She wanted to do more than she was able to do within the confines of the order, Radakovic says. 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. Sharon A.H. MayThe Baltimore State's attorney working on the Maskell case in 1994. The Keough priest who allegedly masterminded the sex abuse, Father A. Joseph Maskell, died in 2001 and denied the abuse accusations before his death. Its possible Flaherty and Maskell had some deeper connection at the time that has simply been completely overlooked. This is huge news regarding Sister Cathy's case. Sister Cathy's Car and body and items with them : r/The_Keepers - reddit Well, its funny how you asked that because I never saw it as taking on the Catholic Church. He refuses to be identified, allegedly because he fears reprisals from people responsible for the cover-up of Sister Cathy's death and Maskell's abuse. Did you face any hurdles? Cathy Cesnik's "Death" Poem In 'The Keepers' Is Poignant - Romper The series also renewed the investigations into the murders of two women, Sister Cathy Cesnik and Joyce Malecki. A writ of certiorari was granted by the Maryland Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court decision, ruling in part, "that the mental process of repression of memories of past sexual abuse does not activate the discovery rule. More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. He claims he interviewed more than 100 girls in the case who knew of or were involved in sexual abuse. Also Read: 'The Keepers' Filmmaker: Father Maskell Abused 40 Victims, Not Just the 6 in Netflix's Doc. Not every story that Ryan White heard gets told in The Keepers. 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. Mine isdifferent than Gemmas theory, but we were all looking at the various versions of the truth and deciding what we believed was true. He worked on the story for the next year and a half, but said in "The Keepers" the archdiocese in Baltimore stonewalled him at every turn. 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. In 1994, two women identified only as 'Jane Doe' and 'Jane Roe' alleged that Maskell had raped them when they were students at Sister Cathy's school. ', The cop, who died in 2009, said it was a shame because he was certain the priest 'knew more than he was telling. And this update involves Father Joseph Maskell. He was never charged with Sister Cathys murder. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. The Keepers, a 7-part documentary, is currently available to stream on Netflix. They did stuff. She doesnt recognize that of course she lives small. The filmmakers said they were not trying to solve the murder of Sister Cathy, or the murder of Joyce Malecki, which is also featured in the series. Radakovic still tears up when she talks about Cesnik, who died more than 46 years ago. The youngest I've talked to myself was three, Hoskins said. Though the documentary includes much of the story, director Ryan White doesnt include every piece of evidence, and some of the most crucial information gets left out. 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. She joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame when she was 18. [7] She cashed a paycheck at First National Bank in Catonsville that night. His remains were exhumed in February of this year and reports in recent days have stated that a DNA sample from Maskell was not a match from a DNA sample retrieved from evidence from the murder scene in 1969. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse. Magnus died in 1988 and was never charged with any crimes. Nicole currently resides in Massachusetts with their husband and two best friends. 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. 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. According to CNN, Bode Cellmark Forensics laboratory in Lorton, Virginia was responsible for comparing the DNA to the sample from the murder scene. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may be the source of a cover up and the murder. As documentary-maker Ryan White asserted: 'What we discovered during the filmmaking process is that everything wasn't as it appeared to be. 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. Since then, he's been tracking and investigating the story over the years and is one of the investigators of her death in "The Keepers.". 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 looked at my husband and I said, Oh my God, Radakovic remembers now. Sister Cathy Cesnik & Joyce Malecki - Crime Museum Sister Cathy's battered body - she had been beaten over the head - was discovered . 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. Investigators dug up Maskell's grav to compare the DNA of Maskell, to evidence from the crime scene. What do you think happened to Sister Cathy? She had a very soft spot in her heart for the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Radakovic says, but I think she felt she was called to do something other than live in the convent.. More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. 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. She was the eldest child of Joseph and Anna Omulac Cesnik. A few years ago my auntconnected me to Jean, her friend. 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. Authorities said results will take up to six more weeks. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. I ran over, bent down and began wiping maggots off her face. 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. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . Spitz did the official autopsy back in 1970. Who killed the nun still remains a mystery today, but . But when he was questioned by the police, he had an ironclad alibi for the night of Sister Cathy's disappearance. 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. But some thirty women soon came forward with accounts of sexual abuse at the school. Her body was found in a wooded area two days later. "The Keepers" premieres on Netflix May 19. Our focus was definitely on the survivors of Keough, but many Maskell victims cameafter Keough, and its horrifying. 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. Police then announced that the DNA taken from A. Joseph Maskell was not a direct match to the DNA found at the two-month-old murder scene, where 26-year-old Sister Cathy was found decomposing in 1970. The Baltimore Sun reported in late 2016 that since 2011 the archdiocese has paid out settlements to Maskell's alleged victims. Baltimore nun Cathy Cesnik, 26, vanished while out on a shopping trip in November 7, 1969. After Maskell died in 2001, the two women decided to go public, using their real names. There are six survivors showcased in the documentarybut we had many conversationswith other survivors who werent featured in the documentary. Gemma HoskinsA former Keough student who had Sister Cathy as a teacher before her death, Hoskins teamed with Abbie Schaub nearly 45 years later, in 2013, to try to solve the nuns murder. "The Keepers" explores the murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. Netflix's latest true-crime documentary The Keepers is a hit and everyone who has watched the series has only one question: who killed Sister Cathy Cesnik? More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. And this was how she had explained it to me. Five Years After "The Keepers" the Murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik - WMAR 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. ", Up Next: Netflix Hidden Gems For Sci-Fi And Fantasy Lovers. Sharon May states firmly and rudely in her interview that she had absolutely no involvement in any sort of cover-up. 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Since her mothers death last year, Radakovic has been her familys point of contact with Baltimore investigators, who tell PEOPLE the homicide case is quite active.. ', '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. I was shocked, I was so shocked, Radakovic tells PEOPLE. [2] Her paternal grandparents, John (Jan) and Johanna Tomec esnik, were Slovenians who emigrated from Yugoslavia,[3] while her maternal grandfather, Joseph Omulac, came from Yugoslavia and maternal grandmother, Martha Hudok, came from Austria. Tom NugentFreelance journalist Tom Nugent covered Sister Cathy's death starting in 1994. The next time the young nun was seen, it was by a female student from Cesnik's school, Archbishop Keough High School. "[9], Wehner said that Cesnik once came to her and said gently, "Are the priests hurting you?" But a Facebook message ultimately connected them, and Radakovic features prominently in the later episodes. He would eventually commit suicide. What is the prevailing theory about Sister Cathy's murder? Everyone has a different theory. 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. 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.". In the process of cleaning out her belongings, Radakovic discovered her mom had collected years of articles about the death of her eldest daughter, Radakovics sister, 26-year-old nun Sister Catherine Cathy Cesnik. True crime is only getting more popular, and Netflix never misses an opportunity to contribute to the zeitgeist, giving us The Keepers. (Radakovic was, in many ways, her sisters first student.) But he never found the killer of Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik; he died of complications from diabetes on June 10, at age 79. 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. Koob says that he and McKeon went to the movie "Easy Rider" the night of Sister Cathy's disappearance. His account directly contradicts the church's story about what it knew about Maskell. 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. Her body was partially naked and her head had been bashed in, but there was little physical evidence at the scene. Sister Joanita (Cathy) requested permission to take a sabbatical from the Order. The fall before she died, Cesnik transferred from Keough to a local public school in Baltimore and had asked for a leave of absence from her order. I had fond memoriesof the church, but for this, they were so non-participatory with it. She was described as a tall, thin girl -- standing about 5 feet, 7 inches and weighing 112 pounds. Four former students also claimed that they were abused by Maskell, and a Baltimore Archdiocese spokesman acknowledged that Maskell was 'credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. Nugent reported that three Keough graduates, who each received settlements from the Archdiocese of Baltimore for injuries of $40,000 or more as parties to this case, during the past years have told Inside Baltimore that they were also raped by policemen with the approval of the depraved Father Maskell. 'There were a lot of layers that if you peeled them back went a lot deeper. 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. 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More: Every Original Series Cancelled By Netflix. And they just paid settlements to the survivors its not that they deny it happened. He first reported on Sister Cathy's story because of Wehner's accusation that Maskell was involved in her murder. Charles FranzIn "The Keepers," Charles Franz came forward as one of Maskell's abuse victims in the 1960s. 'Father Maskell picked me up, took me to a wooded area where there was a lot of policemen gathered around, he left me in the backseat and two policemen abused me while Maskell stood next to the car. He died in 2006. Cesnik felt called by God to be a nun, her sister says, and she had a gift for teaching. So-called Grandma Nancy Drew Gemma Hoskins has spent years asking for the federal case files on Joyce Maleckis murder. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Also Read: 'The Keepers': Sister Cathy's Medical Examiner Also Worked on JFK, JonBenet Ramsey Cases. She also thinks Sister Cathy was murdered because she knew about Maskells abuse and was going to come forward. She didnt know Jeanhad gone through that abuse. But hes only willing to share a slice of it. By William Cannon The homicide remains unsolved, and for decades Radakovic believed Cesnik was the victim of a wrong place, wrong time crime. Throughout the series,the devastation experienced bysurvivors is laid bare,as is theirstrength in confronting unthinkable childhood horrors. Lil Hughes KnippAnother of the women who were abused at Keough, Lil Hughes Knipp did not come forward until years after the 1994 lawsuit. Her unsolved murder served as the basis for the Netflix documentary series The Keepers in 2017. [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. More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. She chose not to charge Maskell, saying the case lacked evidence. 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. The Keepers filmmaker Ryan White made the new Netflix docuseries that has everyone on the edge of their seats. 'The Keepers': Sister Cathy's Medical Examiner Also Worked on - TheWrap Netflix documentary series explores the 1970 murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik. 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. 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. One of the most famous pieces of evidence from the show is the cigarette butt shown in episode six, found near Sister Cathys body. 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. 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 Keepers' Update: New DNA Evidence Found In Sister Cathy Cesnik's Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. Does he ever reveal them? 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.". She also talked about what happened after Sister Cathy found out about it. He was well connected to the local community and to the police departments, at both the county and state levels. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. 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. 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. 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. However, they say theres nothing, even though Jean Wehner found many victims willing to come forward simply by sending out letters in the mail. And she has not stopped looking into the murder of her former teacher. Beverly WallaceThe attorney for "Jane Doe" and "Jane Roe" in the 1994 lawsuit against Maskell and the archdiocese. 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. 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. 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. I thought they would have been more participatory. But her love is evident, too, for the woman she was so proud to have as her sister. The amount of people that have seen The Keepers now is mind-blowing around the world, White said. 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. 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. 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. And just kind of came up behind me and put it on my neck." He was a reporter for the Baltimore Sun and has written investigative reports for Mother Jones, the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post. The biggest hurdle was that the case was so old, that it was 45 years old. One of those calls went to a retired Baltimore County teacher, Gemma Hoskins. 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. 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. 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. They encourage everyone reading this to question everything, stay hydrated, and treat others with kindness. The comments below have not been moderated. (Handout photo courtesy of Netflix) Catherine Cesnik, a 26-year-old. However, she didnt want to go on the record. [6], Immediately after Cesnik's disappearance, police searched the area for her body without success. 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. 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. For the next 47 years, the case went unsolved until now. 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. 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. Sister Cathy Cesnik's disappearance and murder remain an unsolved mystery. Inside the grisly unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik Cesnik was born in 1942 and grew up to become a nun at the all-girls Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, where . The Keepers was an intense docu-series on Netflix about an unsolved murder, and here are some bits of evidence the show has left out. As one of the Baltimore detectives who initially worked on the case, Nick Giangrasso, told a reporter for Huffington Post: 'The Catholic Church had a lot of input into the police department. There are a lot of people that are living that should be behind bars, she said.