Marc Hoover

If you are into watching murder mysteries, then Netflix has the perfect one for you. After the “Making a Murderer” documentary, Netflix has a new series called ‘The Keepers.” The series is about the unsolved homicide of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a popular nun who taught English at Seton Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland. On November 7, 1969, Sister Cesnik had left her apartment to buy an engagement gift for her sister. She would disappear. On January 3, 1970, Cesnik’s body was found in a desolate area in Baltimore.

Marc Hoover

The series has many twist and turns and is a real mystery. Nearly 50 years ago, the homicide remains unsolved. Former students and colleagues make up most of the people interviewed for the documentary. The belief is that there was a connection between Cesnik’s homicide and allegations of sexual abuse in the school.

A priest named Father Maskell is in the middle of the investigation. It was alleged that he had molested and raped several students while at the school. Based on commentary, a student had confided in Cesnik about sexual abuse within the school. After Cesnik said she would address the allegations, she would be murdered. Was the homicide committed by someone she knew or was it a random killing?

Anyone viewing the documentary will believe there must be a connection between the homicide and sexual allegations. I don’t find this shocking. Several years ago, thousands of students who attended Catholic schools claimed they were abused by deviant priests. The Catholic Church has since shelled out millions in legal fees and settlements to victims.

One former student claimed that a priest named Father Joseph Maskell had taken her to the body of Sister Cesnik after the homicide. The student claimed the priest saw the nun’s decomposing body and wiped away maggots from Cesnik’s face. Maskell then warned her that this is what happened to people who speak badly of others. The student said she was too terrified to mention the incident again and had suppressed it for years. This isn’t surprising as the woman was a child when the murder occurred.

Police disbelieved the girl’s story about seeing the body. They claim it was too cold for maggots to have appeared on the dead body. However, the autopsy stated otherwise and said the insects were found on the body as the temperature was in the ‘60s when the body was found.

The documentary also has videotape conversations and witness testimony that place the blame on some locals. The alleged killer supposedly committed suicide because of his conscience. The witnesses who provide testimony are credible. Many are former students who knew the deceased nun and respected her. They had no reason to lie or anything to gain by making false statements.

If you want to know more, I would advise you to watch the documentary. There are so many stories and a wide assortment of characters with interesting stories. It’s even mentioned that local police knew of the abuse and were involved. Of course most of this was alleged. One witness claimed that Father Maskell was an evil man and the church could have stopped him and prevented much of the abuse had they removed Maskell in 1967.

Instead the church turned a blind eye and transferred him.

While watching this documentary, it felt like a Hollywood murder mystery. Unfortunately, the death of Sister Cesnik was real. It’s obvious she wasn’t a random victim of a botched robbery or a bad drug deal. Her killer had a reason for wanting her dead.

Marilyn Cesnik, who was Cathy’s younger sister is also in the documentary. She carries a heavy burden. She loved her sister and continues to be haunted by her homicide. She continues waiting for Baltimore authorities to officially solve this case. Sadly, many key players are all deceased and there doesn’t appear to be any obvious genetic evidence that points to a specific killer. I highly recommend this program. It has everything: murder, mystery, criminal activity, and a priest who appears to be the evil villain.

Marc is a grandparent and longtime resident of Clermont County. Visit his author page Life with Grandpa and his blog Wise Grandpa.