A Pittsburgh native, Cesnik headed to Baltimore at 18 to join the School Sister of Notre Dame, a religious order whose nuns had taught her in grade school. ', 'Before I knew it, there was a big man on top of me and then I thought that would be it and another policeman came in and I could hear Maskell in the distance talking and laughing. The theory that people in position of authority and power are ableto decide what we as the populous know or dont know or whether survivors of abuse are validated or not I also liked the institutional meaning of The Keepers.. "The Keepers" premieres on Netflix May 19. We still remain optimistic that its possible for us to clear this case, Armacost says. She said that Maskell showed her Sister Cathys body. But hes only willing to share a slice of it. He and his friend and fellow priest, Peter McKeon, discovered Sister Cathys car parked at a strange angle across the street from her apartment. As for filmmakers Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave, after The Keepers they produced a documentary with Dr. Ruth, and then another one about the two women who assassinated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's brother. Marilyn Cesnik RadakovicSister Cathy's younger sister, who joins the investigation with Hoskins and Schaub during "The Keepers.". Wehner, who reported her allegations about Maskell to the Baltimore Archdiocese in 1992, claimed that the only nun at the school who sought to help the abused girls was Sister Cathy. "The Christmas after Sister Cesnik disappeared, Ed gave me this necklace as part of a Christmas gift. Whoever dumped Sister Catherine's body on a snowy piece of isolated waste ground (now completely overgrown) in Lansdowne had to know the area well. 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. Sister Cathy was a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School and went missing in Baltimore in 1969. [7] She cashed a paycheck at First National Bank in Catonsville that night. When she realized Sister Cathy was missing, she called Koob, and together with him and McKeon, the three later called the police. More than 40 years after her death, the case of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder is still unsolved. Cesnik was born in 1942 and grew up to become a nun at the all-girls Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, where . Investigators dug up Maskell's grav to compare the DNA of Maskell, to evidence from the crime scene. Hoskins and Schaub looked into each of those tips, and the tips have kept coming in for the past five years. Around the same time as Cesnik's disappearance, a 29-year-old woman named Joyce Malecki also went missing and was found dead two days later. Its possible Flaherty and Maskell had some deeper connection at the time that has simply been completely overlooked. Cathy's Ford Maverick, which she had recently purchased, was found just a block from her apartment parked illegally in a no parking area and unlocked. Meanwhile, Baltimore city homicide detectives are continuing. 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.. One of the major theories that The Keepers hypothesizes is that Maskell either killed Sister Cathy or had her killed. Days later, after an engagement party with her then-fiancs family, Radakovic got a call from her mother. But he never found the killer of Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik; he died of complications from diabetes on June 10, at age 79. She was not part of the 1994 lawsuit but came forward later. In 1969, at 26 years old, Cesnik faced an impasse in her life and career, Radakovic says. Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik was last seen alive on November 7, 1969. 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. Detectives investigating her death believe she may have encountered her murderer outside her apartment since her car was found parked in the complex the day after her disappearance. Sister Cathy's body was undressed to the waist. I ran over, bent down and began wiping maggots off her face. I always felt like there was some reason for me to be here and I didn't know what it was. But officials have declined to identify that person. The Baltimore police has since reopened its investigation. Father Maskell was a counselor and chaplain at Archbishop Keough from 1967 to 1975. Or does White know more than hes telling his audience? Marilyn Cesnik Radakovics 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 Baltimore.. The reward is up to $7,000 for informati. One of them, Jean Wehner, was the student who claimed Maskell had taken her to view Cesnik's body in the dump. I have very little doubt at the finish line. Viewers of The Keepers do not fondly reflect on Sharon May, the prosecutor in charge of the Maryland State Attorneys Office Sex Abuse Unit. The Keepers filmmaker Ryan White made the new Netflix docuseries that has everyone on the edge of their seats. On November 7, 1969, Cathy Cesnik left her apartment in Catonsville to buy an engagement gift for her sister. [4] Cesnik had three siblings. 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. The series also renewed the investigations into the murders of two women, Sister Cathy Cesnik and Joyce Malecki. 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. [1] My access point was a personal connection: My aunt went to Archbishop Keough High School and was Sister Cathys student, White told TheWrap. After the complaints were made to the archdiocese, Maskell was temporarily removed from his post at the school for psychological evaluation. She was described as a tall, thin girl -- standing about 5 feet, 7 inches and weighing 112 pounds. However, White did still get to talk to them he even got to talk to the anonymous student he mentions in the series. The church first learned of the allegations in 1992 and removed Maskell as a priest in 1994, as soon as it had corroborating accounts of his abuse, according to Sean Caine, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It allowed for Cesnik's . 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. 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? In "The Keepers," Davidson said he called a radio show years later and said he had information about the case. Before that, Gemma spent 37 years as an elementary school teacher. The prime suspect in Sister Cathys murder was a priest, the late Father A. Joseph Maskell. Advocates, filmmakers say they have not given up. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. TheWrap: What was the process ofgetting this documentary together? Does he ever reveal them? She didnt know Jeanhad gone through that abuse. Nicole Mello is an author of horrors, romances, and comedies. I think it's pretty undeniable by the end of The Keepers that they are, and Jean is the nexus of that, White said. She also thinks Sister Cathy was murdered because she knew about Maskells abuse and was going to come forward. We were trying to reconstruct the truth when it had been deliberately hidden or kept secret. She was found dead two months later. The amount of people that have seen The Keepers now is mind-blowing around the world, White said. 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. The letters contents and its link to the case, if any, have never been confirmed by police, though the family turned it over as evidence soon after Radakovic got it. And I no longer need to have validation from others about what I witnessed during the crimes that were committed against me and others., The victim added that the archdiocese of Baltimore has been hiding behind the statute of limitations.. RELATED: 10 Exciting New Netflix Originals Still Coming In 2019. Jean Hargadon Wehner (Jane Doe)The first former student to accuse Father Maskell of sex abuse, she appeared in the 1994 lawsuit as Jane Doe. Wehner said she waited to come forward because she had repressed her memories of the abuse and only recalled them later. In 2013, Facebook page was started by an alum of the school, and more women told of their abuse at the hands of Maskell and others. Joyce MaleckiThe 20-year-old Baltimore woman went missing on Nov. 11, 1969. I think the really special part of The Keepers is that people arespeaking up for a lot of people who didnt survive it. On the evening she disappeared, Sister Cathy was reportedly counseling one of the abused girls when Maskell unexpectedly showed up. [1] Her body was discovered on January 3, 1970, near a garbage dump in the Baltimore suburb of Lansdowne. White describes Radakovic as very brave, very outspoken, very direct and now, I would say, very, very driven to get answers.. The Oldest Irish American Newspaper in USA, Established in 1928, Bonds Between Irish America And Ireland Remain Strong: Survey. She was "Jane Roe" in that ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit. ', He theorized that because there had been no signs of a struggle, 'it looked too clean. ', The cop, who died in 2009, said it was a shame because he was certain the priest 'knew more than he was telling. [7], In 2017, CBS Baltimore reported allegations from three women that during Cesnik's tenure at Archbishop Keough High School, two of the priests, Joseph Maskell and E. Neil Magnus, were sexually abusing the girls at the school in addition to trafficking them to others. There are six survivors showcased in the documentarybut we had many conversationswith other survivors who werent featured in the documentary. I was so drawn to Gemma right when I met her, she had such a unique way. 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 comments below have not been moderated. Beverly WallaceThe attorney for "Jane Doe" and "Jane Roe" in the 1994 lawsuit against Maskell and the archdiocese. What we do know is that the FBIs continuing failure to contribute meaningfully to this case has negatively impacted any chance at an ending to the story. They filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against him, the Baltimore Archdiocese, the sisters who ran the school, and a local gynecologist. Whats worse than considering the fact that A. Joseph Maskell terrorized one community? A retired, unnamed police homicide detective revealed to Nugent that the church authorities had allegedly used influence to impede the police investigation into Sister Cathys murder. If the Archdiocese is willing to blatantly lie about this, what else are they lying about? Also Read: 'The Keepers' Filmmaker: Father Maskell Abused 40 Victims, Not Just the 6 in Netflix's Doc. And now the streaming, seven-part Netflix documentary, The Keepers, has investigated the case and will feature interviews with victims of the school abuse, and new revelations. The series also renewed the investigations into the murders of two women, Sister Cathy Cesnik and Joyce Malecki. Her mutilated remains were found on January 1970 and her murder is still unsolved. Audiences reacted poorly to how cold, smarmy, and arrogant Sharon May appeared to be, and with good reason: they have every reason to believe she was very much involved in a cover-up for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, evident enough from her complete inaction throughout the case. However, the Catholic Church is completely unwilling to share these documents, even though White says he would love for them to be transparent and show the world what they have.. The only evidence that she had been out, were the buns she had bought at the bakery. In addition to the six abuse victims featured in the documentary, director Ryan White told TheWrap there are at least 40 victims in total, some from after Maskell's stint at Keough. There was only the two of us for a long time, so we were really close, Radakovic says. ', 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'. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. In the nearly two months between that discovery and her disappearance, Radakovic, then 20 years old, remained certain her sister was alive somewhere. On the show, we see how long its been taking to get the FBI to honor the requests for documentation under the Freedom of Information Act. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse that may . She had brown hair and brown eyes. Supposedly, according to White and Jean Wehner, the Archdiocese opened an investigation into A. Joseph Maskell, and so, those records should exist. 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. Koob says that he and McKeon went to the movie "Easy Rider" the night of Sister Cathy's disappearance. ", Up Next: Netflix Hidden Gems For Sci-Fi And Fantasy Lovers. 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. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Biden appears confused in bizarre exchange while struggling to explain why he still hasn't visited East Palestine weeks after devastating train derailment - as he heads to Delaware home, 'American aircraft, this is the PLA Air Force': Moment Chinese fighter jet and guided-missile destroyer threaten U.S. reconnaissance plane in heart-stopping confrontation over the South China Sea, Turkey is rocked by powerful 5.5 magnitude earthquake just weeks after it shattered by catastrophe that left 50,000 dead and more than a million homeless. And everything ends with, I want you to do your job. . Also Read: 'The Keepers': What's Behind the Name of the Netflix Documentary Series? 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. 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. (Radakovic was, in many ways, her sisters first student.) For us, our bar was more about bringing these womens experiences to light and starting this conversation.. So we didn't want to set that as our bar, Hargrave said. The grisly case has inspired the Netflix docu-series The Keepers, The beloved nun who was an English and drama teacher at Archbishop Keough High School is believed to have been killed by someone in the church in an attempt to keep her quiet, Like a scene out of a horror movie, the high school junior was driven to a garbage dump by the school's 30-year-old spiritual counselor, Father Joseph Maskell - who died in 2001 - and reportedly told the 16-year-old student: 'You see what happens when you say bad things about people?'. He was accused of sexual abuse and aiding Maskell, and was also named in a 1994 lawsuit. After Maskell died in 2001, the two women decided to go public, using their real names. Sister Cathys battered body - she had been beaten over the head - was discovered off Monumental Avenue, in a Landsdowne, Baltimore County, Maryland, garbage dump by hunters, on January 3, 1970. Hoskins did write about her theory on the killer in her book "Keeping On: How I came To Know Why I Was Born.. Authorities said results will take up to six more weeks. The documentary investigates whether Maskell had. In spite of the Freedom of Information Act, the federal government has continuously neglected to provide Gemma Hoskins with this information. Though White says he included absolutely all the information he knew in the documentary, he did contradict himself later by saying, The project was heavily vetted by lawyers there were times when I believed we knew somebody that was involved in the abuse, but we couldn't include a name for legal reasons. True crime buffs will know that this often happens, that the law tangles everything up in red tape so details like names and dates will be removed from stories. . 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. 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. [12] After obtaining permission from the state's attorney's office, the BCPD exhumed the body of Maskell, who died of a major stroke in 2001, but did not find a DNA match to evidence from the crime scene. She was found dead two months later. I had fond memoriesof the church, but for this, they were so non-participatory with it. Were you impressed with Gemmas investigative skills given that she has no police or journalism experience? She was comfortablewith that the long length of production actuallyhelped her comfort level. But her love is evident, too, for the woman she was so proud to have as her sister. Since then, he's been tracking and investigating the story over the years and is one of the investigators of her death in "The Keepers.". The Baltimore Archdiocese reached a $35,000 settlement with VonDenBosch in 2016. Because no criminal charges were leveled against Maskell, Wehner and Lancaster became plaintiffs in the 1994 lawsuit against Maskell and the archdiocese. Shes so driven to find out what happened to her teacher. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Keepers' Filmmaker: Father Maskell Abused 40 Victims, Not Just the 6 in Netflix's Doc. As police proceeded with their investigation, Father Maskell who was said to have taken a female student to the site where she claimed she saw Sister Cathy's lifeless body came under suspicion. More: Every Original Series Cancelled By Netflix. There are a lot of people that are living that should be behind bars, she said. 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." They have another project scheduled to come out later this year. 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. For the next 47 years, the case went unsolved until now. The Keough priest who allegedly masterminded the sex abuse, Father A. Joseph Maskell, died in 2001 and denied the abuse accusations before his death. There, on the ground, still clad, her face covered with maggots, was the body of Sister Cathy. 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. She moved into an apartment with another nun and was weighing her options. 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. Maskell was never tried or convicted of any crimes, and he died in 2001. Either way, theyre lying and withholding information that would be helpful to the case. ', While the murder of Sister Cathy is in the forefront of the series, White noted that there were other crimes 'happening before and after, and still filter down to today and may be linked to her murder.'. Well, for all the fans with remaining questions, there has been an update in the murder case. The plaintiffs appealed. Sister Catherine 'Cathy' Cesnik, a pretty and popular 26-year-old nun who taught at an all-girls Catholic school in Baltimore, was last seen by her roommate, another nun, going off to shop on the evening of Friday November 7, 1969. 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. v. A. Joseph Maskell et al. 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.. Possibly Missing: 1)An engagement gift 2) $255 cash (minus the rolls and gift?) 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. Nugent reported that three Keough graduates, who each received settlements from the Archdiocese of Baltimore for injuries of $40,000 or more as parties to this case, during the past years have told Inside Baltimore that they were also raped by policemen with the approval of the depraved Father Maskell. So-called Grandma Nancy Drew Gemma Hoskins has spent years asking for the federal case files on Joyce Maleckis murder. RELATED:Netflixs Tiger King: 15 Best Joe Exotic Quotes. I was raised Catholic and I had a very positive experience. Jean claims that Father Maskell took her to Sister Cathy's body and said to her, "See what happens when you say bad things about people.". Whats really funny about Gemma, shes taking criminologyclasses right now which I find hilarious. Catherine Anne Cesnik SSND (born November 17, 1942; disappeared November 7, 1969) was an American Catholic religious sister who taught English and drama at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland. The fall before she died, Cesnik transferred from Keough to a local public school in Baltimore and had asked for a leave of absence from her order. That means Father Maskell was somehow involved. In 1994, two women identified only as 'Jane Doe' and 'Jane Roe' alleged that Maskell had raped them when they were students at Sister Cathy's school. [5] On November 7, 1969, she left the apartment she shared with Helen Russell Phillips at the Carriage House Apartments, at 131 North Bend Road in Catonsville, en route to the Edmondson Village Shopping Center to purchase a gift for her sister's engagement at Hecht's jewelry store. What the show doesnt touch on, however, is Koobs supposed relationship with Sister Cathy. Obviously, the story grew and grew and one of our first access points was Gemma. Sister Joanita (Cathy) requested permission to take a sabbatical from the Order. Maskell was a police chaplain and he knew people in high places that's how they got away with it. Except for that day, she said. One of the most famous pieces of evidence from the show is the cigarette butt shown in episode six, found near Sister Cathys body. 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. Baltimore nun Cathy Cesnik, 26, vanished while out on a shopping trip in November 7, 1969. I told her, everyone is going to recognize you and youregoing to be the worst PIin the world! Look, my mom and my aunt are women in Baltimore, so Gemma in a way is my mom and my aunt shes so much like them, and I hope The Keepers doesnt get relegated to another crime story in Baltimore. In 1994, two victims, known then as Jane Doe and Jane Roe, attempted to sue the Catholic Church and Maskell for alleged abuse, but the case was thrown out because of Marylands statute of limitations. [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. What the show doesnt get into is that the FBI has pushed back the date even further now. Father Maskell was also, for a time, an assistant pastor at St. Clements Church in Landsdowne. 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. And I looked at my husband and I said, Oh my God, Radakovic remembers now. People walked to suicide, people are still hiding and keeping their secrets, and I think all of the survivors recognize the power in numbers. Netflix's documentary series "The Keepers" dives into the case and uncovers a web of abuse. 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. Were you scared of taking on the Catholic Church? The homicide remains unsolved, and for decades Radakovic believed Cesnik was the victim of a wrong place, wrong time crime. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. I was shocked, I was so shocked, Radakovic tells PEOPLE. The idea that he terrorized many, and that the Catholic Church chose not to stop him. Hargadon-Wehner's new book "Walking With Aletheia" details her healing process, and what she's learned from - she says - communicating with several different aspects of her personality. They scared the living hell out of us.'. Several days later, on November 13, 1969, the body of Joyce Malecki, a 20-year-old woman who looked like Wehner, was discovered by two hunters in the same wooded location where Maskell had driven Wehner. 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. She chose not to charge Maskell, saying the case lacked evidence. 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. Information in The Keepers suggests Sister Cathy might have been killed because she found out that priests at Keough were sexually abusing students. But when he was questioned by the police, he had an ironclad alibi for the night of Sister Cathy's disappearance. They have internal records on everyone including A. Joseph Maskell. 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. . Radakovic still tears up when she talks about Cesnik, who died more than 46 years ago. Police dropped him as a target before he died. He worked on the story for the next year and a half, but said in "The Keepers" the archdiocese in Baltimore stonewalled him at every turn. He wrote that the evidence, all circumstantial, shows that Sister Cathy was probably killed because she was ready to blow the whistle on widespread sex abuse at Keough by Father Maskell and others, in the late 1960s. It just means that there's no link between Maskell and the crime scene. 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. He was never charged.