He also slapped me about the face, and he showed me his gun.. By May 1995, neither the citys criminal investigation of sexual abuselimited by the narrower laws of 1970nor the countrys investigation into the murder of Sister Cesnik had brought any indictments against Maskell. Outside on the courthouse steps, Maskells lawyer and friend J. Michael Lehane said the ruling clearly vindicated his client. As a follow-up investigation, two diocesan representatives met with Maskells first accuser, Jennifer*, who by now had gotten herself an attorney. The sex abuse allegations against Maskell first came to light in the '90s one victim, Jean Hargadon Wehner, reported her abuse allegations to the Baltimore Archdiocese in 1992. They often started out talking about sports, but invariably wound to the subject of male anatomy, alleges Bill. Was it someone that Cesnik knew? MAUCIONE: Hargedon Wehner was just one of the 600 alleged victims a Maryland attorney general's report found during an investigation into the Archdiocese of Baltimore over the past 80 years. Please enter your email and password to sign in. I know now that I was led to believe that I killed her.. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Confused about his commitment to celibacy, the student asked his rector for advice. In the churchs eyes, her credibility diminished with each new allegation. Word of this filtered back to Maskell, who called Bill into the rectory, several days before graduation, Bill says. This article is the result of more than 100 interviews conducted over a nine-month period. The Murder Of Catherine Cesnik, The Nun Who Were you told that you couldnt sue for your abuse because it had happened such a long time ago? the lawyer asked in a series of questions. WebJoseph Francis Maskell, an office-furniture salesman with Lucas Brothers, was known for his short fuse. In 'The Keepers Maskell had been monitoring his police radio and was on site and past the barricade within 45 minutes. He took his big pocket watch out. MAUCIONE: Despite the outcome of the legislation, Jean Hargedon Wehner, who was abused by her priest in Baltimore, says the Maryland report will bring a sense of healing. Death. As one alleged survivor pointed out in a recent confrontation with the archdiocese: Gods not happy about that., As the Maskell case approaches winter unresolved, the beleaguered priest remains largely invisible. But that he would make it so that God would love me again through him. MAUCIONE: Often, it takes years for people to come to terms with their abuse. One day, Nelson opened the door to Evas hospital room to find Maskell, bent close over her daughter, his arm resting on the edge of her bed. Within a week of receiving the lawyers anonymous ad in the fall of 1993, Tracy wrote to them, and got a letter in return explaining that the attorneys were seeking corroboration of alleged sexual abuse at Keough. In 2001, Maskell died from the effects of a stroke at St. Josephs Hospital, according to Inside Baltimore. He was 62. 4. Baltimore County Police Announced This Week That Maskells DNA Does Not Match Evidence From the Crime Scene Learn more about merges. The Keepers: Where Are They Now In recent years, the mutability of memory and the related legal implications have ignited tremendous controversy among researchers and the public. He spit in my hand. According to the series, not a good guy, that's who. While declining to be interviewed for this story, Maskell has repeatedly maintained his complete innocence. The Subject Of Netflix's 'The Nurse' Denies Her Attempted Murder Convictions, Allan Gore Reportedly Lives A Quiet Life Decades After The Events Of 'Love & Death', The True Story Of Candy Montgomery From HBO Max's True Crime Series, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. The following January, hunters found her bodybludgeoned to death and partly consumed by animals, her clothes in such disarray as to suggest sexual foul play. Lancaster claims that he said, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. But what about Marylands three year statute of limitations for civil complaints? Father Maskell was a counselor and chaplain at Archbishop Keough from 1967 to 1975. Romper reached out to the Baltimore Archdiocese for a statement regarding the accusations against Father Maskell and his potential involvement in Cesnik's death. During cross-examination, the attorney for her high school gynecologist portrayed Tracy as an opportunist with a history of drug use. New alleged memories continued to surface: Maskell and two police men raping her in the back seat of his car; Maskell hypnotizing her; Maskell spraying her and himself with a feminine hygiene product before raping her as Irish music played. And he said, if your father ever finds out you've been whoring around, he'll do this, but he'll keep bullets in it. Dame was present again, and this time so was Beverly Wallace, even though Cruz still had no intention of suing. She claims the two priests instructed her to perform oral sex on them because the Holy Spirit was coming through them.It was like the Eucharist. She saw Maskell for counseling sessions during which he was praying that I would stop being bad.. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. WebFather Maskell, who died at age 62 on May 7, 2001, reportedly served as a military chaplain at Fort Meade for several years. One of these women adds that Maskell was so taken with himself that, as part of her counseling, he put his face within a few inches of hers and asked her to look into his eyes and tell him how beautiful they were and how good looking he was. Bill didnt have one, but Maskell did, back in the rectory. During the year after her first meeting with Father Woy and diocesan attorney Dame, Eva Nelson Cruz says she avoided media accounts of the Maskell case because she didnt want to contaminate her own memory. He pulled his chair around to the front of his desk and allegedly removed her clothing, piece by piece, until she was completely naked, she says. Maskell, who died in 2001, always denied the allegations against him. Six survivors described being systematically molested, drugged, and raped within school walls by multiple members of the clergy in Netflixs docu-series The Keepers, but additional victims have come forward since its release. We feel shame and regret for anyone victimized and offer them our sincere prayers and support. Other former students, including the original "Jane Doe" in the case, Jean Hargadon Wehner also allegedly suffered abuse by both Maskell and Magnus, allegedly sometimes at the same time, under the guise of healing her soul, according to The Huffington Post. On one occasion, she says, her friend Lisa was present while Maskell conducted an explicit anatomy lesson with Tracy as the model. She ran around her yard. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. She says Maskell and a religious brother would show her itemsa necklace, for examplethat had supposedly belonged to Cesnik. BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Following the release of the Netflix series, "The Keepers," which documents allegations of widespread sex abuse by a Baltimore priest, his time in Ireland is being investigated. Two of Maskells accusers allege rape and other sexual batteries, and have filed a multi-million-dollar civil action. Some rumors have placed him abroad. Do you believe those girls trying to accuse Father Maskell of such outrageous behavior? one of them said. Though it may seem odd to reach so far back for such a memory, the priesthood is filled with men whobound for the seminary from an early agenever reached psycho-sexual maturity, write Burkett and Bruni. His sister Maureen says hes simply up north., Wherever he is, Maskell feels tremendously isolated, reports his longtime friend Rev. Wehner says this action was her final personal interaction with the Archdiocese of Baltimore. But it was an episode Jennifer says she recalled in January 1993 that alerted Baltimore County police. I was kind of frightened. Jennifer claims she now remembers a cold dayMaskell was wearing gloves; she, a coatwhen he took her to visit Cesniks corpse. I dont think Father Maskells connected to her death in any way., The newspaper ad mailed to Keough alumnae arrived at the Howard County home of Tracy* in the fall of 1993. HARGEDON WEHNER: It's going to validate survivors to their families and to those loved ones that didn't necessarily know how to believe such a horrible thing. HSE investigates activities of US priest featured in Netflix series When Holy Cross parishioner Lynn Gerber Smith gave birth to an ailing baby, the priest rushed to the hospital and performed an emergency baptism. Try again later. Like many of Maskells victims, Mrozs memory wasnt fully in tact, and she had other reasons for not speaking up sooner one of which was her family. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Six percent, in his estimate, have had sex with minors; two percent with pre-pubescents. At the urging of a priest friend, she arranged to meet with archdiocesan officials in her therapists Columbia office in October 1994. On another occasion, she claims, he held an unloaded gun to her head and pulled the trigger, allegedly warning that her policeman father, if he ever learned what was going on, would surely do the same thing with a loaded gun. So, he went on to lead a normal life following the alleged abuse and there is relatively little information about him online. The archdiocese released a statement prior to the docu-series release in May of last year stating the church did not become aware of abuse by Maskell until 199220 years after the abuse. In February 1995, Maskells priestly duties were permanently revoked. Was someone making her do things she didnt want to? The longtime suspect in her death is the Rev. A. Joseph Maskell, who was the chaplain at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore and also a chaplain for the police in both Baltimore city and county. The report implicates 158 priests. I cant, he allegedly replied. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. based on information from your browser. In 1992, an individual alleged sexual abuse by A. Joseph Maskell between 1968 and 1972. 'The Keepers': Here's What Has Happened Since the Netflix / CBS Baltimore. Her face has changed since high school: Her features are sharper, her gaze more penetrating. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. They asked whether Cruz intended legal action. Copies of the ad were also mailed directly to Keough alums. But with charges mounting nationally that the Catholic church lacked the fortitude to police its own ranks, the pressure was on for a show of self-prosecution. Jennifer also claims Maskell once put a gun in her mouth. Try again later. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Could these new allegations possibly be true? Sean Caine, Vice Chancellor at the Archdiocese of Baltimore, confirmed the church has been in communication with Mroz's lawyers regarding her alleged assault, but also said they have not engaged in mediation. Could the recently recovered memory of a long-forgotten offense become grounds for a proper lawsuit? According to Heim, Maskell liked having the authority to say: This is right; thats wrong.. She says he showed her a series of ink blots, diagnosed her as sexually frustrated, and recommended further counseling. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Up Now a 38-year-old mother of two, the Baltimore woman had only recently remembered these alleged abuses, and contacted the archdiocese in late June in search of an apology and some spiritual help. After police met with Jennifer in the spring of 1994, they reactivated their investigation, but were unable to verify her account, which differed from the original crime scene, says Homicide Commander Captain Rustin Price. Overhearing this, 38-year old Eva Nelson Cruz felt rage, and she snapped back: Dont be surprised if someone right here at the table had a problem.. This represents significantly higher rates, he believes, than among clergy of non-celibate denominations. He then referred to Jennifers memories of abuse outside of school, at a pub to which her uncle had taken her. Years later, after her mother died in early 1993, Tracy claims she had several new memories about Maskell, in which the priest had not merely observed her gynecological exams and treatments, but had allegedly helped administer them. It had been Dantes, after all, whod brought Jennifer to The Sun in the first place. At Keough, Maskell was known by at least two contradictory personae. In their 1993 book A Gospel of Shame: Children, Sexual Abuse, and the Catholic Church, authors Elinor Burkett and Frank Bruni characterize the ascent of celibacybetween the fourth and 12th centuriesas an attempt by leaders of the Western European Church to maintain control of Church property and power, which might otherwise have passed to clergy members offspring. He also allegedly made this unorthodox pronouncement: He told me that God did not love me anymore. Per the woman they raped her at a CYO picnic in 9/1970, According to the Los Angeles Times, Maskell (who denied initial accusations until his death in 2001) was removed from the ministry in 1994 and afterwards fled to Ireland. Most everything, however, was water logged beyond recognition. According to Huffington Post's 2015 feature on Cesnik's murder, Maskell was the chaplain of Archbishop Keough High School at the time when 26-year-old Cesnik taught English and drama there. I told her I had a hard time with my studies and didnt like Keough a lot, Jennifer says. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. He was the chaplain for the Baltimore County police, the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland National Guard, according to HuffPost. But waiting for him in the archbishops office on that gusty Monday were two diocesan officials, two attorneys and the archbishop himself, William H. Keeler. The Dantes legal team assembled their civil case while sharing information with the states attorneys office for a criminal investigation. Her next alleged memory came to her in early March 1994, as she was lying in bed at night. After years and years, its really hard to say, but some things you just need to bring out in order to heal, she said. In 1994, two former students sued the Balitmore Archdiocese, but a court found theyd filed the lawsuit too late.
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