Nearly 10 years ago the filmmakers started to meet with her; this was long before Netflix got involved. > Licensing inquiries: Email tim.thomas@baltsun.com. 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. [13][14] Police spokeswoman Elise Armacost announced that this discovery does not exclude Maskell from being a suspect in the case. Rather, people actually trusted him a lot, reportsHuffpost. Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik was last seen alive on November 7, 1969. 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. Police took DNA samples from the corpse to check against a DNA profile developed from evidence taken in 1970 from the scene in Maryland where the badly decomposed body of Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik had been found by a father and son out hunting. Many people first met Gemma Hoskins through her appearance on "The Keepers," a 2017 Emmy-nominated Netflix docuseries, that focused on the death of Sister Cathy Cesnik and cases of sexual abuse at . "The Keepers" premieres on Netflix May 19. Advocates, filmmakers say they have not given up. Her body was found in Lansdowne, south of Baltimore, on January 3, 1970. They were always invited to come to her apartment, where she checked in on the situation regarding Maskell. Determining whether Maskells DNA matches the evidence remaining from the crime scene is a box that must be checked, said Armacost. More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. May 11, 2017 at 2:54 pm. 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. The current team of cold case detectives, assigned the Cesnik case in 2016, began discussing the exhumation of Maskell almost immediately, but it took time to get proper authorization. Unfortunately, Russell is . Were not going to let this go, Hoskins said. For all the press and notoriety that this case would get in the long run, it started out exceedingly normal. (just outside Baltimore), covered in snow and partially hidden by a nearby embankment. The youngest I've talked to myself was three, Hoskins said. . On February 28, police opened the grave of Rev. Regardless of why the school is closing, the walls will never be able to talk now. 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. He was said to have allowed girls at the school to talk about sex and drugs in his office, and even permitted alcohol and cigarettes during gatherings in his rectory living quarters. All rights reserved. It was thrown out on a technicality, according to Huffpost. Prior to the funeral, the city of Frederick put purple ribbons [Shan'ann's favorite color] all over the city. 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. 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. 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. 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. Two women anonymous at the time but who later came forward as Jean Wehner and Teresa Lancaster came forward with allegations of abuse, saying he (and some of his associates) had assaulted them while they were students at Archbishop Keough (later Seton Keough) High School (via Baltimore Sun). Jerry Oppenheimer For Dailymail.com As it turned out, he had close ties to the police: his brother was a lieutenant, and Maskell was chaplain for the Baltimore County force, along with the state police and the Maryland National Guard. She'd spin stories and excuses, telling Maskell that they were studying or otherwise occupied by something that they couldn't get away from. The green 1970 Maverick had been parked illegally near the apartment. Sister Catherine Cesnik is pictured with her father, Joseph Cesnik. She was warm and energetic, always ready to engage with her students, writing musicals for them to perform on stage, or inventing games to encourage them to teach each other new vocabulary. I think he's dead, but I may be wrong. They filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against him, the Baltimore Archdiocese, the sisters who ran the school, and a local gynecologist. They scared the living hell out of us.'. Sister Cesnik had been reported as a missing person on November 7, 1969, from her residence at the Carriage House Apartments in Baltimore City, 21229. Well, for all the fans with remaining questions, there has been an update in the murder case. They got in touch with the local police, reporting that Cesnik had gone missing. ', The cop, who died in 2009, said it was a shame because he was certain the priest 'knew more than he was telling. All Rights Reserved. Cesnik went missing on the night of Nov. 7, 1969 after stopping by a local shopping center to pick up buns from a bakery, cash a check and buy an engagement present for her sister, the Sun . Unless some brave sleuths or particularly inspired detectives go digging, Keough High School is now, for better or worse, closed to a continuing story. They have another project scheduled to come out later this year. Malecki's body was even found near Fort Meade, where Maskell was a military chaplain. The idea that he terrorized many, and that the Catholic Church chose not to stop him. The Baltimore Sun reported in late 2016 that since 2011 the archdiocese has paid out settlements to Maskell's alleged victims. Hoskins and Schaub looked into each of those tips, and the tips have kept coming in for the past five years. 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. 'The Keepers' Update: New DNA Evidence Found In Sister Cathy Cesniks Murder Case, 'Yellowstone' Fans Shocked at Series' Reported Demise, Jessica Biel Reacts to Elizabeth Olsen's Candy Montgomery Show 'Love & Death', 'True Lies' Stars Steve Howey and Ginger Gonzaga Talk Stunts, Style, and the Iconic Beverly D'Angelo Ahead of New CBS Action Series Premiere (Exclusive), 'The View' Hosts Defend Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'I Have to Say, I'm on Marjorie's Side', Eugene Levy Gives Hope to Potential 'Schitt's Creek' Revival, 'Today' Show Fans Concerned as Hoda Kotb's Week-long Absence Continues, Tom Selleck and Larry Manetti Reunite for 'Mangum, P.I.' The week prior, Sister Cathy Cesnik, a popular young nun who taught English and drama at Keough, had vanished while on a Friday-night shopping trip. v. A. Joseph Maskell et al. They revealed themselves in "The Keepers" thanks to documentary filmmakers Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave. But I do think that there are individuals who are still living who know exactly what happened, she said. RELATED:16 TV Shows Too Disturbing To Binge-Watch, Most dont believe Gerry Koob when he talks, but a member of the police force, Detective Roemer, claimed that Koob confessed to having a sexual relationship with Sister Cathy before her disappearance. In fact, people around the world were so distraught at learning about Sister Cathy's case that they started flooding the Baltimore County Police with calls. One of the most famous pieces of evidence from the show is the cigarette butt shown in episode six, found near Sister Cathys body. After the series premiered, messages started to arrive from around the world with new information. At the time of her disappearance, Sister Cesnik was on a sabbatical from the Roman Catholic Church and was teaching at Western High School in Baltimore City. Not every story that Ryan White heard gets told in The Keepers. The Baltimore Sun is republishing archived coverage of the unsolved 1969 murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, which is the subject of a Netflix documentary series set to debut May 19. 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. Its possible Flaherty and Maskell had some deeper connection at the time that has simply been completely overlooked. Locating that stash, investigators found, among other things, nude pictures of underage girls. [8], In 1995, Teresa Lancaster and Jean Wehner (ne Hargadon), former students at Keough who say they were sexually abused by Maskell, filed a lawsuit against him, the school, gynecologist Christian Richter, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and William H. Keeler. Does he ever reveal them? Another detective was looking into the case, only for a superior to tell him to stop. A few more branches were caught on the radio antenna, while another twig was found stuck to the turn signal lever on the steering wheel, a piece of yellow thread caught onto it. 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. As in, a three-year-old who remembers it. The show is responsible for initiating a deeper look into the case of A. Joseph Maskell and Sister Cathy Cesnik, as Baltimore County Police start investigating again due to a public outcry. Without getting into a bunch of complicated legal jargon, victims of abuse would've had three years to come forward. Maskell denied involvement in any form of abuse. Joanne Suder, an attorney for many of Maskells sexual abuse victims, said, If law enforcement, in general, had done their job back in 1970, theyd have brought Maskell in then and this wouldnt have all been necessary in 2017., Theres no question that my clients told Sister Cathy (Cesnik) what was going on, Suder said. Feb 7, 2019 - Justice for Sister Cathy . 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. Eluding police questioning, Maskell eventually ran off to Ireland in 1994 to work as a priest. Jane Doe (Jean Wehner) is quoted as recalling a man she knew only as Brother Bob, who she can hardly remember from being traumatized so badly by him, whispering to her that he was the one who had killed Sister Cathy. Born in Pittsburgh, Penn., in 1942, reports the Baltimore Sun, Cesnik was described by her younger sister as devoted and rather ambitious. Updated by Nicole Mello on June 14, 2020: Justice still has not been found for Sister Cathy. I do believe in so many other things than I ever did before. And she has not stopped looking into the murder of her former teacher. Father A. Joseph Maskell was a person of interest for a reason, it seemed. Ultimately, Maskell died in 2001, having never been charged for a thing. ', He claimed that the detectives were told to either charge the priest 'or let him go. by Caralynn Lippo. 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. 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. Theres no question she told them she would do something about it.. Almost 50 years ago, a Baltimore nun named Sister Catherine Cesnik was found choked and beaten to death . Giangrasso, pointing to the discovery of the car, and the fact that it was returned close to where Sister Cathy lived, theorized that the killer was someone who she knew and possibly whom she trusted. She Was Found Fatally Beaten Two Months After Disappearing in 1969. "Our best hope for solving this case at this point lies with the people who are still alive. I think that the impact of The Keepers has far exceeded our expectations, Hargrave said. [deleted] 6 yr. ago. It started with a freelance journalist, Tom Nugent. A girl who did threaten to report him soon found his gun in her mouth, as he told her that no one would believe her he had a fancy degree from Johns Hopkins, after all. The Murder. In general, he exploited 1960s counterculture, offering a relaxed environment and a willing ear regarding sex, drugs, alcohol, and the like all things that the students' strictly religious parents detested. Teresa Lancaster also mentioned times when he would take them to a gynecologist Dr. Christian Richter for check-ups, during which he would occasionally assault them on the table (Richter would later deny being a part of the abuse). RELATED:Everything Available At Launch On HBO Max. She had choke marks around her neck, maggots in her throat and a hole in the back of her skull. Sister Catherine Cesnik is pictured with her father, Joseph Cesnik. Soon they were linking that abuse to Sister Cathy's murder, and speculation that she was going to blow the whistle and tell all. 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. By This is presumed to be the source of the DNA sample found at the murder scene, but Ryan White knows theres even more that Baltimore County Police arent saying. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. An autopsy attributed her death to a skull fracture caused by a blow to her left temple with a blunt instrument. [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. Wehner says she remembers trying repeatedly to brush off the maggots crawling on Cesnik's face while frantically repeating the words, "Help me, help me." The murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik remains unsolved to this day. [13], Netflix produced a seven-part documentary series about the case called The Keepers, which debuted on May 19, 2017. So the case couldn't go forward. Granted, there was the argument that this was, technically, still within three years Jean Wehner and Teresa Lancaster had just recovered those memories. But the autopsy results, which were not . Every bit of it, vividly. The case made against Joseph Maskell in the 1990s didn't actually last. Just a few days before she vanished, the priest reportedly called her and, once again expressing his love, had asked her to marry him. Sister Catherine Cesnik, a nun from the School Sisters of Notre Dame, a teaching order, began her career at Archbishop Keough High School, a private, all-girls Catholic School. Cesnik was 26 and on a sabbatical from the Roman Catholic Church. Joseph Cesnik in 1930 Census; Census Place: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; 1930 United States Federal Census; National Archives and Records Administration. She also talked about what happened after Sister Cathy found out about it. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . This photo was not uploaded . According to Armacost, in 1994 one of the students who claimed abuse by Maskell when she was in high school said that he took her to a remote dumping area and showed her Cesniks decaying body as a warning of what would happen if she told anyone about him. Father Maskell was a counselor and chaplain at Archbishop Keough from 1967 to 1975. 1. Gemma Hoskins has helped dozens of victims get in touch with their investigators. It was apparently a fixation for Maskell, who would then perform his own mock "exams" on the girls, flaunting his authority and power. By William Cannon The words scared Wehner into silence for decades. I'm not going to name names right now but they know stuff. There are a lot of different stories about how Maskell threatened the girls into silence, and Huffpost has the details. Sandra Onorati Rzucek, Shan'ann's mother, described Shan'ann as a "fireball". No matter how wrong it seems, it's happened too many times, and the case of Sister Catherine Cesnik is one of those examples. ", court of Appeals of Maryland, No. Even after Cesnik left her job at Keough and took a position at Western, she still gave the girls a safe space to talk. Moreover, she said that along with the priest, she was abused by police officers. More: Every Original Series Cancelled By Netflix. murders for possible connections to Sister Cathy. Gerard Koob it depends on the report) found her car unlocked around 4:40 a.m. on the day after her disappearance. The service at the at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinehurst, North Carolina lasted 1 hour. [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. There was a general backlash against it, and a Catholic psychiatrist argued that memories like that couldn't be repressed then recovered. Father Neil Magnus Is A Possible Suspect On 'The Keepers'. 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 (possibly with Sister Helen Phillips and Rev. 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. Youtube. 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. 15:36 EST 18 May 2017 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. 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