The Keepers: what happened next?
NETFLIX VIEWERS BECAME HEAVILY INVESTED IN SISTER CATHY CESNIK’S MURDER, BUT WHAT IS THE LATEST IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION?
‘PRIESTS WERE MOLESTING AND ALSO TRAFFICKING GIRLS’
In 2017, Netflix aired compelling seven-part docuseries
The Keepers, which attempted to unravel the mystery of who killed Sister Cathy Cesnik. Beloved by her students at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, she disappeared on 7 November 1969. Her body was found by two hunters on 3 January 1970 – she had been murdered.
At the time of her disappearance, it’s believed she was aware that two of the priests employed at the school – Fathers Joseph Maskell and E Neil Magnus – were not only molesting students, but trafficking the girls to others, including members of the local police. In 1995, two former victims, Teresa Lancaster and Jean Wehner, attempted to sue multiple people they say were involved in the abuse, but due to the statute of limitations, they couldn’t. Jean said that Cesnik was the only one who came to the girls’ aid, asking her, “Are the priests hurting you?” Before she was killed, it’s alleged Cesnik was about to report the claims to the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The series centres around the theory that Sister Cathy was murdered to prevent her revealing the abuse, and that it resulted in a mass cover-up by the church. It further reveals that in 2016, the Archdiocese of Baltimore had been making settlement payments to alleged victims of Joseph Maskell for the previous five years. With her killer either still at large or perhaps now deceased, we look at developments in the investigation, as well as evidence that was omitted from the documentary.
CRIME SCENE DNA
A cigarette butt retrieved from the crime scene two months after Cesnik’s death held some hope of a DNA match to her killer.
It is the only DNA from the crime scene that current forensic testing can be used on, but Baltimore police have additional samples and hope scientific developments will make these viable for future testing. Father Maskell died from a stroke in 2001, but due
to intense public pressure to solve the case, in February 2017, his body was exhumed. Baltimore police tested his DNA against the sample at the crime scene, but the results showed no match. Six other DNA profiles have been tested against the crime scene DNA without success. The profile has been placed on the FBI’S national DNA database.
MORE VICTIMS
After The Keepers aired, two more victims came forward from Ireland. Maskell fled to Co Wexford as late as 1995, after documents he had buried in a graveyard relating to his alleged crimes – including psychological profiles of victims – were uncovered. Despite being ordered not to carry out any priestly duties while in Ireland, he held mass and worked as a psychologist for the health board. There were also other victims the filmmakers spoke to, who declined to share their stories on screen. Director Ryan White recorded 35 other victims’ stories and says that number is still rising.
FBI STONEWALL
The film follows the endless requests for documents relating to the priests’ movements. Although these should be made available under the Freedom of Information Act, the FBI have continually stalled on delivering the papers that may provide crucial evidence. The Catholic Church opened their own investigation, but, to date, have been unwilling to share their findings.
SCHOOL CLOSED DOWN
Despite the fact there have still been no official statements from the Catholic Church regarding Maskell, the Archdiocese did close Archbishop Keough High School in June 2017, following the revelations of settlements to abuse victims. The school was never searched for evidence.
MORE SILENCING
Ryan White has said publicly that, while he wanted to tell the full story in the series, it wasn’t always possible. “The project was heavily vetted by lawyers,” he said. “There were times when I believed we knew somebody who was involved in the abuse, but we couldn’t include their name for legal reasons.”
QUESTIONABLE PROSECUTOR
Sharon May, the prosecutor in charge of the sex abuse unit in Baltimore featured in The Keepers, vehemently denies there was a cover-up. But what wasn’t revealed was her potential vested interest. Throughout the film, the connection between Maskell and the local police was reiterated continually. His own brother was an officer – as was Sharon’s husband.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Baltimore County Police spokeswoman Elise Armacost has said that Baltimore County cold-case detectives will continue working the case. She said, “Their best hope lies with the people who are still alive and willing to come forward. They are cautiously optimistic that the renewed interest may generate useful new leads, and encourage people with solid evidence to come forward. It’s possible that, in the future, new forensic technologies will provide new options for testing the remaining evidence, but for now, we have reached the end of the road with the forensic evidence.”