I hope this documentary can be a tool of healing, but its about to be very triggering for the survivors, saidWhite. She was valedictorian at the graduation of her high school class in 1960, after being the May Queen and the president of the senior class and the student council. 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. She was part of the Keough class of 1972. [5], In the fall of 1969, Cesnik was teaching drama and English at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland,[6] a school for girls that had opened in 1965. 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. The Keepers will premiere on Netflix on May 19. On the evening she disappeared, Sister Cathy was reportedly counseling one of the abused girls when Maskell unexpectedly showed up. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. Their interactions have sometimes been fraught, and she tells PEOPLE, Theres a lot that we still would like to see them do.. Viewers of The Keepers do not fondly reflect on Sharon May, the prosecutor in charge of the Maryland State Attorneys Office Sex Abuse Unit. In the 1990s, Jean Wehner came forward and alleged that Father Maskell had sexually abused her and allowed other men to do the same. Hoskins says at a minimum she wants to see records on Father Maskell. I wont tell you my theory, but I will say: I believe Jean, and I have corroboratedJean, that this is a woman who was telling the truth from the beginning. 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. Also Read: 'The Keepers' Filmmaker: Father Maskell Abused 40 Victims, Not Just the 6 in Netflix's Doc. I can still feel her touch my cheek, said Hargadon-Wehner, in a recent interview. Soon they were linking that abuse to Sister Cathy's murder, and speculation that she was going to blow the whistle and tell all. Did you face any hurdles? 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. She was described as a tall, thin girl -- standing about 5 feet, 7 inches and weighing 112 pounds. One of them, Jean Wehner, was the student who claimed Maskell had taken her to view Cesnik's body in the dump. 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. Her mutilated remains were found on January 1970 and her murder is still unsolved. Hoskins did write about her theory on the killer in her book "Keeping On: How I came To Know Why I Was Born.. In "The Keepers," Davidson said he called a radio show years later and said he had information about the case. 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. 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. Regardless of why the school is closing, the walls will never be able to talk now. But its not about popularity, its about the impact My hope is that we can have a fraction of that popularitythat leads to justice. Meteorological records also reveal that temperatures during the week in question were warm enough for maggots to hatch. 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 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.. Her rosary was missing, but her rings were in place? After the series premiered, messages started to arrive from around the world with new information. 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. I think the really special part of The Keepers is that people arespeaking up for a lot of people who didnt survive it. She chose not to charge Maskell, saying the case lacked evidence. 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. . [1] Spitz did the official autopsy back in 1970. Who killed the nun still remains a mystery today, but . He was accused of sexual abuse and aiding Maskell, and was also named in a 1994 lawsuit. It. Gemma connected us with so many people in The Keepers.. [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. I never grew up knowing her teacher had been murdered. She joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame when she was 18. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Keepers' Filmmaker: Father Maskell Abused 40 Victims, Not Just the 6 in Netflix's Doc. Edgar DavidsonAccording to his first wife, who speaks in the documentary under condition of anonymity, Davidson talked about being involved in Sister Cathy's murder in 1969. They talked about Radakovics impending college graduation and that she might move to Baltimore and stay in Cesniks apartment. Information in The Keepers suggests Sister Cathy might have been killed because she found out that priests at Keough were sexually abusing students. ', One former student, Teresa Lancaster, told WJZ-TV in Baltimore, that Sister Cathy had 'confronted' Maskell 'and she lost her life for it. '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. Everyone has a different theory. The case remains open and unsolved. So we didn't want to set that as our bar, Hargrave said. The only way to do that was to find people who were involved. A retired, unnamed police homicide detective revealed to Nugent that the church authorities had allegedly used influence to impede the police investigation into Sister Cathys murder. Tricky geometry baffles the internet - but can YOU train your brain to solve how many triangles are in this image? 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. They filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against him, the Baltimore Archdiocese, the sisters who ran the school, and a local gynecologist. Hoskins and Schaub looked into each of those tips, and the tips have kept coming in for the past five years. Her body was found in Lansdowne, south of Baltimore,. Cesniks body was found on Jan. 3, 1970. The tour features the Pic of Day: There was more disruption at Dublin Airport Thursday due to a drone sighting, one of half a dozen such incidents in recent weeks. My access point was a personal connection: My aunt went to Archbishop Keough High School and was Sister Cathys student, White told TheWrap. However, Spitz, who worked on the case, later confirmed that there had been maggots in both the victim's mouth and trachea when found. I think that the impact of The Keepers has far exceeded our expectations, Hargrave said. Here's our quick guide to all the people in "The Keepers" you need to know. "The Keepers" explores the murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. 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. 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. Play it now! The comments below have not been moderated. Updated by Nicole Mello on June 14, 2020: Justice still has not been found for Sister Cathy. 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. We still remain optimistic that its possible for us to clear this case, Armacost says. The Irish Tenors have been singing together for 25 years and have just embarked on a U.S. tour to mark this standout number. Stuff being crimes, and they're walking around.. The only evidence that she had been out, were the buns she had bought at the bakery. She always wanted to become a Personal Investigator. 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. 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. Maskell was never tried or convicted of any crimes, and he died in 2001. 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 documentary was produced by Ryan White. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Were you impressed with Gemmas investigative skills given that she has no police or journalism experience? 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. I ran over, bent down and began wiping maggots off her face. 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. . Sister Cathy's battered body - she had been beaten over the head - was discovered . And I looked at my husband and I said, Oh my God, Radakovic remembers now. 'After that we had to break away from him. 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. I think this is it, Hoskins said, in a recent interview. She was just 26 at the time of her death. An image of Sister Cathy Cesnik's car found near her apartment the night she went missing Nov. 7, 1969 in Baltimore County. 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.. The prime suspect in Sister Cathys murder was a priest, the late Father A. Joseph Maskell. TheWrap: What was the process ofgetting this documentary together? Cathy's Ford Maverick, which she had recently purchased, was found just a block from her apartment parked illegally in a no parking area and unlocked. 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She thought she had more potential than they were allowing.. [6], Immediately after Cesnik's disappearance, police searched the area for her body without success. "The Keepers" premieres on Netflix May 19. Former students of the Catholic school have maintained that the priest was somehow involved in Sister Cathy's murder. She was very, very, very important to me.. Lil Hughes KnippAnother of the women who were abused at Keough, Lil Hughes Knipp did not come forward until years after the 1994 lawsuit. 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. Just a few days before she vanished, the priest reportedly called her and, once again expressing his love, had asked her to marry him. 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. 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. Tom NugentFreelance journalist Tom Nugent covered Sister Cathy's death starting in 1994. 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. She was just 26 at the time of her death. She believes they might contain the names of people who were complicit in his crimes, or in covering them up. ', '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. 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. 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. Her case is similar to Sister Cathys both women disappeared from the same area in the city, both were found in isolated areas not far from one another, both died around the same time in November, and both had marks on their necks that indicated choking. In spite of the Freedom of Information Act, the federal government has continuously neglected to provide Gemma Hoskins with this information. 2021 Updates on The 50-Year-Old Unsolved Murder Case of Sister Cathy Cesnik | by Rameen Zeeshan | Lessons from History | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. The Oldest Irish American Newspaper in USA, Established in 1928, Bonds Between Irish America And Ireland Remain Strong: Survey. Tweet. 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. 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. Nicole currently resides in Massachusetts with their husband and two best friends. 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Joyce Maleckis murder is explored as much as it can be as being potentially connected to the murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, but theres still so much that Abbie, Gemma, and audiences dont know. However, theres even more to the story to be considered: Sharon Mays husband used to be a state cop. RELATED:10 Best True Crime Shows On Netflix. I think it's pretty undeniable by the end of The Keepers that they are, and Jean is the nexus of that, White said. 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. They made the right decision in participating it wasntalways easy to persuade someone to take part. RELATED:Everything Available At Launch On HBO Max. That documentary series, The Keepers, premiered on Netflix on Friday with Radakovic as a key participant. However, she didnt want to go on the record. The more peoplewatch it, the more information will come out of the woodwork. Eluding police questioning, Maskell eventually ran off to Ireland in 1994 to work as a priest. This family evidence of anger problems, assaults on others, using a position of power over others to avoid punishment, and the assault on a young woman much like Sister Cathy all point towards a potential pre-existing rage in A. Joseph Maskell that nobody has ever explored. Sister Catherine CesnikA nun and teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in 1968, Sister Cathy was murdered in Nov. 1969, although her body wasnt discovered until Jan. 3, 1970. 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.". We are no longer accepting comments on this article. I was raised Catholic and I had a very positive experience. 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. And why should they? When she was reported missing later that night, several dozen cops and half-a-dozen dog teams unsuccessfully searched a wide swath of Baltimore's southwest neighborhood searching for clues to her whereabouts. In the nearly two months between that discovery and her disappearance, Radakovic, then 20 years old, remained certain her sister was alive somewhere. 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. In 1969, at 26 years old, Cesnik faced an impasse in her life and career, Radakovic says. However, the Catholic Church is completely unwilling to share these documents, even though White says he would love for them to be transparent and show the world what they have.. 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. 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. 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. 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. We know this speculation about the circumstances is not false, because Jean Hargadon Wehner tells us in the show that she has evidence proving otherwise. 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. Maskell denied involvement in any form of abuse. The letters contents and its link to the case, if any, have never been confirmed by police, though the family turned it over as evidence soon after Radakovic got it. Mom Found Next to Her Car with Toddler Son Inside, Wife Wrote 'Letter from the Grave' Before 2008 Death Now Husband Is Guilty of Poisoning Her with Antifreeze, Body of Missing Md. What do you think happened to Sister Cathy? 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. [13][14] Police spokeswoman Elise Armacost announced that this discovery does not exclude Maskell from being a suspect in the case. This begs the question, though, that if White says he included everything he knew, and we know he had to remove names for legal reasons where in the documentary does he reveal these hidden suspects? Though she spent years in the dark, Radakovic is now regularly in touch with cold-case detectives after first meeting with them in the spring of 2016. ', The cop, who died in 2009, said it was a shame because he was certain the priest 'knew more than he was telling. However, this is a small step towards justice. In the end, The Keepers doesnt solve its biggest question: Who killed Sister Cathy? Except for that day, she said. We did it slowly it took three years. There is even more to this than meets the eye; White said there are about thirty-five other survivors just like her, and more reaching out all the time. It started with a freelance journalist, Tom Nugent. 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.' I thought they would have been more participatory. If the Archdiocese is willing to blatantly lie about this, what else are they lying about? 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'. The grisly case has inspired the Netflix docu-series The Keepers, The beloved nun who was an English and drama teacher at Archbishop Keough High School is believed to have been killed by someone in the church in an attempt to keep her quiet, 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?'. Obviously, it has other meanings one other meaning was the idea of gatekeepers. The grisly case has. 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. Read aloud by Cesnik's younger sister Marilyn Cesnik Radakovic, the poem is a glimpse at the inner life of the young woman whose tragic death was the focus of the series. And this was how she had explained it to me. 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. 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. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may .