Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . 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. Father Neil MagnusAnother of the administrators at Keough, Magnus was accused of participating in sexually abusing students along with Maskell. I think that the impact of The Keepers has far exceeded our expectations, Hargrave said. Ryan White says hes seen a lot of people doubt whether the story is true at all, and insists that Koob is absolutely certain this happened, while the police are absolutely certain it did not. I dont know how they do it I dont think she knows. Though she spent years in the dark, Radakovic is now regularly in touch with cold-case detectives after first meeting with them in the spring of 2016. There was another twist to come: After Radakovic buried her mother, she dug deeper into her sisters case and found that a documentary team was already doing the same thing, and had been for more than a year. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. '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. Charles FranzIn "The Keepers," Charles Franz came forward as one of Maskell's abuse victims in the 1960s. 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. 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. 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I thought they would have been more participatory. Police dropped him as a target before he died. One of the most frustrating aspects of being a true crime fan is dealing with endless cover-ups from authorities and government entities, like police and the FBI. The Keepers centres on the death of 26-year-old nun, Sister Cathy Cesnik, who went missing from Baltimore, Maryland on November 7th, 1969. The Keepers: Pieces Of Evidence The Show Leaves Out, 16 TV Shows Too Disturbing To Binge-Watch, 10 Exciting New Netflix Originals Still Coming In 2019, Netflixs Tiger King: 15 Best Joe Exotic Quotes, Everything Available At Launch On HBO Max, 10 Creepy Documentaries To Watch If You Loved The Keepers. . "The Keepers" explores the murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. An image of Sister Cathy Cesnik's car found near her apartment the night she went missing Nov. 7, 1969 in Baltimore County. In 2004, a retired Baltimore homicide detective told the Baltimore City Paper that the church lawyers had 'stepped in and they talked to the higher-ups at the police department. The reward is up to $7,000 for informati. As I stared at my hands in shock, Father Maskell leaned over and whispered in my ear, you see what happens when you say bad things about people.. Fans of The Keepers may be surprised to hear that Keough High School, where Sister Cathy and A. Joseph Maskell both taught, closed in July of 2017, following confirmation from the Archdiocese of Baltimore that they paid settlements out to students who had been sexually abused by Maskell. Brother BobA third abuser who "Jane Doe" remembers from her days at Keough, but whose face she cannot recall. The only way to do that was to find people who were involved. 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. The Huffington Post reported that Maskell told Wehner, "You see what happens when you say bad things about people?"[1]. [6] At 4:40am the next morning, Russell's friends, Peter McKeon and Gerard J. Koob, both Catholic priests, found Cesnik's car, in muddy condition, and illegally parked across from her apartment complex. The plaintiffs appealed. This is huge news regarding Sister Cathy's case. 'The Keepers' Update: New DNA Evidence Found In Sister Cathy Cesniks Murder Case, Amy Robach and T.J. 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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. I don't understand what happens on the other side, she said. Its important to take this confession from Koob with a grain of salt, as he is proven in the show to be less than the most reliable of witnesses, but, as White says, I dont know where the truth lies.. Koob says that he and McKeon went to the movie "Easy Rider" the night of Sister Cathy's disappearance. Sister Cathy was a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School and went missing in Baltimore in 1969. He spearheaded the project because of his personal connection to Sister Catherine Cesnik, a nun who was found murdered in January of 1970 and who serves as the centerpiece of the true crime series. Joyce MaleckiThe 20-year-old Baltimore woman went missing on Nov. 11, 1969. The call led Hoskins and Keough graduate, Abbie Schaub, to start their own research into Sister Cathy's murder. What we tried to do in the editing was present all various narratives. He later returned to the U.S. and died in 2001. 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. Giangrasso, pointing to the discovery of the car, and the fact that it was returned close to where Sister Cathy lived, theorized that the killer was someone who she knew and possibly whom she trusted. 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. "Buried in Baltimore: The Mysterious Murder of a Nun Who Knew Too Much", "Justice for Sister Cathy is Long Overdue", "With New Lead, Police Reopen Old Murder Case", "Timeline: The Sister Catherine Cesnik Case", "Sister Catherine Cesnik Case: Missing Nun's Body Found in Lansdowne", "Baltimore Priest Victim: Police Were in on Sexual Abuse", "Jane Doe et al. 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.. The homicide remains unsolved, and for decades Radakovic believed Cesnik was the victim of a wrong place, wrong time crime. According to the autopsy, she had been struck on the back of her head by either a hammer or a brick, there was a hole the size of a quarter in her skull , and there were strangulation marks on her neck. The investigation into her disappearance and death revealed rampant abuse at her place of employment, Keough High School, a prominent Catholic school in Baltimore, Maryland. He then left to work as pastor of a church in Baltimore, but later returned to his duties after an archdiocese investigation failed to support the abuse allegations. Sister Catherine CesnikA nun and teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in 1968, Sister Cathy was murdered in Nov. 1969, although her body wasnt discovered until Jan. 3, 1970. - May 30, 2017 05:42 pm EDT. Jean and other former students of Sister Cathy believe that the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the authorities covered up Sister Cathy's murder after she suspected Father Maskell was sexually abusing several young girls at the school. They revealed themselves in "The Keepers" thanks to documentary filmmakers Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave. One of the major theories that The Keepers hypothesizes is that Maskell either killed Sister Cathy or had her killed. The Maryland Attorney Generals office has been investigating sexual abuse in the catholic church for nearly four years. Either way, theyre lying and withholding information that would be helpful to the case. 'After that we had to break away from him. I mean, its a survivor story at its core. When she was reported missing later that night, several dozen cops and half-a-dozen dog teams unsuccessfully searched a wide swath of Baltimore's southwest neighborhood searching for clues to her whereabouts. We still remain optimistic that its possible for us to clear this case, Armacost says. The Keepers will premiere on Netflix on May 19. 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. And why should they? The comments below have not been moderated. RELATED:Netflixs Tiger King: 15 Best Joe Exotic Quotes. Our focus was definitely on the survivors of Keough, but many Maskell victims cameafter Keough, and its horrifying. And they just paid settlements to the survivors its not that they deny it happened. Cesnik attended St. Mary's School on 57th Street and St. Augustine High School, both in Lawrenceville. She believes they might contain the names of people who were complicit in his crimes, or in covering them up. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Nugents insights on the matter will be featured in the Netflix series. James Maskell, A. Joseph Maskells uncle, is a similarly powerful and threatening figure that deserves to be prodded harder. Her body was found a few months later, discarded unceremoniously in a garbage dump. Whats worse than considering the fact that A. Joseph Maskell terrorized one community? I would hang on to her, and she was like, Youre gonna get me thrown out! , And shed tell Cesnik, Thats what Im trying to do, Cathy, Im trying to do. Id say to my dad, Get the car, well steal her. . Nearly 10 years ago the filmmakers started to meet with her; this was long before Netflix got involved. But in interviews conducted before his death, he found these. She was "Jane Roe" in that ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit. This seven-episode docuseries explores the still-unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland. Theyd ring a bell and [the girls] were required to get up and just walk away., But Radakovic couldnt let go. ', Sister Cathy was reportedly counseling an abuse victim earlier on the day she went missing and many believe she was murdered before she could report the crimes, People close to the nun believethat Sister Cathy had 'confronted' Maskell 'and she lost her life for it'. Shes so driven to find out what happened to her teacher. Sister Cathy Cesnik's disappearance and murder remain an unsolved mystery. Tom Nugent, author of the acclaimed Death at Buffalo Creek, and an investigative journalist, has been writing about Sister Cathys case since 1994, and recently in his online publication, Inside Baltimore.. An autopsy revealed Cathy Cesnik had been struck on the back of her head, there was a hole the size of a quarter in her skull, and there were strangulation marks on her neck. 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. Cesnik was found on a freezing January day in 1970 in Baltimore County, nearly two months after she vanished near her apartment. 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. Did you face any hurdles? In the show, the audience briefly hears about the fact that Ireland has claims on A. Joseph Maskell, as well, that the Catholic Church continues to cover up. [15] The series features interviews with women who were Cesnik's students, with some who say they were sexually abused by Maskell and others.[16]. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . Sister Cesnik had been reported as a missing person on November 7, 1969, from her residence at the Carriage House Apartments in Baltimore City, 21229. 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.. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. The more peoplewatch it, the more information will come out of the woodwork. Her life had been threatened and she had allegedly been abused by the priest. The identity of Brother Bob remains a mystery, although some in The Keepers believe he might be the missing link in the case of who killed Sister Cathy. I think he's dead, but I may be wrong. The Baltimore police has since reopened its investigation. When you say survivors, how many are there? Nearly 20 years ago, Nugent had been calling many former students from the now-closed Archbishop Keough High School, for a story on Sister Cesnik, who was murdered in 1969. Her body was partially naked and her head had been bashed in, but there was little physical evidence at the scene. ', He claimed that the detectives were told to either charge the priest 'or let him go. Also Read: 'The Keepers': Sister Cathy's Medical Examiner Also Worked on JFK, JonBenet Ramsey Cases. But now, because of witness testimony, and a multi-part documentary about the Cesnik murder to be aired on Netflix beginning on May 19, there is hope that her killer may be identified and the case finally be put to rest. Exposs on the Catholic Church have been steadily being released, with more and more people coming forward over time, but the Church refuses to make a clear statement in the case of A. Joseph Maskell. 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. "[9], Wehner said that Cesnik once came to her and said gently, "Are the priests hurting you?" One former student, Teresa Lancaster claims she was sexually abused by Father Maskell as well as members of Baltimore police who took her to a wooded area and raped her in a car, Lancaster (right) said Maskell got away with his crimes by'power and fear.' Spitz did the official autopsy back in 1970. Who killed the nun still remains a mystery today, but . Well, its funny how you asked that because I never saw it as taking on the Catholic Church. Lil Hughes KnippAnother of the women who were abused at Keough, Lil Hughes Knipp did not come forward until years after the 1994 lawsuit. His family believes he may have had something to do with Cathy's death, along with his brother, Ronnie, and an unknown man called "Skippy." Sister Cathy's battered body - she had been beaten over the head - was discovered . White is unconvinced that the DNA found at the scene on a cigarette butt would match A. Joseph Maskells DNA, but he remains positive that, eventually, someone will catch whoever murdered Sister Cathy and theyll finally figure out why. Netflix documentary series explores the 1970 murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik. In another scenario, James Maskell arrested a man named Phillip Shane after the two of them got into an altercation and Maskell lied about how they came to blows. There are many questions swirling around the death of Sister Catherine "Cathy" Cesnik, a beloved 26-year-old nun and teacher in Baltimore found . She joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame when she was 18. Everything Ive done, Ive really tried since that time which is just a little over a year ago for me Ive tried to give them all the information that Ive learned, she says of working with authorities. 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. One of the initial persons of interest was a Jesuit priest who had been romantically involved with the pretty nun, and had once asked her to marry him, before she took her vows. RELATED:10 Best True Crime Shows On Netflix. In the ensuing years, the sisters stayed in touch via letters and phone calls. After a week of teaching, Sister Cathy, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and the daughter of a Pennsylvania postal worker, decided on Friday night that she was going to go shopping. I do believe in so many other things than I ever did before. 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This begs the question, though, that if White says he included everything he knew, and we know he had to remove names for legal reasons where in the documentary does he reveal these hidden suspects? And this update involves Father Joseph Maskell. Every bit of it, vividly. The series delves deeply into sexual abuse allegations and a lawsuit against Father Maskell brought by Jane Doe, now identified as Wehner, and Jane Roe, since identified as Teresa Lancaster. Those who knew her at the time said that she wouldn't allow any conversation about Cesnik's death, saying that was her life before, and that she now had a new life. 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. A lack of information about his life at the time has made deeper research difficult; however, viewers now know that Robert Flaherty was accused in a separate sex abuse scandal, as well. Amateur sleuths have continued tracking the famous cold case in a new podcast series. But hes only willing to share a slice of it. It remained shrouded in mystery until those close to Sister Cathy started sharing their experiences and theories last year, They were told to 'stop harassing him,' he said. Catherine Anne Cesnik was born on November 17, 1942, in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When she realized Sister Cathy was missing, she called Koob, and together with him and McKeon, the three later called the police. NEXT:10 Creepy Documentaries To Watch If You Loved The Keepers. According to published sources, at least two students at Keough were shown the body of Sister Cathy by Father Maskell himself. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. [6] Residents at the apartment complex noticed Cesnik in her car at approximately 8:30 that night, and others spotted her car illegally parked across the street about two hours later. Father Maskell was a counselor and chaplain at Archbishop Keough from 1967 to 1975. On November 7, 1969, 26-year-old Sister Catherine Cesnik vanished. That means Father Maskell was somehow involved. But its not about popularity, its about the impact My hope is that we can have a fraction of that popularitythat leads to justice. In 1969, at 26 years old, Cesnik faced an impasse in her life and career, Radakovic says. [13][14] Police spokeswoman Elise Armacost announced that this discovery does not exclude Maskell from being a suspect in the case. However, this is a small step towards justice. She also thinks Sister Cathy was murdered because she knew about Maskells abuse and was going to come forward. I was so drawn to Gemma right when I met her, she had such a unique way. A 1994 story in the Baltimore Sun, revealed that she had information about Cesnik's murdered condition, such as the maggots on her face, known only to the cops. The case remains open and unsolved. 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. And I had spent time trying to convince my parents, Shes alive, lets find out what the letter says, shes tellin us where she is, we need to go, we need to find her, we need to help her. , I dont think we thought she was dead, Radakovic remembers. What do you think happened to Sister Cathy? (Radakovic was, in many ways, her sisters first student.) I always felt like there was some reason for me to be here and I didn't know what it was. After the series premiered, messages started to arrive from around the world with new information. The mysterious Brother Bob is, in many ways, even more chilling a figure than A. Joseph Maskell. "Our best hope for solving this case at this point lies with the people who are still alive. [10], Wehner says that, two months before Cesnik's body was discovered, and only a day or two after Cesnik disappeared on November 1969, Maskell drove her to a wooded site near Fort Meade and showed her the body. In The Keepers another Keough graduate - Jean Hargadon-Wehner - talked on camera about her abuse by two priests, Neil Magnus and Joseph Maskell, and other men at the school. 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. Today, almost a half-century later, the murder of Sister Cathy who was once compared to Julie Andrews' character in 'The Sound of Music' because of her beauty and bubbly personality is still one of law enforcement's most mysterious cold cases. As she would discover, there are many people in Baltimore who believe Cesnik was killed because of what she may have known: that the all-girls Catholic high school in Baltimore where she had taught English, Archbishop Keough, had a history of sexual abuse. Radakovic, now in her 60s, remains determined. 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. [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. She chose not to charge Maskell, saying the case lacked evidence. While the case remains open, allegations of sexual abuse by Father Maskell, and Sister's Cathy's plan to blow the whistle along with a possible cover up by the Catholic Church with close ties to law enforcement are at the heart of the horrendous case. True crime is only getting more popular, and Netflix never misses an opportunity to contribute to the zeitgeist, giving us The Keepers. She may have made a purchase at Muhly's Bakery in Edmondson Village, since a box of buns from that bakery was found in the front seat of her car. There was only the two of us for a long time, so we were really close, Radakovic says. She was not part of the 1994 lawsuit but came forward later. Together, she and Hoskins started the Justice for Catherine Cesnik and Joyce Malecki Facebook page in 2013 to try to solve the case, which has become a network of Keough alumni and abuse survivors. There are a lot of people that are living that should be behind bars, she said. The Keepers, a 7-part documentary, is currently available to stream on Netflix. 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. The amount of people that have seen The Keepers now is mind-blowing around the world, White said. Nearly 20 years ago, Nugent had been calling many former students from the now-closed Archbishop Keough High School, for a story on Sister Cesnik, who was murdered in 1969. Refresh. It. She was found dead two months later. And she has not stopped looking into the murder of her former teacher. Marilyn Cesnik Radakovic's journey to find out what happened to her older sister, who died nearly 50 years ago, began last year when she read a news article with the headline "Buried in. Published: 15:36 EST, 18 May 2017 | Updated: 16:14 EST, 18 May 2017, A New York Times bestselling author Jerry Oppenheimer latest book, 'The Kardashians: An American Drama,' will be published in September. They talked about Radakovics impending college graduation and that she might move to Baltimore and stay in Cesniks apartment. Maskell was a police chaplain and he knew people in high places that's how they got away with it.