By William Cannon I dont know how they do it I dont think she knows. The Maryland Attorney Generals office has been investigating sexual abuse in the catholic church for nearly four years. His account directly contradicts the church's story about what it knew about Maskell. Many have speculated on the identity of this mysterious Brother Bob, with most pointing to Ed (Edgar Davidson) as being the most obvious answer, but some are now speculating that Father Robert Flaherty is Brother Bob. I mean, my mother loved eating chocolate, and I remember distinctly my mother said, Im gonna give up chocolate until Cathy comes home and then Im gonna eat chocolate until I get sick. . The plaintiffs suits are thus barred by the statute of limitation. Unfortunately, Russell is . I was raised Catholic and I had a very positive experience. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . 'The Keepers': Sister Cathy's Medical Examiner Also Worked on JFK, JonBenet Ramsey Cases, director Ryan White told TheWrap there are at least 40 victims in total, The Baltimore Archdiocese reached a $35,000 settlement with VonDenBosch in 2016. Gemma connected us with so many people in The Keepers.. They say they were trying to find enough evidence for viewers to conclude that the nun's murder, and the sexual abuse must be related. 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. 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'. 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. [11] Cesnik's body was not found until January 3, 1970, and its discovery by two hunters was not in the wooded location near Fort Meade, but on the open hill trash dump of a small business property in Lansdowne. The amount of people that have seen The Keepers now is mind-blowing around the world, White said. Sister Joanita (Cathy) requested permission to take a sabbatical from the Order. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Obviously, it has other meanings one other meaning was the idea of gatekeepers. While the case remains open, allegations of sexual abuse by Father Maskell, and Sister's Cathy's plan to blow the whistle along with a possible cover up by the Catholic Church with close ties to law enforcement are at the heart of the horrendous case. Father Maskell was a counselor and chaplain at Archbishop Keough from 1967 to 1975. Tricky geometry baffles the internet - but can YOU train your brain to solve how many triangles are in this image? Still wondering what happened to Baltimore's Sister Cathy? More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. Sister Cathy was a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School and went missing in Baltimore in 1969. Its possible Flaherty and Maskell had some deeper connection at the time that has simply been completely overlooked. There are six survivors showcased in the documentarybut we had many conversationswith other survivors who werent featured in the documentary. Also Read: 'The Keepers': Sister Cathy's Medical Examiner Also Worked on JFK, JonBenet Ramsey Cases. The church first learned of the allegations in 1992 and removed Maskell as a priest in 1994, as soon as it had corroborating accounts of his abuse, according to Sean Caine, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Beginning tonight, Netflix viewers will be able to view all seven episodes of a series entitled, The Keepers., The documentary was produced by Ryan White. He and his friend and fellow priest, Peter McKeon, discovered Sister Cathys car parked at a strange angle across the street from her apartment. ', One former student, Teresa Lancaster, told WJZ-TV in Baltimore, that Sister Cathy had 'confronted' Maskell 'and she lost her life for it. 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. A lot of power. The only evidence that she had been out, were the buns she had bought at the bakery. I thought they would have been more participatory. One of those calls went to a retired Baltimore County teacher, Gemma Hoskins. Just a few days before she vanished, the priest reportedly called her and, once again expressing his love, had asked her to marry him. I ran over, bent down and began wiping maggots off her face. [4] Cesnik had three siblings. Her account was brought into question by scientific evidence showing that it would have been impossible for maggots to be alive at that time of year. 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. 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. 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. 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. Supposedly, according to White and Jean Wehner, the Archdiocese opened an investigation into A. Joseph Maskell, and so, those records should exist. That means Father Maskell was somehow involved. All rights reserved. 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. According to published sources, at least two students at Keough were shown the body of Sister Cathy by Father Maskell himself. Sister Cathys battered body - she had been beaten over the head - was discovered off Monumental Avenue, in a Landsdowne, Baltimore County, Maryland, garbage dump by hunters, on January 3, 1970. Detective Gary ChildsBaltimore County Police Detective Childs is assigned to the cold case file for Sister Cathy's murder at the time of "The Keepers. 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. We werent actively looking at what he was doing after Keough but obviously, Charles [another abuse victim] played a narrative in the abuse. NEXT:10 Creepy Documentaries To Watch If You Loved The Keepers. 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. Catherine (Cathy) Cesnik was a Catholic sister and taught English and drama at Archbishop Keough (later renamed Seton Keough), an all-girls Catholic high school in Baltimore. He had been a chaplain and counselor at Archbishop Keough while she taught there. Koob was a Jesuit priest at the time of Sister Cathys murder. And this was how she had explained it to me. However, the material was never entered into evidence. Father A. Joseph MaskellAn administrator, psychologist and counselor at Keough when Sister Cathy was a teacher there, Maskell has been accused by dozens of students and other children of sexual abuse. The reward is up to $7,000 for informati. In 1969, at 26 years old, Cesnik faced an impasse in her life and career, Radakovic says. For more on Sister Cathys mysterious death and the secrets she may have been killed to keep, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this weeks issue, on newsstands now. Among the other errands she ran that night, Cesnik was also looking to buy a present for her sister. But I do think that there are individuals who are still living who know exactly what happened, she said. 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.. They did stuff. Unless some brave sleuths or particularly inspired detectives go digging, Keough High School is now, for better or worse, closed to a continuing story. What the show doesnt touch on, however, is Koobs supposed relationship with Sister Cathy. [5] On November 7, 1969, she left the apartment she shared with Helen Russell Phillips at the Carriage House Apartments, at 131 North Bend Road in Catonsville, en route to the Edmondson Village Shopping Center to purchase a gift for her sister's engagement at Hecht's jewelry store. She was a member of the Keough class of 1971. [13], Netflix produced a seven-part documentary series about the case called The Keepers, which debuted on May 19, 2017. When you say survivors, how many are there? Her life had been threatened and she had allegedly been abused by the priest. On January 3, 1970, nearly two months after her vanishment, the brutally beaten and mutilated body of Sister Cesnik was located in a field in Lansdowne, Maryland, by a man and his son who were. Before that, Gemma spent 37 years as an elementary school teacher. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. 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. Jean claims that Father Maskell took her to Sister Cathy's body and said to her, "See what happens when you say bad things about people.". [1] They filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against him, the Baltimore Archdiocese, the sisters who ran the school, and a local gynecologist. But some thirty women soon came forward with accounts of sexual abuse at the school. 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. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. On January 3, 1970, her body was found by a hunter and his son in an informal landfill located on the 2100 block of Monumental Road, in a remote area of Lansdowne. According to CNN, Bode Cellmark Forensics laboratory in Lorton, Virginia was responsible for comparing the DNA to the sample from the murder scene. He later returned to the U.S. and died in 2001. I never grew up knowing her teacher had been murdered. 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. Sister Cathy's body was undressed to the waist. Meteorological records also reveal that temperatures during the week in question were warm enough for maggots to hatch. The case remains open and unsolved. Making a Murderer was sucha phenomenon and if we have a fraction the popularity of Making a Murderer, I will be a happy filmmaker. She was described as a tall, thin girl -- standing about 5 feet, 7 inches and weighing 112 pounds. But in interviews conducted before his death, he found these. 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. Whats worse than considering the fact that A. Joseph Maskell terrorized one community? Dr. Christian RichterA gynecologist who Maskell would take students to while he was serving at Keough. [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. They encourage everyone reading this to question everything, stay hydrated, and treat others with kindness. Something has happened to your sister. . Shes so driven to find out what happened to her teacher. The plaintiffs appealed. [7] She cashed a paycheck at First National Bank in Catonsville that night. She was just 26 at the time of her death. White: My access point was personal connection: My aunt went to Archbishop Keough High School and was Sister Cathys student, so she always had a personal connection. 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. . On January 3, 1970, the decomposed body of Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik was discovered at a dumping area on Monumental Avenue in Halethorpe, 21227. She was "Jane Roe" in that ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit. But hes only willing to share a slice of it. I think the really special part of The Keepers is that people arespeaking up for a lot of people who didnt survive it. Nov. 11-13, 1969: Joyce Malecki Is Killed. Radakovic, now in her 60s, remains determined. Also Read: 'The Keepers' Filmmaker: Father Maskell Abused 40 Victims, Not Just the 6 in Netflix's Doc. 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. That was the first time I had learned of any of this.. She joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame when she was 18. She was just 26 at the time of her death. 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. She always wanted to become a Personal Investigator. I can still feel her touch my cheek, said Hargadon-Wehner, in a recent interview. We still remain optimistic that its possible for us to clear this case, Armacost says. Sister Catherine 'Cathy' Cesnik, a pretty and popular 26-year-old nun who taught at an all-girls Catholic school in Baltimore, was last seen by her roommate, another nun, going off to shop on the evening of Friday November 7, 1969. (Handout photo courtesy of Netflix) Catherine Cesnik, a 26-year-old. Maskell was a police chaplain and he knew people in high places that's how they got away with it. Around the same time as Cesnik's disappearance, a 29-year-old woman named Joyce Malecki also went missing and was found dead two days later. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Her body was partially naked and her head had been bashed in, but there was little physical evidence at the scene. It started with a freelance journalist, Tom Nugent. Everything Ive done, Ive really tried since that time which is just a little over a year ago for me Ive tried to give them all the information that Ive learned, she says of working with authorities. The documentary investigates whether Maskell had. 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. Mine isdifferent than Gemmas theory, but we were all looking at the various versions of the truth and deciding what we believed was true. However, they say theres nothing, even though Jean Wehner found many victims willing to come forward simply by sending out letters in the mail. She was found dead two months later. 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. ', He claimed that the detectives were told to either charge the priest 'or let him go. 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. Much like everyone else who . 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." She moved into an apartment with another nun and was weighing her options. For us, our bar was more about bringing these womens experiences to light and starting this conversation.. Charles FranzIn "The Keepers," Charles Franz came forward as one of Maskell's abuse victims in the 1960s. There was only the two of us for a long time, so we were really close, Radakovic says. Her unsolved murder served as the basis for the Netflix documentary series The Keepers in 2017. The series also renewed the investigations into the murders of two women, Sister Cathy Cesnik and Joyce Malecki. In the 1990s, Jean Wehner came forward and alleged that Father Maskell had sexually abused her and allowed other men to do the same. Amateur sleuths have continued tracking the famous cold case in a new podcast series. [6], Immediately after Cesnik's disappearance, police searched the area for her body without success. Lil Hughes KnippAnother of the women who were abused at Keough, Lil Hughes Knipp did not come forward until years after the 1994 lawsuit. I think Cathy was planning to go to the police about what was happening to us girls at Keough, says Jean Wehner, one of her former students, and [she] was killed to keep that from happening.. 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. He was never charged. Nicole Mello is an author of horrors, romances, and comedies. They have internal records on everyone including A. Joseph Maskell. Gemma Hoskins has helped dozens of victims get in touch with their investigators. 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. ', The cop, who died in 2009, said it was a shame because he was certain the priest 'knew more than he was telling. Donna VonDenBoschDonna VonDenBosch also has come forward as one of Maskell's abuse victims as a member of the Keough class of 1974. He would eventually commit suicide. It deals with, among other subjects, the unsolved brutal murder on November 7, 1969, of a popular nun, Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik, known to many as simply Sister Cathy.. She suffered blunt force trauma to her head and the case remains open to this day. There is one living suspect in Cesniks homicide, according to police spokeswoman Elise Armacost. RELATED: 10 Exciting New Netflix Originals Still Coming In 2019. Whats really funny about Gemma, shes taking criminologyclasses right now which I find hilarious. Well, for all the fans with remaining questions, there has been an update in the murder case. She said that Maskell showed her Sister Cathys body. 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. Find out what it is in TheWraps Q&A with White below. Ryan White says hes seen a lot of people doubt whether the story is true at all, and insists that Koob is absolutely certain this happened, while the police are absolutely certain it did not. It allowed for Cesnik's . I don't understand what happens on the other side, she said. Sister Cathy's battered body - she had been beaten over the head - was discovered . One former student, Teresa Lancaster claims she was sexually abused by Father Maskell as well as members of Baltimore police who took her to a wooded area and raped her in a car, Lancaster (right) said Maskell got away with his crimes by'power and fear.' And why should they? 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. But when he was questioned by the police, he had an ironclad alibi for the night of Sister Cathy's disappearance. Not every story that Ryan White heard gets told in The Keepers. 1 of 40 Sister Catherine Cesnik is pictured with her father, Joseph Cesnik. But a Facebook message ultimately connected them, and Radakovic features prominently in the later episodes. On November 7, 1969, 26-year-old Sister Catherine Cesnik vanished. Nasal spray reduces risk of infection 86% - nearly DOUBLE protection given by shot in arm, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Teresa Lancaster (Jane Roe)The second plaintiff in the 1994 lawsuit against Maskell, Lancaster was known in the case as Jane Roe. After the failed lawsuit, she went to law school and became a lawyer, working with Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. White can only say this about it: Her story is chilling.. Her body was found January 3, 1970. 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. 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. But he never found the killer of Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik; he died of complications from diabetes on June 10, at age 79. Or does White know more than hes telling his audience? But its not about popularity, its about the impact My hope is that we can have a fraction of that popularitythat leads to justice. Throughout the series,the devastation experienced bysurvivors is laid bare,as is theirstrength in confronting unthinkable childhood horrors. During his interview in "The Keepers," however, he denied any involvement.