Murder: True Crime Stories - UNSOLVED: Cathy Cesnik 2

Episode Date: December 24, 2024

In the aftermath of Sister Cathy Cesnik's murder in the fall of 1969, a former student believed she knew the killer's identity—a priest from Sister Cathy’s school. Fearing retaliation, she only revealed this information decades later. Authorities are still investigating her shocking allegation, and seeking justice for Sister Cathy's unsolved murder. Murder: True Crime Stories is a Crime House Original. For more, follow us on Tiktok and Instagram @crimehouse To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Crime House. Religion can be a beautiful thing. When times are tough, faith in a higher power can give us hope that life will get better or that there's a higher reason for our suffering. Tragically, there are people out there who will take advantage of that faith for their own ends, to hurt rather than heal, to take the trust placed in them by their community and use it for their own twisted desires. Allegedly, this was happening at Archbishop Keough High

School where Sister Kathy Seznik was teaching in the late 1960s. Multiple students from that time have come forward with accusations of rampant abuse at the school, but while many chose to stay silent, Catherine Seznik was ready to sound the alarm when Kathy learned that her students in Baltimore, Maryland were reportedly being sexually abused by school priests, she was determined to bring an end to it. But before she could, she was murdered. And some believe that she was killed in order to cover up the truth of what went on behind closed doors at Archbishop

Keough High School. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon, and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy and this is Murder True Crime Stories, a Crime House original. Every Tuesday I'll explore the story of a notorious murder or murders. At Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible.

Please support us by rating, reviewing, and following Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly matters. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad-free, and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two-part series, you'll get access to both at once, plus exciting bonus content. Before we get started, you should know this episode includes discussions of murder,

child molestation, and sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised. This is the second of two episodes on the murder of a 27-year-old nun named Catherine Seznick. In late 1969, Cathy went out for an errand and never came back. Two months later, in January 1970, she was found dead at a Baltimore area landfill. Last time, I covered Kathy's disappearance, the discovery of her body, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. I also told you about another young Baltimore woman who was murdered just days after Kathy

went missing. Today, I'll dive into the scandal that may have led to Kathy's death. I'll also let you know where the case stands today, more than 50 years later. All that and more, coming up. This episode is brought to you by HelloFresh. Be honest, between meetings, workout classes, and the kids' clubs, who's got time to cook? That's where HelloFresh comes in. No matter how busy you get, HelloFresh makes it easy to get a home-cooked meal on the table. With flavor-packed recipes like crispy chicken parmigiana, you'll be filling your kitchen with the cozy aromas of a homemade meal in no time

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Try it today and get up to $75 in PC Optimum Points. Visit Superstore.ca to get started. In 1970, 27-year-old Kathy Saznik was found dead at a landfill outside of Baltimore, Maryland. After detectives found her body, they desperately searched for her killer. In the first few years after Kathy's murder, police looked into several suspects, but they all had solid alibis. Without any credible leads, Kathy's case grew cold. It stayed that way for almost 25 years, until 1994, when an unnamed woman approached the authorities.

She said she might know who killed Kathy, and it all stemmed from Kathy's time as a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School. When the all-girls school opened its doors in 1965, it was a shining light within Baltimore's Catholic community. With its academic resources, state-of-the-art equipment, and pristine athletic fields, parents rushed to enroll their daughters at Archbishop Keough. Getting in was a challenge of its own. With so much competition, Archbishop Keough required interested students to take an entrance

exam. From there, administrators whittled down the pool of applicants and selected the best fits. One of the girls who made the cut was 14-year-old Jean Wehner. Jean was the fourth of ten children. Her parents were devout Catholics, and all seven of her brothers served as altar boys at their neighborhood church. While the Wainers seemed like one big happy family, Jean's childhood was marred by trauma. As a young girl, one of her uncles had sexually abused her. And although the abuse had long since stopped by the time she enrolled at Archbishop Keough

in 1967, she still carried the anguish with her. Jean never told anyone what happened, and like so many survivors of abuse, she was plagued by feelings of guilt. She was still trying to come to terms with everything when she finally decided to confide in someone she trusted. While most of the teachers at Archbishop Keough were nuns like Kathy was, there were also some priests who worked there. Father Joseph Maskell was the school's chaplain and counselor, and Father Neil Magnus led the school's Christian education curriculum. One day in 1967,

Gene went to the confessional booth at the school's chapel. Father Neil Magnus sat on the other side of the privacy screen. After working up the courage, Jean told Father Magnus what her uncle had done to her. Tragically, Jean felt like it was somehow her fault, and she asked the priest for forgiveness. According to Jean, Father Magnus didn't give it to her. Instead, he used Jean's trauma against her. He told her he would pray and consider whether or not God would forgive her. A few weeks later, Father Magnus called Jean into his office.

He locked the door behind her. Then he told Jean she could free herself of her sins if she performed sexual acts with him. Jean was only 14 years old. She completely trusted Father Magnus. Not only did he work at her school, but he was also a priest. If he told her this was the way to move past her abuse, she believed he must be right. Now before we get any further, it's important to note that neither Father Magnus nor Father

Maskell were ever formally charged with sexual assault. But Jean claims that from that day forward, Father Magnus continued to sexually assault her while she was a student at Archbishop Keough. And tragically, he reportedly wasn't her only abuser. Before long, Father Magnus was joined by Father Maskell. Not only was Father Maskell the school's chaplain, but he also served as a chaplain for the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland National Guard, and the Air National Guard. His brother, Tommy Maskell, was a respected police officer.

According to Jean, both Father Magnus and Father Maskell sexually assaulted her that day. Eventually, she says Father Maskell became her primary abuser, forcing her to perform sexual acts for him and other men. Even worse, Jean was apparently just one of many victims. In the halls of Archbishop Kehoe, students whispered in fear about Father Magnus and Father Maskell. When someone was called into one of their offices, the girls would fall silent and exchange sorrowful glances.

If any teachers were aware, no one seemed to be doing much about it, but according to Jean and other students, Sister Cathy was different. On the last day of Jean's sophomore year, the 15-year-old dashed back inside a classroom to retrieve a book. Kathy happened to be inside, and she asked Jean how she was doing. Jean told her, not well. Kathy had expressed her suspicions about the abuse to Jean before, but the young girl hadn't been ready to talk

about it. This time she was. When Cathy asked directly if a priest was making her do something she didn't want to do, Jean nodded her head. Jean saw the anger in Cathy's eyes. Before Jean left the classroom, Cathy vowed she would do something about it, and it seems like she was serious about it. In the years after Kathy's murder in late 1969, several other students who said they

were taken advantage of by Father Magnus and Father Maskell came forward. Many of them said they had similar conversations with Kathy. One of these students was a girl named Kathy Hobeck. Sister Kathy left Archbishop Keough in the summer of 1969, but the two of them stayed in touch. On November 5, 1969, Hobeck went to visit Kathy at her new apartment. While Hobek was there, Kathy asked how things were going at Archbishop Keough. Hobek knew she was referring to the abuse, and she told Kathy it was still going on.

Before Hobek left Kathy's apartment that day, the nun assured her former student that she would help. But Kathy Hobek wasn't the only student who was still confiding in Kathy. The next day, November 6th, another girl who chose to remain anonymous visited Sister Kathy. According to the student, while she was at Kathy's apartment, Father Magnus and Father Maskell showed up at her door. They seemed angry with Kathy, but before the student could hear what they had to say, Kathy told the student to leave. Kathy was reported missing. in Ontario. Experience A&W's classic breakfast on finishes. Dyson On Track. Headphones remastered. Buy from

DysonCanada.ca. With ANC on, performance may vary based on environmental conditions and usage. Accessories sold separately. In November 1969, 15-year-old Jean Wehner had no idea that her former teacher, Sister Kathy Seznick, was missing. According to Jean, the person who told her was her own abuser, a priest at her school, Father Neil Magnus. Jean was distraught when she found out later that month after Kathy had been missing for a few weeks. According to Jeanne, Father Magnus said he knew where Kathy was and offered to take Jeanne

to go see her. She felt like she couldn't say no. Jeanne claims she and Father Magnus got into his car in late November and he drove them to a wooded area outside of Baltimore. After he parked, Jean followed him outside into the forest. Jean trailed behind him as they continued deeper into the woods. Eventually she says he stopped in front of a pile of what looked like leaves and dirt. But as Jean got closer, she realized she was looking at Cathy's dead body. In a detail that would become important down the road,

Jean noticed the remains were covered in maggots, indicating that Cathy had been dead for a while. Then Jean claimed Father Maskell leaned over to her and said, Do you see what happens when you say bad things about people? Unfortunately Father Maskell got what he wanted. The experience was enough to keep Gene quiet for years, long after she graduated from Archbishop Keough. And intimidating Jean into silence may have helped Father Maskell in more ways than one. Some believe he may have had another victim. Because it turned out, Father Maskell also likely knew Joyce Malachy,

the 20-year-old woman who was found murdered just days after Kathy's disappearance. From 1966 to 1967, Father Maskell served as a priest at the St. Clement Church in Lansdowne, the Baltimore suburb where the Malachy family went to mass. During that time, Joyce and her siblings attended week-long retreats at the church. And while Joyce wasn't a student at Archbishop Keough, her family regularly donated to the school. The 1968-69 Keough Yearbook even refers to the Malachy family by name on its patrons page.

Which is all to say, it's entirely possible Father Maskell and Joyce crossed paths on multiple occasions, and when it came to Sister Cathy's murder, there was another connection there as well. Her body was found at the Lansdowne landfill, which is less than a mile from St. Clement Church. According to one investigator assigned to the case, the person who dumped Kathy's body would have been very familiar with the area. It was a difficult location to get to in the day, let alone in the dark, like the night Kathy disappeared. However,

nobody at the time was making a connection between Father Maskell and the two murders. While newspapers noted the similarities between what happened to Kathy and Joyce, no one believed a priest may have been involved. The students who did were too terrified of Father Maskell to come forward about Kathy's murder or his abuse. But eventually, Jean Weiner was ready to talk about what she saw in those woods. By 1992, 38-year-old Jean was happily married with kids. That year, she ran into a fellow Archbishop Keough graduate. They got to talking about their upcoming high school reunion, and Jean couldn't understand why she

felt reluctant to go. After a lot of reflection, all of the horrible memories came flooding back. Jean realized that in the years since graduating from Archbishop Keough, she had dealt with her trauma in the only way she knew how, by repressing all memories of Father Magnus and Father Maskle. But now the floodgates were open and Jean wasn't going to let them close. As she came to terms with the abuse she says she experienced as a teenager, Jean started to worry about all the other children who may have been hurt by Father Magnus and Father Maskell. She looked into the two priests and learned that Father Magnus had died in 1988. Father Maskell, on the other hand, had stayed at Archbishop Keough

until 1975. After that, he continued to work at various parishes. By 1992, when Gene was looking into him, Father Maskell was regularly leading mass at Baltimore's Holy Cross Parish. Again, Father Maskell was never charged with sexually assaulting Gene, but she hated that he was still out there, continuing with his life unscathed. Meanwhile, she dealt with years of trauma because of him. She was determined to not let it go on any longer. Later in 1992, Jean filed a complaint against Father Maskell with the Baltimore Archdiocese. Father Maskell was placed on temporary leave from the Holy Cross Parish while the Archdiocese

investigated Gene's allegations. In the end, they weren't able to corroborate Gene's story and Father Maskell was quickly reinstated at Holy Cross. Still, Gene continued to seek justice. That's when she decided to go public with her accusations against Father Maskell. Jean spoke to reporters about the abuse she suffered and her theory about Father Maskell's involvement in Cathy's murder. She also went to the authorities and told them Father Maskell had shown her Kathy's

body. The police wanted to help, but they were unable to verify Gene's allegations, especially when it came to Kathy's murder. They pointed to inconsistencies in a few key details, one of them being the maggots Gene claimed to see around the remains. Authorities noted that when Cathy went missing in November 1969, it would have been too cold for the bugs to be active. However, archival weather reports show it was unseasonably warm at that time, which

means Jean could have remembered it correctly. And yet, when she came forward with her accusations, nobody realized that. So she had to take her claims elsewhere. This time, she decided to fight in civil court. Ahead of the trial, Jean's lawyers told her that they couldn't rely on her word alone. She needed corroborating witnesses, people who had also endured abuse at the hands of Father Maskell. So in 1993, Jean's lawyers put out an ad in the local papers asking Father Maskell's

victims to come forward. Meanwhile, Jean contacted other Archbishop Keough alumni. She wanted to know if anyone else had been abused while attending the school. The response was overwhelming. Dozens of people contacted Jean and her lawyers to say they were either aware of the sexual abuse happening at Archbishop Keough or were sexually abused themselves. Many claim that Father Maskell wasn't the only one perpetuating it. They said he would bring in influential members of the community to take part in the horrors. People like police officers, other priests, local business owners, even local politicians. One of the women who responded to Jean's inquiries was a fellow Archbishop Keough alum

named Theresa Lancaster. In 1994, two years after Jean came forward with her allegations, the two women filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against Father Maskell, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and several other defendants. Jean and Teresa used the pseudonyms Jane Doe and Jane Roe. Although Jean and Teresa were now past the statute of limitations on sexual assault for civil cases, the judge held a hearing to see if Gene's repressed memories constituted an exception. The court said it didn't, which meant the case couldn't move forward. While Gene and Teresa had to put their fight against Father Maskell on hold, they were still determined to expose

him. And in the meantime, even more evidence of Father Maskell's abuse emerged. And this time, it seemed like he might finally pay for what he'd done. With Uber Reserve, good things come to those who plan ahead. Family vacay? Reserve your ride as soon as you book your flights. To all the planners, now you can reserve your Uber ride up to 90 days in advance. See Uber app for details. Sure, I could tell you winter's coming or that it brings cold, dry air, but you already knew that. at for details. and sulfate free. No matter how dry your skin feels, Dove has you covered. Buy Dove Body Wash

today at your local retailer or visit Dove.ca to learn more and order online. In 1994, the same year Gene Wehner and Teresa Lancaster filed their lawsuit against Father Maskell, a man named William Story approached the authorities. William told police that back in 1990, he was a groundskeeper at the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Holy Cross Cemetery. His boss at the time was Father Maskell, and one day he asked William for a favor. He wanted William to dig a hole in the back part of the cemetery. Now this wasn't a regular burial pit.

William said this hole was about 10 by 20 feet long, large enough to hold an SUV. Once William finished, Father Maskell left the cemetery. He returned with a pickup truck filled with plastic-wrapped boxes. Father Maskell dumped the boxes inside, then asked William to refill the hole. But when Father Maskell wasn't looking, William peeked inside one of the boxes. Through the plastic wrapping, he could see they were filled with documents. He looked more closely and saw they were the psychological records of various men and women. When William read about the accusations against Father Maskell in 1994, a light bulb went off in his head. Some of the articles about Father

Maskell's abuse noted the psychological tactics he may have employed on his victims. William wondered if those boxes held information that Father Maskell had used to manipulate his victims. As soon as William had this realization, he went to the police. But by the time the boxes were dug up, almost all of the documents were waterlogged and mostly unreadable. Ultimately, none of the legal efforts against Father Maskell were successful. He maintained his innocence until 2001, when he died of a stroke at age 62. Any secrets he may have kept about the abuse or Kathy Seznick's murder went to the grave with him.

But Kathy was beloved by so many, and although Father Maskell was gone, Kathy's family and friends remained determined to find answers about her murder. In 2013, two of Kathy's former students, Gemma Hoskins and Abby Schaub, created a Facebook group. It was titled, Justice for Catherine Seznick and Joyce Malachy. The group remains an active forum to discuss theories about the two cases and keep the investigations alive. Throughout the years, Gemma and Abby have received several messages from people claiming

to know the identity of Kathy's killer. A woman named Debbie Yown believes her own uncle, Edgar Davidson, was responsible for Kathy's murder. According to Debbie, her aunt told her a very suspicious story about Edgar. Her aunt said that on the evening of November 7, 1969, the night Kathy went missing, Edgar came home at 9.30 pm. His white shirt was covered in blood. When Debbie's aunt asked why, he brushed it off, saying he had gotten a scuffle with

his boss and was punched in the nose. That Christmas, Edgar gifted Debbie's aunt a necklace with what looked like a wedding bell and a small green gem inside. Debbie's aunt was surprised. It wasn't the kind of gift Edgar could afford, nor did it hold any special significance to their relationship. But maybe it wasn't purchased with Debbie's aunt in mind at all. The night Kathy disappeared, she'd gone out to get her sister a gift for her upcoming

wedding. And the green stone in this necklace looked a lot like Peridot, the birthstone of Cathy's future brother-in-law. Debbie wondered if maybe Cathy had found a gift for her sister on that fateful November night and this was a token from the crime scene. While Debbie's story relies on a lot of circumstantial evidence, investigators aren't ruling anything out. It's not clear if they looked into Debbie's theory, but they have reinvestigated Kathy's

case several times. In February 2017, police exhumed Father Maskell's body. They wanted to cross-check his DNA against evidence collected more than 50 years ago when Cathy was murdered. His DNA wasn't a match for the forensic evidence collected from the crime scene, but investigators noted this doesn't rule him out as a suspect. Given the incompleteness of the sample and the time that had passed since it was collected, it's still possible that he was involved.

And more recently, in December 2023, the FBI exhumed the body of Joyce Malachy to see if they could determine any connections to Father Maskell or Kathy's murder. As of this recording, they haven't announced their findings. But neither case is closed. While police continue to explore possible leads in Kathy's murder case, there has been justice for those who claimed they were abused by Father Maskell. Although the organization was never formally charged with aiding Father Maskell's alleged abuse, in 2016 the Archdiocese of Baltimore agreed to a nearly $500,000 settlement with

16 of Maskell's possible victims. And in October 2023, a new law went into effect in Maryland. The Child Victims Act removed the statute of limitations for survivors of child sex abuse in the state. Because Father Maskell is dead, Jean Wehner and Teresa Lancaster cannot re-file their civil suit against him, but at least now, other survivors of abuse can finally get justice. And there are many survivors out there.

Last year, the Maryland Attorney General's Office released a report detailing the horrifying scope of sexual abuse within the archdiocese of Baltimore. Although parts of the report are redacted because of ongoing lawsuits, the report details a pattern of abuse and cover-ups. It names over 150 clergy people accused of perpetrating or covering up abuse in Maryland. Father Maskell is one of the priests named in the report. At least 39 people have accused him of abusing them or someone that they know. Kathy's loved ones hope the findings might provide more information about her murder. We may never know for sure why Kathy Saznik was killed or who her murderer was, but her students are devoted to figuring it out.

Inspired by Kathy's kindness and bravery, they are continuing the fight. And one day, they just might help solve the mystery of her death. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is Murder True Crime Stories. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Crime House on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review, and follow Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts.

Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free, and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two-part series, you'll get access to both at once. Plus exciting bonus content. We'll be back next Tuesday. Murder True Crime Stories, a Crime House original podcast powered by PAVE Studios, is executive

produced by Max Cutler. This episode of Murder True Crime Stories was directed and produced by Ron Shapiro, written by Morgan O'Hanlon, edited by Natalie Pertsofsky, fact-checked by Sarah Tartuffe, sound designed by Russell Nash, and included production assistance from Sarah Carroll. Murder True Crime Stories is hosted by Carter Roy.