Priest murder

[Steve W.]

There was one last night, along with an attempted murder during a burglary. It was out southwest (again: Phoenix). Is it just a coincidence or is "Michael Carmello" at it again?

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-co...church-n129266

[Steve W.]

No one has any input on if these cases could be related?

[MegtheEgg86]

I don't think they're related. Unfortunately, Catholic priests (and religious clergy in general) are targeted by people for all kinds of reasons--from the assailant thinking they're not going to retaliate to deep-seated hatred of the Church or religion in general.

It might be worth noting that the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, or FSSP, is a traditionalist Catholic order. They're in communion with Rome, but they retain the pre-Vatican II liturgy--that is, they conduct the "Latin Mass" using the 1962 Roman Missal. This is not typical of most American Catholic orders, who usually use the latest editions reflecting the liturgical changes brought on by the Vatican II Council.

Within Catholicism--for those that might not know--there is something of a divide between "traditionalist" and "modern" Catholics. Traditionalists think most other Catholics are too secular, too ecumenical, already have one foot in Protestantism as it is, and are "watering down" the Faith. Some Catholics--especially very liberal Catholics--think traditionalists, despite their proclaimed devotion to the Faith, are near-heretics, as they've frequently been highly critical of Rome and past popes, bishops, priests, and orders they've deemed too liberal--the most recent target being Pope Francis. Some traditionalists even belong to groups and attend Mass conducted by priests who are members of orders out of communion with the Holy See.

I'm not at all saying I believe the fact that these two men belonged to the FSSP was the reason they were attacked--I just thought it was noteworthy. (Frs. Rivera and Kerrigan--who were featured on UM--were Franciscan priests, who at the time, and to this day, usually conduct Mass in the novus ordo form--that is, in accordance with the Vatican II changes, or "modern" form).

I was surprised at how young Fr. Walker was. That compounds the tragedy.

[WishfulDreamer]

I don't think any of these crimes are related.

As for Father Rivera and Father Kerrigan, I think while unrelated it was great that UM profiled both cases to spread awareness. I always got a really fishy vibe about Kerrigan's disappearance in particular. Wasn't he only at that church for a few days? And where on Earth is his body? It seems the MO is way different between the two cases on UM and the distance also makes me think that they had nothing to do with each other, even if they were both from the order of Franciscans.

As for this new crime, robbery was one of the motives (at least), which doesn't seem to have been the case for the UM cases. It could have been related entirely to money or as Meg said, a personal hatred of the church/religion.

I hope all of these will one day be solved.

[MegtheEgg86]

I think something was way up with Fr. Kerrigan. He was only at the church in MT for four days before he disappeared, IIRC. Didn't they find like a thousand dollars in his wallet in the trunk of his car? I think all Franciscan orders take pretty strict vows of poverty. Unless that was church or religious order money, there's no reason he should have had that sum in his possession.

Fr. Rivera's murder seemed pretty straightforward, even if the motive remains unknown. He also seemed like he had a pretty straightforward life and past, from what little I've been able to read about him. He was pretty beloved. In Fr. Kerrigan's case, however, it's been hinted that his background might have had a dark spot or two, of which I don't know the exact nature--but it's possible it may have been related to his disappearance.

[Necco]

Another reason clergy can be targeted is because they can be easily lured. If you call and say you need them to give extreme unction or last rites for someone, a priest will come, day or night.

[TheCars1986]

I believe I read an article online that said Kerrigan went into some sort of "rehab" facility for priests, shortly before his disappearance. The facility was for priests who either were suffering from depression, alcoholism, or sexual misconduct. It's never been disclosed why he was at this facility, but some theorize that he was there for sexual misconduct and that a victim of his extracted revenge and murdered him.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

I believe I read an article online that said Kerrigan went into some sort of "rehab" facility for priests, shortly before his disappearance. The facility was for priests who either were suffering from depression, alcoholism, or sexual misconduct. It's never been disclosed why he was at this facility, but some theorize that he was there for sexual misconduct and that a victim of his extracted revenge and murdered him.

This I doubt--not because sexual misconduct doesn't happen, but because I don't see a clear way the victim could have tracked Fr. Kerrigan to Montana. This was 1984. How did this person have any real way of knowing where he was going? Priests in religious orders serving as parish priests are moved every 4 or 5 years or so. Unless Fr. Kerrigan continued to correspond with the supposed victim, I don't see how this person would have known he was where he was.

Although we tend to have a set idea of what sexual misconduct entails in this instance, that could also mean breaking the vow of celibacy by maintaining a consensual heterosexual relationship to sexual harassment or abuse toward female parishoners.

Additionally, there has been at least one high-profile Catholic priest that not only broke his vow of celibacy by having a sexual relationship with a woman, but his vow of poverty as well in a gross manner. This kind of priest might be a candidate for such a facility as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Co..._of_misconduct

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

This I doubt--not because sexual misconduct doesn't happen, but because I don't see a clear way the victim could have tracked Fr. Kerrigan to Montana. This was 1984. How did this person have any real way of knowing where he was going? Priests in religious orders serving as parish priests are moved every 4 or 5 years or so. Unless Fr. Kerrigan continued to correspond with the supposed victim, I don't see how this person would have known he was where he was.

2 days after his transfer from the "rehab" facility was when he disappeared. The only items found from him were his clothes (including a bloody shirt with $100 in it), and in the trunk of his car there was a shovel, bloody pillow, and a box containing several hundred dollars. His car keys were found about 30 yards from his car. His killer, presumably after killing him, buried his body, and moved the car. The killer had to know of the existence of the money, which I think would rule out robbery as a motive. And FWIW, I was bored today and did a mapquest search from where Kerrigan was transferred (transferred to a church in Ronan, MT), and it was roughly an hour drive away. Granted, this was before the internet and other methods of finding people, but being 1984, people wouldn't be as suspicious of someone asking about the whereabouts of another. A simple, "hey where'd Father Kerrigan go" probably would have gone a long way back then. Knowing the name of the church and the town would have made it fairly easy to locate Kerrigan.

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

Although we tend to have a set idea of what sexual misconduct entails in this instance, that could also mean breaking the vow of celibacy by maintaining a consensual heterosexual relationship to sexual harassment or abuse toward female parishoners.

What's also interesting (but not mentioned in the UM segment) was another man disappeared 2 days after Kerrigan, and his car was found 40 miles from Kerrigan's car. His name was Curtis Holmen, and he was described as a "survivalist" by friends. He was also suspected to be bisexual by family members. Despite being close in proximity and only 2 days apart, UM made no mention of his disappearance, and tried to tie it to Father Reynaldo Rivera. Now this could go several different ways:

-Both disappearances (of Kerrigan and Holmen) are totally unrelated and just a odd coincidence with the dates.
-Someone is responsible (possible serial killer) for both Kerrigan and Holmen's disappearances.
-Holmen was responsible for Kerrigan's disappearance.

At the time it may have seemed likely that Holmen was a possible suspect, since he was described as a "survivalist" a possible life on the run would have suited him. But I think this is unlikely, since no trace of him has ever been found (and he hasn't had contact with family or friends). The last known confirmed sighting of Holmen was when he called a girlfriend and told her to meet him at a movie theater in a nearby town, but never arrived. So this opens up the possibility of an unknown serial killer preying on men, possibly sexually motivated. Just an assumption here: if Kerrigan met some guy for a tryst (possibly a prostitute, Kerrigan had $100 found in his shirt), what could have gone wrong to motivate the guy to kill him? It wasn't the money because none of that was missing. That's what makes me think back to the revenge motive. It's the only thing, IMO, that fits the known evidence left behind. The pillow was probably used to muffle a shot, and the shovel was used to bury his body. And his clothes were found near Flathead Lake, traveling north away from Ronan, Montana, and his car was ditched outside of Polson, MT. If you were to drive in a circular route, Polson would take you right back to Plains, MT where Kerrigan was originally transferred from.

[Necco]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

Although we tend to have a set idea of what sexual misconduct entails in this instance, that could also mean breaking the vow of celibacy by maintaining a consensual heterosexual relationship to sexual harassment or abuse toward female parishoners.

Respectfully snipped.

They didn't send priests to rehab for consensual relationships with women. I personally know/knew three priests who had known relationships with women. Two left the priesthood but were both allowed to continue teaching at Catholic institutions and the third remained a priest.

[Necco]

I also wonder if Wm L Toomey wasn't a priest or an ex-priest who spent time in the same New Mexico facility that Fr. Kerrigan did. The bolo tie, the reference to a vestment manufacturer and his suicide in a church lead me to believe he was clergy.

[TheCars1986]

Been thinking about Father Kerrigan's disappearance today a lot, and it got me thinking...he was transferred away from Plains, MT to a church in Ronan, MT. IIRC, the UM segment makes a mention of Kerrigan meeting parishioners in a restaurant the night before he disappeared, since he was new to the town. Now I seriously doubt Kerrigan did something to someone in the town of Ronan to warrant his probable murder, since he literally disappeared right after arriving. I believe something happened at the church he was originally at in Plains, MT. That's probably why he was transferred to the "rehab" facility. As stated previously, the facility was for priests who were suffering from depression, alcoholism, or sexual misconduct within the church. Alcoholism and depression would almost assuredly never warrant a murder, which brings up a possible sexual motive in his slaying. Had he engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor (or even an adult church parishioner), this could have warranted some type of revenge motive.

Just looking at the facts surrounding Kerrigan's disappearance:

-His clothing was found strewn across the highway leading up to Flathead Lake. This, IMO, shows that whoever murdered him possibly forced him to strip down naked in some sort of effort to humiliate him. It would make no sense for his killer to strip him after the fact, especially if he was going to conceal his body. The humiliation aspect of making him strip plays back into the revenge motive.
-With regards to the concealment of his body, a shovel was found in the trunk of Kerrigan's abandoned car. This, IMO, suggests premeditation on the killer's part. Why else would he need a shovel, unless he knew he was going to kill Kerrigan and bury his body? A random killer would seem less likely to go through the trouble to murder someone and then go through the trouble to bury it. But someone known to Kerrigan, who could possibly be tied back to Kerrigan (if his body were found) would want to conceal it.
-The bloody pillow. I don't think it's unusual for someone to have a pillow in their car, but I would say it's very uncommon. This would also seem to suggest some sort of premeditation, since the pillow was stained with blood. It may have been used in an attempt to muffle a gunshot.
-A coat hanger was found near Kerrigan's bloody clothes. The police believe it was used to either tie up Kerrigan or to strangle him. This, again, would seem to indicate someone with a deep seeded hatred for Kerrigan had he been strangled.
-An article on the internet says Kerrigan had a box of money found in the trunk of his car, UM says that it was his wallet. The UM segment also says the money was easily seen and was in no way hidden, so the authorities believe robbery was not a motive in Kerrigan's disappearance. I would tend to think the internet article got the info mixed up, and it was in fact his wallet found.
-Kerrigan was last seen at the restaurant (or bakery) meeting the townsfolk. He told them he was leaving to go home and go to bed, but disappeared before making it home. I'm not sure about the church in Ronan, but virtually all Catholic churches I've been to or come across have housing for the priests directly next to or nearby the church. Had someone come to the town looking for Kerrigan, it wouldn't be that hard to find him.

I think Kerrigan was involved in something sexually illicit, and that ultimately was the motive for his death. It could have been a jilted husband or boyfriend, could have been a parent of an abused child, or it could have been someone involved in a affair with Kerrigan who didn't want that information to get out. I tend to think it was a parent or relative of an abused child. Kerrigan was (in all probability) murdered four days after his arrival in Ronan (according to that internet article they state 2 days, UM says 4). That just doesn't seem like a coincidence. I know I'm speculating on a lot of things (since so little information is available), but I think it's entirely possible that Kerrigan did something in Plains that warranted his moving to the "rehab" facility. Unfortunately, the records at that facility were destroyed, so we'll never know for sure why Kerrigan was there. But had he gone there for sexual misconduct, perhaps the church, in an effort to cover it up, had him transferred away to Ronan. This would obviously upset a previous victim (or victim's family member) since they viewed the transfer as some sort of coverup, and Kerrigan basically getting away with what he did. And that's what caused his disappearance, IMO.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by Necco

Respectfully snipped.

They didn't send priests to rehab for consensual relationships with women. I personally know/knew three priests who had known relationships with women. Two left the priesthood but were both allowed to continue teaching at Catholic institutions and the third remained a priest.

Priests have been sent to these facilities for this reason. The decision to do so, I imagine, would be largely left up to the bishop of the diocese or leadership of the religious order. (I too know a former priest who also had a relationship with a woman, left the priesthood, and ended up as a lay religious educator without being sent to such a center).

Here is some information on the Congregation of the Servant of the Paraclete, which is the priestly order that operates the Jemez Springs facility in New Mexico, as well as some information on the documented beginnings of the sexual abuse scandal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congreg..._the_Paraclete

On a personal note, talking about this strains my heart, as I myself am a Roman Catholic and love the Church. But it dealt an egregious, horrible wrong to these victims by not listening to those priests, bishops, brothers, and nuns who attempted to expose this evil for decades and were instead shut down and silenced by others. It's horrifying and heartbreaking.

[Necco]

Meg,
I know of the facility. I was raised Catholic and long before the sex scandal broke, I was told NEVER to go into the rectory alone. I had a family member (MUCH older than I, like 3 generations) who was most likely raped by a priest. I suspect those sent for sex with adult women were priests who did it via coercion or who abused the sacrosanct nature of the priest-penitant relationship. The two I know who left the priesthood simply fell in love and got married.

I think it would have taken more than just falling in love to get sent to New Mexico, that's all I'm saying.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by Necco

I suspect those sent for sex with adult women were priests who did it via coercion or who abused the sacrosanct nature of the priest-penitant relationship. The two I know who left the priesthood simply fell in love and got married.

I think it would have taken more than just falling in love to get sent to New Mexico, that's all I'm saying.

Agreed. I reckon that would probably be the conditions under which one would go.