Not sure if anyone has seen this case but it is about A missing priest what are everyone's theories on what happened to him?

This was the case that featured two murdered priests, Kerrigan and Father Reynaldo Rivera. Police suspected that the two murders were somehow related, but I disagree. I tend to think Rivera was killed by a couple of junkies who needed some cash and a car, whereas Kerrigan was killed over something personal. There has been speculation that Kerrigan was involved in some sort of scandal within the church and that he was killed because of it.

Not sure how accurate this is but here is some more info I found on John Kerrigan's disappearance:

http://www.podles.org/case-studies/files/John-Patrick-Kerrigan-Murder.pdf

Is this Curt Holmen guy still considered missing to this day?

I wonder if he's been on the lists of suspects in John Kerrigan's disappearance in the past.

Is this Curt Holmen guy still considered missing to this day?

I wonder if he's been on the lists of suspects in John Kerrigan's disappearance in the past.

He is still missing but few details are listed about his disappearance.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/holmen_curtis.html

Wow...I noticed he went missing just two days after John Kerrigan was last seen. Maybe there's something to this.

Yes. This is a very strange case indeed. You'd figure after all these years that some clues or traces of a body would have appeared or at least someone would have talked? Things like this have a way of surfacing eventually, nothing remains a secret forever.

I just saw this case again today and like TheCars1986 said i agree with what you said and i don't think both murders were related. Since both murders also take place in different states as well. Someone could have known about Father Reynaldo's murder and they could have made Father Kerrigan's disappearance/murder look like it was related to Father Reynaldo's murder. But i think that Curt Holmen's disappearance is related to Father Kerrigan's disappearance/murder.

I don't think the two are related.

I can't remember who on the boards did a lot of research on the John Kerrigan disappearance and found that he had been transferred from his assignment in Plains, MT and spent time in a Catholic "rehab" facility, if you will, for members of the clergy. It was theorized that he was there for sexual misconduct, which would also explain the transfer to Ronan, MT.

If this all pans out, I believe he was murdered by someone from Plains, MT and it's connected to the allegations of sexual misconduct against someone from his church. It would also explain the large amount of money that was found in his vehicle that was untouched. Clearly, robbery wasn't a motive in the Kerrigan case.

As for Holman, it sounds like he had survivalist tendencies. I suspect he wandered away from his vehicle and most likely succumbed to the elements.

WOW.

That Charley Project link above has a LOT more information on the disappearance of Holmen. The new theory is that he was either killed by a grizzly bear (his foot prints were found along with bear prints) or attacked by one and became disoriented and eventually died.

I don't think the cases were related. Fr. Rivera's killer(s) seems to have specifically targeted a priest, whether it was due to some vendetta against the catholic church or a robbery/thrill kill of a clergyman.

Fr. Kerrigan's disappearance/murder likely was related to his background, although it's uncertain what issues resulted in him going to the Paraclete facility in New Mexico (they treated priests for sexual misconduct, as well as substance abuse and depression). The $1,200 in the wallet brings up other questions; that was a fairly significant amount of money to be carrying around in 1984, but he had just relocated to the area.

What always got me about this is why a Franciscan priest would just seemingly casually be toting over a thousand dollars in his wallet. As is the case with many, many religious orders, Franciscans take pretty strict vows of poverty.

What always got me about this is why a Franciscan priest would just seemingly casually be toting over a thousand dollars in his wallet. As is the case with many, many religious orders, Franciscans take pretty strict vows of poverty.

Pay off, perhaps? To keep someone quiet for something he did before being transferred.

Pay off, perhaps? To keep someone quiet for something he did before being transferred.

That's my thought.

What always got me about this is why a Franciscan priest would just seemingly casually be toting over a thousand dollars in his wallet. As is the case with many, many religious orders, Franciscans take pretty strict vows of poverty.

Could it be drug or prostitution related? I've always had a hinky vibe that he would have that amount of money on him and it not being stolen by the killer. I mean, it was cash. There is no reason NOT to take it.

There would be if it were a revenge killing. Money wouldn't be a motive.

Did anyone else read the new updated Charley Project page on Holmen? There's no way his disappearance and Kerrigan's are related. Kerrigan had a ton of cash, I think he was trying to buy off whoever murdered him. I believe this was a planned meeting, and the cash didn't work, obviously.

Did anyone else read the new updated Charley Project page on Holmen? There's no way his disappearance and Kerrigan's are related. Kerrigan had a ton of cash, I think he was trying to buy off whoever murdered him. I believe this was a planned meeting, and the cash didn't work, obviously.

I read it. I agree they are probably not related. Sounds like Holmen lost a fight with a bear (definitely a horrifying way to go). Not sure about Kerrigan though. Men of the cloth tend to be trusting people so I could see Kerrigan being naïve about taking a large wad of cash out in public and not realizing the risk it involved.

I read it. I agree they are probably not related. Sounds like Holmen lost a fight with a bear (definitely a horrifying way to go). Not sure about Kerrigan though. Men of the cloth tend to be trusting people so I could see Kerrigan being naïve about taking a large wad of cash out in public and not realizing the risk it involved.

But if that were the case, why wouldn't they steal the money after they killed him?

I think Kerrigan agreed to meet with whoever killed him and brought the case in an attempt to bribe the guy.

I think Kerrigan agreed to meet with whoever killed him and brought the case in an attempt to bribe the guy.

Interesting development out of my local news today. In Montana, various people have sued the Catholic Church (http://helenair.com/news/diocese-names-priests-sisters-staff-accused-of-sexual-abuse/article_21cee896-519a-5b42-b63b-a8ea0a1a2ed9.html#utm_source=helenair&utm_campaign=hot-topics-2&utm_medium=direct) for sexual misconduct.

On Wednesday, the church posted a list online of every employee who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

Of note: John Kerrigan – Ordained: 1954; Assignments: St. Patrick Parish, Butte: 1954-55; St. Francis Parish, Hamilton: 1955-56; St. Mary Parish, Butte: 1956-59; St. Lawrence Parish, Walkerville: 1959-62; St. Rose Parish, Dillon: 1962-64; St. Ann Parish, Butte: 1964-65; Little Flower Parish, Browning: summer 1965; Holy Rosary Parish, Bozeman: 1965-66; St. Michael Parish, Drummond: 1966-72; St. Bartholomew Parish, White Sulphur Springs: 1972-77; St. Joseph Parish, Choteau: 1977-1980; St. James Parish, Plains: 1980-84; Sacred Heart Parish, Ronan: 1984; Died: July 21, 1984

It makes that whole "vigilante killing" a bit more plausible, in my eyes. We always assumed that he had been sent to the Catholic rehabilitation facility for sexual misconduct, but in the back of my mind I wondered if it had been for alcoholism or depression and we had been wrong about Father Kerrigan.

Also, the sheer number of assignments is interesting to me. I'm not Catholic. Is this significant or just reflective of the time he spent in the church?

Interesting development out of my local news today. In Montana, various people have sued the Catholic Church (http://helenair.com/news/diocese-names-priests-sisters-staff-accused-of-sexual-abuse/article_21cee896-519a-5b42-b63b-a8ea0a1a2ed9.html#utm_source=helenair&utm_campaign=hot-topics-2&utm_medium=direct) for sexual misconduct.

On Wednesday, the church posted a list online of every employee who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

Of note: John Kerrigan – Ordained: 1954; Assignments: St. Patrick Parish, Butte: 1954-55; St. Francis Parish, Hamilton: 1955-56; St. Mary Parish, Butte: 1956-59; St. Lawrence Parish, Walkerville: 1959-62; St. Rose Parish, Dillon: 1962-64; St. Ann Parish, Butte: 1964-65; Little Flower Parish, Browning: summer 1965; Holy Rosary Parish, Bozeman: 1965-66; St. Michael Parish, Drummond: 1966-72; St. Bartholomew Parish, White Sulphur Springs: 1972-77; St. Joseph Parish, Choteau: 1977-1980; St. James Parish, Plains: 1980-84; Sacred Heart Parish, Ronan: 1984; Died: July 21, 1984

It makes that whole "vigilante killing" a bit more plausible, in my eyes. We always assumed that he had been sent to the Catholic rehabilitation facility for sexual misconduct, but in the back of my mind I wondered if it had been for alcoholism or depression and we had been wrong about Father Kerrigan.

Also, the sheer number of assignments is interesting to me. I'm not Catholic. Is this significant or just reflective of the time he spent in the church?

I'm not Catholic either, but having watched DOUBT (2008) it is unusual for a priest to have that many assignments over that period of time. It screams of abuse.

Also, the sheer number of assignments is interesting to me. I'm not Catholic. Is this significant or just reflective of the time he spent in the church?

First off, excellent find.

I'm not Catholic either, but I have read that one way the church handled these allegations historically was through the re-location of the priests whom had accusations leveled against them. So, with there being that many locations for Kerrigan over the years, abuse allegations could be a possible explanation for why he was moved around so much.

Interesting development out of my local news today. In Montana, various people have sued the Catholic Church (http://helenair.com/news/diocese-names-priests-sisters-staff-accused-of-sexual-abuse/article_21cee896-519a-5b42-b63b-a8ea0a1a2ed9.html#utm_source=helenair&utm_campaign=hot-topics-2&utm_medium=direct) for sexual misconduct.

On Wednesday, the church posted a list online of every employee who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

Of note: John Kerrigan – Ordained: 1954; Assignments: St. Patrick Parish, Butte: 1954-55; St. Francis Parish, Hamilton: 1955-56; St. Mary Parish, Butte: 1956-59; St. Lawrence Parish, Walkerville: 1959-62; St. Rose Parish, Dillon: 1962-64; St. Ann Parish, Butte: 1964-65; Little Flower Parish, Browning: summer 1965; Holy Rosary Parish, Bozeman: 1965-66; St. Michael Parish, Drummond: 1966-72; St. Bartholomew Parish, White Sulphur Springs: 1972-77; St. Joseph Parish, Choteau: 1977-1980; St. James Parish, Plains: 1980-84; Sacred Heart Parish, Ronan: 1984; Died: July 21, 1984

It makes that whole "vigilante killing" a bit more plausible, in my eyes. We always assumed that he had been sent to the Catholic rehabilitation facility for sexual misconduct, but in the back of my mind I wondered if it had been for alcoholism or depression and we had been wrong about Father Kerrigan.

Also, the sheer number of assignments is interesting to me. I'm not Catholic. Is this significant or just reflective of the time he spent in the church?

Thank you for that!

As a Catholic, although it's not uncommon for priests to be transferred from time to time (the thought is if a priest stays at a church too long, it will make parishioners will start to essentially hold the priest in a higher regard than Jesus, becoming too complacent, abusing power within the church, etc.), I can say that it is highly unusual for someone to have that many transfers within a 2-3 year time frame. Most priests stay at a church for years (usually 6 year terms, sometimes they serve two terms), but it is unusual for him to have moved around that much.

Thank you for that!

As a Catholic, although it's not uncommon for priests to be transferred from time to time (the thought is if a priest stays at a church too long, it will make parishioners will start to essentially hold the priest in a higher regard than Jesus, becoming too complacent, abusing power within the church, etc.), I can say that it is highly unusual for someone to have that many transfers within a 2-3 year time frame. Most priests stay at a church for years (usually 6 year terms, sometimes they serve two terms), but it is unusual for him to have moved around that much.

As a Catholic I always thought it was misconduct as well and I thought both were related because of the wire hangers.

Interesting development out of my local news today. In Montana, various people have sued the Catholic Church (http://helenair.com/news/diocese-names-priests-sisters-staff-accused-of-sexual-abuse/article_21cee896-519a-5b42-b63b-a8ea0a1a2ed9.html#utm_source=helenair&utm_campaign=hot-topics-2&utm_medium=direct) for sexual misconduct.

On Wednesday, the church posted a list online of every employee who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

Of note: John Kerrigan – Ordained: 1954; Assignments: St. Patrick Parish, Butte: 1954-55; St. Francis Parish, Hamilton: 1955-56; St. Mary Parish, Butte: 1956-59; St. Lawrence Parish, Walkerville: 1959-62; St. Rose Parish, Dillon: 1962-64; St. Ann Parish, Butte: 1964-65; Little Flower Parish, Browning: summer 1965; Holy Rosary Parish, Bozeman: 1965-66; St. Michael Parish, Drummond: 1966-72; St. Bartholomew Parish, White Sulphur Springs: 1972-77; St. Joseph Parish, Choteau: 1977-1980; St. James Parish, Plains: 1980-84; Sacred Heart Parish, Ronan: 1984; Died: July 21, 1984

It makes that whole "vigilante killing" a bit more plausible, in my eyes. We always assumed that he had been sent to the Catholic rehabilitation facility for sexual misconduct, but in the back of my mind I wondered if it had been for alcoholism or depression and we had been wrong about Father Kerrigan.

Also, the sheer number of assignments is interesting to me. I'm not Catholic. Is this significant or just reflective of the time he spent in the church?

Priests can also be reassigned somewhere if their church closes and/or consolidates with others. For those dioceses that hold annual "appeals" for funding and if the funding goal is repeatedly not met, a reassignment can sometimes occur too.

However; I agree with you in that the vigilante killing looks more likely now, given what you found, LooksLikeCRicci. You called it interesting -- it is extremely interesting.

Interesting development out of my local news today. In Montana, various people have sued the Catholic Church (http://helenair.com/news/diocese-names-priests-sisters-staff-accused-of-sexual-abuse/article_21cee896-519a-5b42-b63b-a8ea0a1a2ed9.html#utm_source=helenair&utm_campaign=hot-topics-2&utm_medium=direct) for sexual misconduct.

On Wednesday, the church posted a list online of every employee who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

Of note: John Kerrigan – Ordained: 1954; Assignments: St. Patrick Parish, Butte: 1954-55; St. Francis Parish, Hamilton: 1955-56; St. Mary Parish, Butte: 1956-59; St. Lawrence Parish, Walkerville: 1959-62; St. Rose Parish, Dillon: 1962-64; St. Ann Parish, Butte: 1964-65; Little Flower Parish, Browning: summer 1965; Holy Rosary Parish, Bozeman: 1965-66; St. Michael Parish, Drummond: 1966-72; St. Bartholomew Parish, White Sulphur Springs: 1972-77; St. Joseph Parish, Choteau: 1977-1980; St. James Parish, Plains: 1980-84; Sacred Heart Parish, Ronan: 1984; Died: July 21, 1984

It makes that whole "vigilante killing" a bit more plausible, in my eyes. We always assumed that he had been sent to the Catholic rehabilitation facility for sexual misconduct, but in the back of my mind I wondered if it had been for alcoholism or depression and we had been wrong about Father Kerrigan.

Also, the sheer number of assignments is interesting to me. I'm not Catholic. Is this significant or just reflective of the time he spent in the church?

It also looks like that what the church posted it says John Kerrigan died on July 21, 1984. But even unsolved.com still has him as missing. That's question number 1 -- why does the church say he died in July, yet (again, according to unsolved.com) he disappeared in August. Has this discrepancy ever been explained? Can someone please refresh my memory?

Then Question 2: I'm also wondering, LooksLikeCRicci; did the local news do anything to recognize that it had been 30 years since the mystery involving John Kerrigan began? Major milestones are sometimes played up on the news. Did Montana media do anything last summer about this John Kerrigan? If not, perhaps it could be an indication that John Kerrigan wasn't well liked in his community. Put another way, this country recently commemorated the 20th anniversary of the OKC bombing but no one's remembering when Timothy McVeigh was put to death for his involvement in it. Not trying to be offensive, just trying to make the point of my question clear.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Man, local news coverage is SLOW in Montana. We've been on this one for years. I'm not sure why an article has been written now.

The Missoulian, one of the biggest papers in Montana, has reported that Kerrigan was likely a murder victim (http://missoulian.com/news/local/list-of-priests-accused-of-sex-abuse-includes-believed-to/article_260a2a21-8c7f-5b29-ad6a-2cbc8583426d.html). Of note in the article is the fact that apparently, local law enforcement does NOT think Kerrigan was murdered because of the sexual abuse allegations.

I'm baffled. If not the sexual abuse allegations, then what is it? The vigilante justice theory is one of the only plausible theories that I think is out there with regard to this case.

Side note: It's really hard to NOT leave a snarky comment for the author of the article saying, "Yeah, I saw that episode of Unsolved Mysteries, too. In the 90's."

Side note: It's really hard to NOT leave a snarky comment for the author of the article saying, "Yeah, I saw that episode of Unsolved Mysteries, too. In the 90's."

I thought the same thing. It's like the author watched Unsolved Mysteries, read this forum, and conducted one interview with a current investigator.

I'm baffled. If not the sexual abuse allegations, then what is it? The vigilante justice theory is one of the only plausible theories that I think is out there with regard to this case.

The only other plausible theory I can think of is a jealous/scorned lover.

I did find an article posted on another forum that was dated 1992, where the police interviewed with regards to Kerrigan's disappearance adamantly refuse that his case was connected to Father Rivera's murder. They also mention a suspect in another state being kept under surveillance, but do not elaborate further.

The suspect living out of state perfectly aligns with the vigilante justice theory, IMO.

Bill Cosby, a speaker of the House of Representatives, it's absolutely horrifying to learn anybody could be a child molester.

Somewhat related, does anyone think the man profiled in this link is the same one that was the Santa Fe cop interviewed on UM?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.propublica.org/article/gilbert-ulibarri-los-alamos-lab-worker-started-a-year-too-late-for-benefits/amp

'Flathead Living' did a feature on Father Kerrigan last year.

https://flatheadliving.com/2020/01/23/the-vanishing-of-a-priest/

Investigators can say all they want that they think Kerrigan's disappearance had nothing to do with possible retaliation for his sexual abuse towards children but you'll never convince me of anything else. All of his transfers before arriving in Ronan have got to be the biggest giant red flag possible.

Here's an excerpt:

-----------------

He was ordained in Butte and began work in the ministry in the city’s St. Patrick’s Church in 1954.

But something about Kerrigan’s transience, his shuttling from parish to parish, aroused the suspicions of detectives. After all, Ronan was Kerrigan’s 13th parish assignment since being ordained in 1954. After his first assignment in Butte, he was sent to Hamilton and then back to Butte, then Dillon, Butte again, and then to Browning, Bozeman, Drummond, White Sulphur Springs, Choteau, and eventually to St. James Parish in Plains from 1980-84. Why, in 1965, was he ministering at three separate churches?

And there was another curious stopping point on Kerrigan’s trail: he had spent time in New Mexico at a rehabilitation center for wayward clergy. Why specifically had he been sent to the Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete in Jemez Springs? It troubled investigators to learn that the priests who were at Jemez Springs were there for alcoholism, depression, or sexual delinquency. Could the key to Kerrigan’s death be extrapolated from the details of some clerical abuse or excess? Police started to operate under a new belief that perhaps it was the priest’s own shadowy interior, hidden behind the “broad smile,” that sealed his fate.

-----------------

Well...duh. :crazy: And why should a priest who needs to go to a rehabilitation center that specializes in sexual delinquency continue to be allowed in the priesthood? If you abuse children, you should be stripped of your title and not be allowed ANYWHERE near children. Being transferred to new church after new church over and over and over does NOTHING to solve the problem. But I guess that's a whole other can of worms in regards to the Catholic Church that I will never understand.

Before arriving at Ronan, Kerrigan was assigned to St. James in Plains, MT. Kerrigan was last seen alive at 11 p.m. at the bakery literally across (https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5298028,-114.1032327,3a,75y,179.28h,80.5t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sjbaUvHecR-rBngXCvA1zig!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DjbaUvHecR-rBngXCvA1zig%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D89.79057%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656) the street from the church and rectory were he was going to be living. He told the patrons he was going home. This is clue #1. He had to have either been abducted at his home, because he had plans for a funeral and a wedding the next day in Plains, as well as his first church service at 5:30 p.m. that same evening...or he got a phone call shortly after returning to have him meet someone that night or early the next morning (I'll touch up on this later).

Here (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/329+W+Mercury+St,+Butte,+MT+59701/411+S+5th+St,+Hamilton,+MT+59840/440+N+Main+St,+Butte,+MT+59701/Walkerville,+Montana+59701/226+S+Atlantic+St,+Dillon,+MT+59725/2100+Farragut+Ave,+Butte,+MT+59701/204+First+St+NW,+Browning,+MT+59417/220+W+Main+St,+Bozeman,+MT+59715/12+W+Broad+St,+Drummond,+MT+59832/407+2nd+Ave+SE,+White+Sulphur+Springs,+MT+59645/@46.6408171,-114.1617853,6z/data=!4m62!4m61!1m5!1m1!1s0x535b09ca9d2a75c3:0x379233f3a21ee313!2m2!1d-112.5415032!2d46.0111941!1m5!1m1!1s0x535eb73fa3020ec1:0x4942f70fa86f7dfc!2m2!1d-114.1616093!2d46.243182!1m5!1m1!1s0x535b09b114719a4f:0xaaff682578143d7e!2m2!1d-112.5357447!2d46.0169896!1m5!1m1!1s0x535b0979faea20b1:0x548e94126bbb2642!2m2!1d-112.5358563!2d46.0340933!1m5!1m1!1s0x535a0621c7318b17:0x5c30603e08d98604!2m2!1d-112.6352989!2d45.2137254!1m5!1m1!1s0x535b0863fc72a4f1:0xa5a254f05a3f2265!2m2!1d-112.5023346!2d45.9923487!1m5!1m1!1s0x5368ef1d8080329b:0x7ff6394e548c5c3b!2m2!1d-113.0152521!2d48.557162!1m5!1m1!1s0x534544511e9d028d:0xbcb512c2ed422bb1!2m2!1d-111.0411008!2d45.678856!1m5!1m1!1s0x535c5fecc4721f27:0xac8dea23ef0a976!2m2!1d-113.147413!2d46.668928!1m5!1m1!1s0x5344642f841e2d47:0xa2b80d863926df6e!2m2!1d-110.9012826!2d46.5444757!3e0) is a map of the various churches Kerrigan was assigned to over the years. Here (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/107+Meany+St,+Plains,+MT+59859/35933+Round+Butte+Rd,+Ronan,+MT+59864/@47.2993469,-115.0130196,9z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x5360b2df7e7aa8e9:0x8efa585d71743174!2m2!1d-114.8856613!2d47.4589384!1m5!1m1!1s0x53677b6a6276923b:0xbda1f7bf74dd27fa!2m2!1d-114.1029414!2d47.5297229) are his last two locations, including Ronan. Kerrigan never left Montana. Which makes it bizarre for the police to believe that whoever killed him was not from Montana.

Take a look at this map (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35919+Round+Butte+Rd,+Ronan,+MT+59864/693+Claffey+Dr,+Polson,+MT+59860/36953/@47.5771209,-114.1382576,64383m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x53677b6a61cd6d37:0x5d06266633e8e1b6!2m2!1d-114.1026994!2d47.5297709!1m5!1m1!1s0x536774065db81d4d:0xd1bb0894e6465ac!2m2!1d-114.1351611!2d47.6793387!1m5!1m1!1s0x536775ee50195d21:0xde5977f360c05bfe!2m2!1d-114.0515453!2d47.7033565!3e0). The locations are as follows:

-35919 Round Butte Rd was the church were Kerrigan was assigned to in Ronan.

-693 Claffey Dr is the approximate spot where Kerrigan's car was found abandoned.

-36953 Montana Highway 35 is where his bloody clothes were found.

Remember, Kerrigan was only in Ronan for 4 days, so it's unlikely someone from that town murdered him. The closest church that Kerrigan was assigned to that I could find, besides Ronan, to the area where his clothes and car was found was over 2 and half hours north. I cannot find a connection to Polson at all, strengthening my belief that he had to have been abducted at his home. The only problem with this theory, is that if the abductor and Kerrigan left the home together in Kerrigan's vehicle (which was filled with blood, as well as a shovel found in Kerrigan's trunk), how did his killer make it back to Ronan to retrieve his vehicle? It also does not explain the large sum of cash found in Kerrigan's wallet, which was also found in the trunk of his abandoned car.

So if we assume that the money found in Kerrigan's wallet was a form of some sort of payout to a potential victim of Kerrigan's sexual abuse, perhaps this person had relocated to Polson, and had found out that Kerrigan had been reassigned to Ronan. They arrange some sort of meeting, kill Kerrigan, ditch his body and his clothes, and then could easily just walk back into town.

Remember, Kerrigan was only in Ronan for 4 days, so it's unlikely someone from that town murdered him.

The YouTube channel called, 'True Crime Paranormal,' covered this case about 6 months ago. I realize that, like psychics, not everyone is going to give much credence to mediums. So if you want to write her off, I get it. But the scenario she provided does paint a credible picture for a Ronan resident being the killer.

As many have suspected, she said the killer, as a child, attended one of the churches that Father Kerrigan worked at. He was allegedly molested by Kerrigan. Around 15-20 years later, he was now an adult living in Ronan. When Father Kerrigan later arrived in Ronan in 1984, this victim from the community immediately recognized him and was mortified. The trauma from the past abuse caused an obvious strong reaction and there was a confrontation. Kerrigan wanted to talk it over, to ease the situation, but the man eventually ended up killing him.

There are not many specifics given but it's a believable scenario. Especially if the confrontation (or a separate one) had already happened before Kerrrigan's walk to the bakery, and there had already been a meeting set up where Kerrigan had hoped the money would buy the victim's silence but the victim wanted no part of his money and killed him anyway.

The YouTube channel called, 'True Crime Paranormal,' covered this case about 6 months ago. I realize that, like psychics, not everyone is going to give much credence to mediums. So if you want to write her off, I get it. But the scenario she provided does paint a credible picture for a Ronan resident being the killer.

As many have suspected, she said the killer, as a child, attended one of the churches that Father Kerrigan worked at. He was allegedly molested by Kerrigan. Around 15-20 years later, he was now an adult living in Ronan. When Father Kerrigan later arrived in Ronan in 1984, this victim from the community immediately recognized him and was mortified. The trauma from the past abuse caused an obvious strong reaction and there was a confrontation. Kerrigan wanted to talk it over, to ease the situation, but the man eventually ended up killing him.

There are not many specifics given but it's a believable scenario. Especially if the confrontation (or a separate one) had already happened before Kerrrigan's walk to the bakery, and there had already been a meeting set up where Kerrigan had hoped the money would buy the victim's silence but the victim wanted no part of his money and killed him anyway.

This is essentially what I believe happened, but I think the killer was living closer to the Polson area. They would have known a good location to ditch the car and take the time to wipe fingerprints away. Returning back to Ronan on foot was not impossible, but it would have been a 14 mile walk. I wonder if the killer saw some sort of announcement at their local Catholic church announcing Kerrigan was the new permanent pastor for Sacred Heart in Ronan and that is what set him off.

The other possibility, is that someone from Plains wanted revenge, and waited for his transfer out of the area to extract it. This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35919+Round+Butte+Rd,+Ronan,+MT+59864/693+Claffey+Dr,+Polson,+MT+59860/36953/107+Meany+St,+Plains,+MT+59859/@47.5908343,-114.9831767,128733m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x53677b6a61cd6d37:0x5d06266633e8e1b6!2m2!1d-114.1026994!2d47.5297709!1m5!1m1!1s0x536774065db81d4d:0xd1bb0894e6465ac!2m2!1d-114.1351611!2d47.6793387!1m5!1m1!1s0x536775ee50195d21:0xde5977f360c05bfe!2m2!1d-114.0515453!2d47.7033565!1m5!1m1!1s0x5360b2df7e7aa8e9:0x8efa585d71743174!2m2!1d-114.8856613!2d47.4589384!3e0) map shows a circular way that the killer could have driven up to Ronan, killed Kerrigan, dumped his car and clothes, before possibly circling around and heading back to Plains.

Of course Kerrigan may have met his killer at the spot where his car was found (or very close to it), which wouldn't require someone to move his car or have to walk from the crime scene. Then his killer was free to take his car and his body, bury it, ditch the clothes, and then come back and ditch his car close to where the killer's car was.

This is essentially what I believe happened, but I think the killer was living closer to the Polson area. They would have known a good location to ditch the car and take the time to wipe fingerprints away. Returning back to Ronan on foot was not impossible, but it would have been a 14 mile walk. I wonder if the killer saw some sort of announcement at their local Catholic church announcing Kerrigan was the new permanent pastor for Sacred Heart in Ronan and that is what set him off.

The other possibility, is that someone from Plains wanted revenge, and waited for his transfer out of the area to extract it. This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35919+Round+Butte+Rd,+Ronan,+MT+59864/693+Claffey+Dr,+Polson,+MT+59860/36953/107+Meany+St,+Plains,+MT+59859/@47.5908343,-114.9831767,128733m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x53677b6a61cd6d37:0x5d06266633e8e1b6!2m2!1d-114.1026994!2d47.5297709!1m5!1m1!1s0x536774065db81d4d:0xd1bb0894e6465ac!2m2!1d-114.1351611!2d47.6793387!1m5!1m1!1s0x536775ee50195d21:0xde5977f360c05bfe!2m2!1d-114.0515453!2d47.7033565!1m5!1m1!1s0x5360b2df7e7aa8e9:0x8efa585d71743174!2m2!1d-114.8856613!2d47.4589384!3e0) map shows a circular way that the killer could have driven up to Ronan, killed Kerrigan, dumped his car and clothes, before possibly circling around and heading back to Plains.

Of course Kerrigan may have met his killer at the spot where his car was found (or very close to it), which wouldn't require someone to move his car or have to walk from the crime scene. Then his killer was free to take his car and his body, bury it, ditch the clothes, and then come back and ditch his car close to where the killer's car was.

Heyo!

Resident Montanan who is back to comment on one of my "pet cases," so to speak.... I totally think the killer is from Plains. I understand what Cars is saying about Polson, but Plains and Ronan are not far apart (in Montana definition, lol) and if someone was familiar with the area, it would be easy to find a place to dump Kerrigan's body and/or the car.

I still maintain that Kerrigan is in Flathead Lake and we just haven't found him yet. I agree that there are no ties to Polson, except for the fact that Flathead Lake borders Polson.

I still maintain that Kerrigan is in Flathead Lake and we just haven't found him yet.

That's what the medium said. Definitely in Flathead Lake. There's not much left of his remains in there now but it also was never really checked that hard.

She also said this person, outside this whole ordeal, was not a bad person (as strange as that sounds considering he killed a priest.) Sometimes when people are confronted with the perpetrator of childhood trauma, they will have a psychotic episode...and that's what happened here. When he folded and stacked up Kerrigan's clothes, there was some remorse here because this person did something that was way out of character that nobody would ever believe they could do. This was a complete break. If police were to look in to in their community, somebody who had a complete mental health break at this time, they would probably find the killer.

But LooksLikeCRicci, I think you had mentioned before that any real detective work into this crime is probably much more for show and not looked at as much of a priority because the community and surrounding communities basically believe Kerrigan got what he deserved.

Sadly, a situation like this has got to be very common. Not so much the murder part but adults who, as children, were sexually abused by Catholic priests and then eventually come to face to face with them as adults...triggering all sorts of horrible, traumatic feelings.

But LooksLikeCRicci, I think you had mentioned before that any real detective work into this crime is probably much more for show and not looked at as much of a priority because the community and surrounding communities basically believe Kerrigan got what he deserved.

Interesting.

The segment made it seem like Kerrigan's past was unknown to everyone in the area. This reminds me of a local case that happened back in 2002, where a man shot a priest who had molested him. The priest survived, the shooter (https://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-te.md.stokes17dec17-story.html) was acquitted, the priest was convicted (https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bal-te.md.blackwell18feb18-story.html), and then the case was dropped (https://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-te.md.blackwell02jul02-story.html) after a judge ordered a new trial.

Interesting.

The segment made it seem like Kerrigan's past was unknown to everyone in the area.

I believe it was at the time. (Although, it wouldn't have been hard to put two and two together for anyone who knew how many times he was transferred to different parishes.) But opinions had to have changed several years ago when the Church hierarchy disclosed the identities of the 80 priests and nuns who had sexually abused children in western Montana to the public, with Kerrigan's name on it.

Police, on the other hand, DID know about Kerrigan's past at that time but never disclosed it to the public. Why they think that plays no part in his disappearance is beyond me.

Police, on the other hand, DID know about Kerrigan's past at that time but never disclosed it to the public. Why they think that plays no part in his disappearance is beyond me.

I kind of wonder if the police know who or strongly suspect who did this, but aren't going to do anything about it because in their eyes Kerrigan got what he deserved? Maybe that's why they downplay that angle?

I kind of wonder if the police know who or strongly suspect who did this, but aren't going to do anything about it because in their eyes Kerrigan got what he deserved? Maybe that's why they downplay that angle?

I could totally see that. OR... the victim's family was somehow tied into law enforcement. I have no basis for shooting out that opinion, other than it just came to me.

I've always maintained that if you want to find Kerrigan's killer, you just need to examine the families of the children he victimized.

I've always maintained that if you want to find Kerrigan's killer, you just need to examine the families of the children he victimized.

It would have to be one of the families who reported Kerrigan to the church. But even then, that's not a guarantee. Not all victims of childhood abuse speak up. Some keep it bottled up and don't ever reveal the abuse the rest of their lives. And if that was the situation here, that makes narrowing it down almost impossible.

Kerrigan told the people at the bakery that he had a funeral and a wedding to attend in Plains the next day before the Saturday evening service at 5:30 p.m. Maybe this was a ruse for why he wouldn't be in town until later in the day because he had a prearranged meeting with his killer? It explains the money in his wallet. It ties in with the last location where he was last stationed.

Kerrigan told the people at the bakery that he had a funeral and a wedding to attend in Plains the next day before the Saturday evening service at 5:30 p.m. Maybe this was a ruse for why he wouldn't be in town until later in the day because he had a prearranged meeting with his killer? It explains the money in his wallet. It ties in with the last location where he was last stationed.

That's an idea. I think the money was to pay someone off from Plains so he wouldn't be revealed as the sick perv he was in his new town.

Kerrigan told the people at the bakery that he had a funeral and a wedding to attend in Plains the next day before the Saturday evening service at 5:30 p.m. Maybe this was a ruse for why he wouldn't be in town until later in the day because he had a prearranged meeting with his killer? It explains the money in his wallet. It ties in with the last location where he was last stationed.

That makes sense. Typically there are no Saturday morning Masses, only 4 p.m. local time or after, giving Kerrigan plenty of time to get out of town and back for such a meeting in time for evening Mass.
I always wondered why a bakery in a small town would be so crowded at 11 p.m. any night of the week as the segment indicated. Got a kick out of that.

That's an idea. I think the money was to pay someone off from Plains so he wouldn't be revealed as the sick perv he was in his new town.

Absolutely. Someone going through all that trouble, not just to kill him but to humiliate him (forcing him to get undressed) and obviously using some type of torture... there's no other logical reason for that money to be left untouched in the trunk, so this was EXTREMELY personal. Pretty much, 'Your money can't erase all the childhood trauma you forced on me.'

And that's an excellent theory by TheCars. There probably never was a wedding and funeral that day. I guess it would have been easy to check and see if there was a funeral and wedding scheduled that particular day in Plains but that doesn't assure if Kerrigan was ever actually intending on going.

They found $100 in his shirt pocket, IIRC, and the rest of the money was found in Kerrigan's wallet in the trunk. I also think it's possible that his killer didn't plan on killing him that day, and that the money was the tipping point. I wonder if the killer planned on embarrassing Kerrigan, by making him strip and maybe having him wear some sort of "scarlet letter" type of sign (which could explain the coat hanger), and then Kerrigan trying to bribe the killer set them off.

Heyo!

I still maintain that Kerrigan is in Flathead Lake and we just haven't found him yet. I agree that there are no ties to Polson, except for the fact that Flathead Lake borders Polson.

Has there ever been an official search of the lake for him?

Having re-watched the segment recently, I was somewhat curious why the Santa Fe detective interviewed on the program was so adamant that these two cases were related. The only similar relation between the two were that they were Catholic priests. It appears that Father Kerrigan had some past issues that could have caught up with him, whereas Father Rivera was likely targeted due to his being a priest and the perpetrators believed he would be an easy target.

I would not put it past Unsolved Mysteries to intentionally downplay the molestation angle. Granted I was a kid when this show originally aired, but were those scandals widely known back then?

I would not put it past Unsolved Mysteries to intentionally downplay the molestation angle. Granted I was a kid when this show originally aired, but were those scandals widely known back then?

Certainly they did not recive the press coverage that has happened more recently, though I would not say they were unheard of.

That said, I don't think UM really downplayed anything, so much as they did not go into unfounded speculation about a theory which invovles making a very serious accusation against someone. The police, who also help shape the segments, likely considered making accusations of that nature against him in the show a net loss for solving the case, as it would make people much less likely to come forward with informaiton.

As to him being in the lake, its certainly possible, but while the lake is deep it is not neccesarily deep near shore. No bridges cross it either, and the river near Polson flows out of the lake, and hence would not carry a body into deeper water. If that was what happened a boat likely had to be involved.

As to the New Mexico detective, there was more connection between the cases than the fact that they were Catholic priests. Kerrigan hand spent time in New Mexico as well. Likely, certain details about both killings have long been withheld by the police which point to a common perpatrator as well which might explain his making the connection.

I would not put it past Unsolved Mysteries to intentionally downplay the molestation angle. Granted I was a kid when this show originally aired, but were those scandals widely known back then?

Unsolved Mysteries didn't have to downplay the molestation angle because they didn't know about it. That's why it wasn't mentioned at all in the segment. It wasn't until 2015 when Helena published the 80 names of priests tied to sexual abuse and Kerrigan's name was on it.

At the time of the UM segment, the public did NOT know about Kerrigan's "extra curricular activities" inside the church. But law enforcement did.

Although, when you see a priest get transferred over and over and over again like Kerrigan, it's not exactly hard to figure out why.

I kind of think that the police might have an idea of who is responsible, but due to what was long rumored (and confirmed by the Catholic church) they kind of just threw their arms up and shrugged. And to be honest, I don't blame them.

Pay off, perhaps? To keep someone quiet for something he did before being transferred.

That is pretty wild speculation.

I don't see anything unusual about having that ammount of money on hand. This was the 1980's, not everyone was walking arround with a credit card, and if you were someone that might have to travel at a moments notice having a substantial ammount of cash on hand seems reasonable.

Before I had a credit card I would have to carry similar ammounts when traveling, if nothing else to cover emergencies.

I kind of think that the police might have an idea of who is responsible, but due to what was long rumored (and confirmed by the Catholic church) they kind of just threw their arms up and shrugged. And to be honest, I don't blame them.

If the police have a lack of evidence on the suspect(s), fine. If they have the necessary evidence and aren't doing anything, that's not fine no matter the victim's crimes. Not the job of the police to play judge and jury, just to enforce the law, especially when it comes to a crime as serious as murder.
And no, I am not condoning anything Father Kerrigan did.
I do wonder, like an earlier poster, whether there actually was a search of the lake.

If the police have a lack of evidence on the suspect(s), fine. If they have the necessary evidence and aren't doing anything, that's not fine no matter the victim's crimes. Not the job of the police to play judge and jury, just to enforce the law, especially when it comes to a crime as serious as murder.
And no, I am not condoning anything Father Kerrigan did.
I do wonder, like an earlier poster, whether there actually was a search of the lake.

You are quite correct.
For the police to not investigate a crime, because of unsubstantiated allegations about the victim, is professional misconduct plain and simple.

If they have the necessary evidence and aren't doing anything, that's not fine no matter the victim's crimes. Not the job of the police to play judge and jury, just to enforce the law, especially when it comes to a crime as serious as murder.

I do not think they have the necessary evidence. I just don't know how extensively the case was investigated once it had came out about Kerrigan's abuse. The obvious piece of missing evidence would be his body or remains.

I found this (https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/03/23/the-vanishing-of-a-priest/) article writtten in 2019 (but updated in 2021) that has a curious footnote at the end of the story:

Geldrich, the former Lake County sheriff who started working the case in 1985, told the Missoulian shortly after the report was released in 2015 that “authorities were aware” even then of allegations of child sexual abuse involving Kerrigan. In that interview, Geldrich once again rejected robbery as the motivation, yet he also dismissed the theory that a victim of Kerrigan’s acted out of revenge. When contacted twice this year, Geldrich reiterated the same line of reasoning as he did in 2015, and emphasized that he didn’t want “to reveal anything that might hurt the boys’ chances of solving this thing.”

This is the same guy who says he had a decent suspect and that person was "not in Montana" in the summer of 1985. I would love to know what his theory is.

Father Rivera's murder was quick. His killer wanted to kill a priest, and it didn't matter which one it was.

The evidence left behind shows Father Kerrigan's kidnapping and inevitable murder was sooooooo much more personal. What could be more personal than a man in his position abusing a child? I'm sorry but investigators insistence that it was not a revenge plot doesn't stick and remains my number one theory until proven otherwise.

He was in tiny little Ronan, Montana (located waaaaay out in the middle of nowhere) a total of four days before he was abducted. Hardly enough time to create many enemies.

He was in tiny little Ronan, Montana (located waaaaay out in the middle of nowhere) a total of four days before he was abducted. Hardly enough time to create many enemies.

Which is a good argument for why it was not some elaborate revenge plot.

The other Montana murders, which UM unfortunately left out of the segment, make it much more clear that a serial killer was at work, one that seemed to mostly go after clergy.