2 priests from Montana and New Mexico

[design23]

Does anyone have information on the case involving the two priests in Montana and New Mexico (early 1980's)? I was trying to find out anything on the web but no information has came up... must be too long ago.

[Chris Billings]

Are you talking about the priests who were murdered? I remember the story but dont recall the names. I would think there would be alot of news coverage given the profession of the 2 victims.

[kadrmas15]

They were Father Renaldo Rivera of Sante Fe, New Mexico and Father John Kerrigan of Ronan, Montana. Based on the info in the segment, I do believe that the same person or person's that murdered Father Rivera were also involved in the disapperance and presumed murder of Father Kerrigan. As far as I know, they never did catch the people that did this, I do believe the person or person's that did this quite possibly were Native American since Ronan I believe is on an Indian reservation and there are Indian reservations not far from Santa Fe as well I believe.

[wiseguy182]

I was never 100% convinced that the two cases were connected. I believe it was two years apart, opposite ends of the country, and Renaldo's body was found and it was believed that they placed it where it was so that it would be found, whereas Kerrigan has never been found.

[LooksLikeCRicci]

Yeah, they found some bones up in the Montana mountains a little while ago. They were thinking that they MAY have been Kerrigan's, but it was later found that the bones were too recent to be that of Father Kerrigan.

...and yes, Kadrmas, Ronan IS on an Indian reservation. I've never heard that theory of the killer possibly being a Native American, though. Interesting, but I tend to discount it. Ronan is a pretty hot tourist spot in Montana, in addition to being located on one of the major highways in Montana. A LOT of people go through that area and travel that particular highway year to year...

[kadrmas15]

Hmm CRicci, well thanks for that additional information on Ronan, but while it is certainly possible that Father Rivera and Father Kerrigan were not murdered by the same people I hold the opinion they are more likely connected. If I remember right both murders occured in August, I want to say that Father Rivera disapperaed and was presumably murdered on the evening of August 7th, 1982, Father Kerrigan I believe disappeared on August 4th, 1984 so close to the two year anniversary of Father Rivera's disapperance.

The fact both their vehicles were left in out of the way locations, the fact that the killers wanted police to know Kerrigan was dead but for what ever reason either intentionally or unintentionally hid his body. It could be they didnt want the cops to find the body, because they used the same gun to kill Kerrigan as they did Rivera and they didnt want it to be linked by bolistics. The fact that they left Kerrigan's bloody clothes and the coat hanger where they did, tells you they wanted people to know they killed him. The segment also said there was evidence that a coat hanger had been used in Father Rivera's murder as well.

In both cases robbery was not a motive, I believe they said, the only item missing from Father Rivera was his last rites kit which as the Police detective said, was probably taken as a souvenier or as a trophy by the killer or killers.

The fact the killers didnt take Father Kerrigan's money tells that robbery wasnt a motive, as there was over 1 thousand dollars in that wallet, the only way that robbery could have been a motive and they didnt take it would be since it was dark out, maybe the light in the trunk wasnt working and they couldnt see in there. I did find it unusual that a person would carry a shovel in the trunk of their car, so it could be it belonged to the killer and they left it there, or maybe it was Father Kerrigan's, the ownership of the shovel was not disclosed during the segment.

Now as CRicci mentioned, the Sacred Heart Catholic Church is only 3 blocks to the west of Highway 93 which is a major road in Montana, so it could have been anyone passing through.

However it stands to reason that Father Kerrigan who said he was returning home to go to bed and left a cafe that was across the street from the church around 11 pm tells me he was called at the church or at his home or whereever the phone was and that was used to get him to meet the killer or killers at the area where the bloody clothes were found, in my opinion. Clearly whoever put those clothes there took their time as they were neatly folded. I believe they said the clothes were found along a dirt turnaround by Flathead Lake which I believe is just to the north of Ronan based on my map.

It is a puzzling case for sure, it is just that since his money wasnt taken, it just tells me that whoever killed him, in my opinion, killed him just to kill a Catholic priest, it is tough to say for sure whether or not these cases are for sure connected, but in my opinion there is a good chance they are.

[wiseguy182]

If there is a positive aspect to this case, it's that there aren't more cases of it. Whoever did this has not only gotten away with it, but has left very few clues behind and it appears authorities have absolutely no idea who it is. with that being said, the people responsible might be more apt to strike again since the police don't know who they are and they might figure they could get away with it again, but thankfully they haven't struck again.

[kadrmas15]

I am not sure if there aer not more cases like it, in another thread I responded to a case Todd Mueller brought up, of Father Patrick Ryan, who was murdered in an Odessa, Texas motel room in 1981. I have always wondered if Father Ryan's case was not connected to Father Rivera and Father Kerrigan. I have also always wondered if the person that murdered the priests, didnt do so because he was perhaps molested by a priest as a boy and perhaps hated Catholic Priests because of what happened to him?

[ClevelandTorsoFiend]

Originally Posted by kadrmas15

I am not sure if there aer not more cases like it, in another thread I responded to a case Todd Mueller brought up, of Father Patrick Ryan, who was murdered in an Odessa, Texas motel room in 1981. I have always wondered if Father Ryan's case was not connected to Father Rivera and Father Kerrigan. I have also always wondered if the person that murdered the priests, didnt do so because he was perhaps molested by a priest as a boy and perhaps hated Catholic Priests because of what happened to him?

I dont believe any of these cases are connected, and there is no proof they are. The way you make it sound would lead one to believe it was a single person with some deep seeded motive. Its possible, but not likely. I like what wiseguy said on this.

[wiseguy182]

Yeah, it's like these were the only cases in the country where priests met foul play, and authorities automatically assumed they were connected, but I don't think it's necessarily so. However, I can't really blame the authorities, these must be AGONIZING cases for them: they're extremely rare, so they have nothing to compare it with, no suspects, no motives.

[DarkDante]

I still find it very odd that a coat hanger was used in both killings. I'd probably lean more towards the connection between the two although I think the motive itself is truly baffling. I mean I would lean towards something specific (hate towards the Catholic church or organized religion in general or perhaps the molestation angle brought up earlier) than I would a random act of violence. I just don't know this one still baffles me.

[kadrmas15]

Yes Dark Dante, I would tend to agree with your opinion on this. I mean, I never said they were for sure connected, I said in my opinion they were but that doesnt mean for sure they are, I could always be wrong jsut like Torso Finder could be wrong that they arent connected.

Torso finder, you are right, there is no proof they are for sure connected, it was my opinion they were, mainly because a coat hanger was used in Father Rivera and Father Kerrigan's cases, now what are the odds two competely different killers would both use a coat hanger to restrain someone? It is a very unusual item to use to restrain someone and I am sure most people would never think to use a coat hanger to restrain someone.

Torso finder, the reason why it was my opinion that it was someone with a deep seeded motive is because it indeed seemed that way. I mean in both cases robbery was not a motive, the victims cars were left at out of the way locations, so I figured it was something personal against the Catholic Church and specifically Catholic Priests.

Now, maybe you are right, maybe they werent related, there is evidence to show they may very well not be related, they were in two completely different states in different parts of the country, this is the biggest reason to show they were not related.

I have the opinion they were related, you have the opinion they are not, either one could be right and we probably will never know for sure whether or not they were related.

[ForeverPluto]

Originally Posted by kadrmas15

I am not sure if there aer not more cases like it, in another thread I responded to a case Todd Mueller brought up, of Father Patrick Ryan, who was murdered in an Odessa, Texas motel room in 1981. I have always wondered if Father Ryan's case was not connected to Father Rivera and Father Kerrigan. I have also always wondered if the person that murdered the priests, didnt do so because he was perhaps molested by a priest as a boy and perhaps hated Catholic Priests because of what happened to him?

That was my thought too that the killer may have been molested by a Catholic as a youth or something.

[wiseguy182]

Another huge difference is that Renaldo Rivera was lured away from the church and the killers obviously knew he was a priest, whereas those things are uncertain about Kerrigan. the segment kind of depicts he just went out for a walk one night and didn't return. It is possible that his killers didn't know he was a priest as I don't think he had on priest's clothing at the time (for example, the bloody jacket that was found.) They might have found out later he was a priest as it looks like he had some religious items in the trunk of his car, but might not have known it initially.

Another difference was that they took Renaldo's last rites kit as possibly a souvenier, but it wasn't reported that they took anything of Kerrigan's.

[ClevelandTorsoFiend]

Originally Posted by kadrmas15

Yes Dark Dante, I would tend to agree with your opinion on this. I mean, I never said they were for sure connected, I said in my opinion they were but that doesnt mean for sure they are, I could always be wrong jsut like Torso Finder could be wrong that they arent connected.

Torso finder, you are right, there is no proof they are for sure connected, it was my opinion they were, mainly because a coat hanger was used in Father Rivera and Father Kerrigan's cases, now what are the odds two competely different killers would both use a coat hanger to restrain someone? It is a very unusual item to use to restrain someone and I am sure most people would never think to use a coat hanger to restrain someone.

Torso finder, the reason why it was my opinion that it was someone with a deep seeded motive is because it indeed seemed that way. I mean in both cases robbery was not a motive, the victims cars were left at out of the way locations, so I figured it was something personal against the Catholic Church and specifically Catholic Priests.

Now, maybe you are right, maybe they werent related, there is evidence to show they may very well not be related, they were in two completely different states in different parts of the country, this is the biggest reason to show they were not related.

I have the opinion they were related, you have the opinion they are not, either one could be right and we probably will never know for sure whether or not they were related.

Yeah, its hard to say if there were any connections. The use of the coat hanger in both cases is very notable indeed. You are probobly right that most people would not think of using a wire hanger as means to restrain someone, but I also think it is more commonly used then our first impressions would lead us to believe. It is a pretty sturdy object that can be manipulated easily.

I would say that I think more likely then not these were seperate cases with some striking coincidences but this is more of just how I feel about it, kinda your gut feelings. I could be wrong though.

The killer/s probobly did have deep seeded motives, whether the cases were connected or not. It could be over a wide range of issues and its hard to speculate.