and dont ever forget that.. My access point was a personal connection: My aunt went to Archbishop Keough High School and was Sister Cathys student, White told TheWrap. It seems that either the Archdiocese is lying about having investigated the accusations, or the Archdiocese is lying about having internal records on A. Joseph Maskell. Despite the fact that Father Maskell's DNA does not match the DNA found at the crime scene, Armacost notes that the results don't necessarily clear him as a suspect. She was found dead two months later. Savvy internet sleuths have found evidence that James Maskell, a former patrolman, got a woman named Sarah Nell sentenced to a year in prison for biting him while he attempted to assault her. White is unconvinced that the DNA found at the scene on a cigarette butt would match A. Joseph Maskells DNA, but he remains positive that, eventually, someone will catch whoever murdered Sister Cathy and theyll finally figure out why. For us, our bar was more about bringing these womens experiences to light and starting this conversation.. Just Friday, the Archdioceseof Baltimore retweeted something in regardsto documentary, and I was appalledthat the Archdiocese was retweeting something like that and how insulting that must be for our survivors. [1] Nugents insights on the matter will be featured in the Netflix series. accessed ), memorial page for Sr Catherine Anne "Cathy" Cesnik (17 Nov . And the oldest was in her 20's.. The identity of Brother Bob remains a mystery, although some in The Keepers believe he might be the missing link in the case of who killed Sister Cathy. She was just 26 at the time of her death. 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. Maskell denied involvement in any form of abuse. Were you scared of taking on the Catholic Church? What the show doesnt get into is that the FBI has pushed back the date even further now. She said, You need to come home right away. Father Joseph Maskell's body was exhumed from a Baltimore cemetery earlier this year as part of the investigation into the unsolved slaying. For the next 47 years, the case went unsolved until now. The youngest I've talked to myself was three, Hoskins said. However, theres even more to the story to be considered: Sharon Mays husband used to be a state cop. They made the right decision in participating it wasntalways easy to persuade someone to take part. However, the material was never entered into evidence. The more peoplewatch it, the more information will come out of the woodwork. One of them, Jean Wehner, was the student who claimed Maskell had taken her to view Cesnik's body in the dump. Advocates, filmmakers say they have not given up. A lack of information about his life at the time has made deeper research difficult; however, viewers now know that Robert Flaherty was accused in a separate sex abuse scandal, as well. "Buried in Baltimore: The Mysterious Murder of a Nun Who Knew Too Much", "Justice for Sister Cathy is Long Overdue", "With New Lead, Police Reopen Old Murder Case", "Timeline: The Sister Catherine Cesnik Case", "Sister Catherine Cesnik Case: Missing Nun's Body Found in Lansdowne", "Baltimore Priest Victim: Police Were in on Sexual Abuse", "Jane Doe et al. Soon they were linking that abuse to Sister Cathy's murder, and speculation that she was going to blow the whistle and tell all. [7], In 2017, CBS Baltimore reported allegations from three women that during Cesnik's tenure at Archbishop Keough High School, two of the priests, Joseph Maskell and E. Neil Magnus, were sexually abusing the girls at the school in addition to trafficking them to others. More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. It was early 2016 and the couple was at the California apartment of Radakovics mother, who had recently died. "The Keepers" explores the murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. "Our best hope for solving this case at this point lies with the people who are still alive. She moved into an apartment with another nun and was weighing her options. [6] At 4:40am the next morning, Russell's friends, Peter McKeon and Gerard J. Koob, both Catholic priests, found Cesnik's car, in muddy condition, and illegally parked across from her apartment complex. This seven-episode docuseries explores the still-unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland. 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. [6], Immediately after Cesnik's disappearance, police searched the area for her body without success. 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.. Father Maskell was a counselor and chaplain at Archbishop Keough from 1967 to 1975. And I had spent time trying to convince my parents, Shes alive, lets find out what the letter says, shes tellin us where she is, we need to go, we need to find her, we need to help her. , I dont think we thought she was dead, Radakovic remembers. What the show doesnt touch on, however, is Koobs supposed relationship with Sister Cathy. . 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. What we tried to do in the editing was present all various narratives. Sister Cathy's body was undressed to the waist. Cesniks body was found on Jan. 3, 1970. The documentary was produced by Ryan White. Hoskins did write about her theory on the killer in her book "Keeping On: How I came To Know Why I Was Born.. According to the Baltimore Sun, as evening fell on Nov. 7, 1969, Sister Catherine Cesnik left her unassuming apartment, heading to the Edmondson Village Shopping Center around 7:30 p.m. As far as her roommate, Sister Helen Russell Phillips, could tell, she was headed out to buy an engagement gift for her sister, as well as run a few errands. Every bit of it, vividly. Detectives investigating her death believe she may have encountered her murderer outside her apartment since her car was found parked in the complex the day after her disappearance. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. But hes only willing to share a slice of it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In addition to the six abuse victims featured in the documentary, director Ryan White told TheWrap there are at least 40 victims in total, some from after Maskell's stint at Keough. Spitz did the official autopsy back in 1970. Who killed the nun still remains a mystery today, but . 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. Our focus was definitely on the survivors of Keough, but many Maskell victims cameafter Keough, and its horrifying. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. In 1994, two victims, known then as Jane Doe and Jane Roe, attempted to sue the Catholic Church and Maskell for alleged abuse, but the case was thrown out because of Marylands statute of limitations. 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. "For now, we've pretty well reached the end of the road when it comes to forensic evidence," Elise Armacost, a spokesperson for the Baltimore County Police Department said. 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. As time would tell, she had good reason to keep quiet. He and his friend and fellow priest, Peter McKeon, discovered Sister Cathys car parked at a strange angle across the street from her apartment. 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. His aunt was also friends with Jean Wehner, one of multiple people in the documentarywho say they were sexually abused by Father Joseph Maskell in the Baltimore, Maryland area. In another scenario, James Maskell arrested a man named Phillip Shane after the two of them got into an altercation and Maskell lied about how they came to blows. County police, meanwhile, say they have never proven that Cesniks homicide was due to any knowledge she had of the Keough sex abuse though it is one of multiple theories they are pursuing, including possible links between her death and three other unsolved homicides in the area around the same time. They encourage everyone reading this to question everything, stay hydrated, and treat others with kindness. The exact number of his victims remains unclear. 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. It started with a freelance journalist, Tom Nugent. Her former students believe that Sister Cathy was murdered as part of a cover-up to protect a priest at the school, A. Joseph Maskell, who Cesnik suspected was guilty of sexual abuse of students. Another woman, Teresa Lancaster, also came forward. An image of Sister Cathy Cesnik's car found near her apartment the night she went missing Nov. 7, 1969 in Baltimore County. ', One former student, Teresa Lancaster, told WJZ-TV in Baltimore, that Sister Cathy had 'confronted' Maskell 'and she lost her life for it. Amateur sleuths have continued tracking the famous cold case in a new podcast series. Anyone who saw The Keepers remembers former priest Gerry Koob and his story about the police bringing in Sister Cathys genitals wrapped in newspaper and tossing them on a table in front of Koob. But reading through her mothers things the 2015 Huffington Post story was the first clipping she found Radakovic learned about the swirl of rumors and theories that still surrounds Cesniks death. "The Keepers" premieres on Netflix May 19. I don't understand what happens on the other side, she said. The Keepers filmmaker Ryan White made the new Netflix docuseries that has everyone on the edge of their seats. 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. Their work is featured prominently, in "The Keepers..