•  CASE STUDIES
   by Leon Podles
• Philip Anthony Magaldi
• Peter Kramer
• Donald Matthew Osgood
• Canon N.
• Clive Lynn
• Edward Donelan
  
•  MURDER CASE STUDIES
   by Leon Podles
• Joseph J. Pilger
• Michael Mack
• John Patrick Kerrigan
• Alfred J. Kunz
• Reynaldo Rivera
• Irene Garza
• Patrick Ryan
• John J. Geoghan
• Ryan Erickson

The Murder of Rev. John J. Geoghan

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Murder in the Prison

 

In 1978 the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts held that protected inmates had the right to socialize with one another. Governor Dukakis threw all prisoners together, with predictable results. The problems that this caused led Massachusetts to begin to reconstruct a series of separate prisons and segregation units.119 Fox Butterfield, “Prison Policy Put Priest in Unit with His Killer, Experts Say,” New York Times, August 29, 2003. But this process did not occur fast enough and thoroughly enough to save Geoghan.

 

Child abusers, known as skinners, are targeted in prison by both guards and other prisoners.120Ted Conover, “Prisoners of Hate,” New York Times, August 28, 2003. Prisoners need someone to look down upon in order to maintain some self-respect. Geoghan was sent to a medium security prison, MCI-Concord. There the guards and other prisoners did not treat him with the tenderness that he had grown accustomed to receiving from the archbishops of Boston. Guards called him Satan and Lucifer. He said his bed was urinated on and defecated on. Fellow prisoners claimed that Geoghan was targeted by a guard121Franci Richardson, “Out for Him: Inmate: Guard Bullied Geoghan,” Boston Herald, September 15, 2003. and a later report said that Geoghan was harassed.122Pam Belluck, “Inquiry Lists Prison System Errors in Case of Slain Priest,” New York Times, February 4, 2004. He complained, was marked down as a troublesome prisoner, and after thirteen months in Concord was sent to a high security prison.123Boston Globe, August 28. The superintendent decided to do this, although he thereby acted against the unanimous vote of the administrative board which wished to keep Geoghan at MCI-Concord for his own safety.124Eric Convey, Robin Washington, and Franci Richardson, “Priest Placed in Peril: State Ignored Warnings in Transferring Geoghan,” Boston Herald, August 27, 2003.

 

The maximum security prison, Souza-Baranowski, in Shirley, Massachusetts, was blanketed by 366 cameras; the ever-present eye tended to keep down misbehavior among both guards and prisoners, and Geoghan felt secure. He wrote that “the unit is run strictly. There is more isolation than Concord but for greater security.”125Letter from John Geoghan to [redacted], May 6 [2003]. See Thomas Farragher, “Behind Walls, Trouble Built to a Brutal End,” Boston Globe, December 2, 2003. Demeaning remarks by guards were minimal and usually not addressed to him.

 

Druce had been in the prison at Walpole but complained to corrections officials that he had enemies there and needed to be protected. In late May 2003, he was transferred to the protective custody unit in Shirley.126Michael S. Rosenwald and Stephen Kurkjian, “Monthlong Plot to Kill Geoghan,” Boston Globe, August 26, 2003. Prison officials decided to place in the cell next to John Geoghan, convicted pedophile, the homophobic, neo-Nazi murderer, John Druce, who was then thirty-seven years old. This unit contained child murderers and a lay employee of the Boston Archdiocese, Christopher Reardon, who had molested at least 250 boys.127Franci Richardson and Maggie Mulvihill, “Geoghan Feared Two Guards,” Boston Herald, August 30, 2002. For Reardon’s crimes, see Leon J. Podles, Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church (Baltimore: Crossland Press, 1980) pp. 178-180. It was a volatile combination.

 

When Geoghan was at Concord, he watched his picture appear on television as an example of all that was wrong with the Catholic Church. A fellow inmate reported that Geoghan would profess his innocence and dismiss the news with remarks such as “They’re making up stories.”128Thomas Farragher, “In Death, Geoghan Triggers Another Crisis,” Boston Globe, November 30, 2003. He derided his accusers as participants in a “money scheme” who had “come out of the woodwork.”129Thomas Farragher, “Behind Walls, Trouble Built to a Brutal End,” Boston Globe, December 2, 2003. Druce told Geoghan that Geoghan’s was costing the archdiocese of Boston $10 million. “I’m worth $20 million,” Geoghan replied.130“Geoghan Killer Druce Recalls Confrontation,” Boston Herald, January 24, 2006. Druce overheard Geoghan talking about his appeal plans (which Geoghan was confident would succeed) and about his plans to go to South America after getting out of prison to work as a missionary with children.131Denise Lavoie, “Inmate Says Arrogant Geoghan Angered Him,” The Colombian, January 23, Druce wrote that he heard conversations between sex offenders in which they showed “no remorse, only gloating and reminissing [sic] over past crimes.”132Sean P. Murphy, “Letter Says Druce Was Abused as Boy,” Boston Globe, September 13, 2003. Druce claimed that he heard Geoghan talking to other inmates about the best way to molest small children (“digital penetration”133Gary V. Murray, “Druce Testifies about Abused Past,” Worcester Telegram and Telegraph, January 21, 2006.). That comment was the trigger, according to Druce. Druce said that digital penetration had been part of the abuse he suffered at the Lakeland School.134Gary V. Murray, “Druce Testifies about Abused Past,” Worcester Telegram and Telegraph, January 21, 2006. He then decided to avenge the 150 children that Geoghan had molested and to make sure that Geoghan would never molest another child.

 

Druce said he wanted to get out of the protective custody unit and sent back to Walpole prison or to a federal prison. He discussed with other inmates the possibility of staging a fake hostage scene. Druce had been in solitary confinement from August 6 until August 21, 2003, for fighting with another prisoner; he used the time to plot the murder. He returned to cell number 21, thirty yards from Geoghan’s cell number 2.

 

The maximum unit was staffed by two guards. On August 23, 2003, one guard opened at 11:48 a. m. to let the prisoners out to return their lunch trays; they had four minutes to do that and return to their cells. The other guard had left the unit to accompany a nurse on her rounds; this often happened. During those four minutes, Druce followed Geoghan into Geoghan’s cell, explaining that there was something he didn’t like with his coffee and he wanted to exchange it with Geoghan.135Michael S. Rosenwald and Stephen Kurkjian, “Monthlong Plot to Kill Geoghan,” Boston Globe, August 26, 2003.  The door of Geoghan’s cell locked automatically. Druce had a cut-up book, The Cross and the Switchblade,136Franci R. Ellement, “Court Hears the Details of Geoghan’s Murder,” Boston Globe, January 12, 2006. The Cross and the Switchblade, by David Wilkerson, is about how a Pentecostal minister converted gang members in New York. which he stuffed into the closed door of Geoghan’s cell so that the door could not be opened from the outside. He tied Geoghan’s hands behind his back with a T-shirt, but Geoghan did not scream for help, because Druce persuaded him the actions were all part of a staged hostage ruse.137Michael S. Rosenwald and Stephen Kurkjian, “Monthlong Plot to Kill Geoghan,” Boston Globe, August 26, 2003; Franci R. Ellement, “Court Hears the Details of Geoghan’s Murder,” Boston Globe, January 12, 2006. Druce tied stretched gym socks around Geoghan’s neck and used a sneaker as a garrote to tighten the socks around the neck of the 68-year-old, 130 lb. Geoghan. According to Druce, this is what was said:
            Geoghan: “It doesn’t have to end like this.”
            Druce: “Your days are over. No more children for you, pal.”138Michael S. Rosenwald and Stephen Kurkjian, “Monthlong Plot to Kill Geoghan,” Boston Globe, August 26, 2003; Franci R. Ellement, “Court Hears the Details of Geoghan’s Murder,” Boston Globe, January 12, 2006.Thomas Farragher, “In Death, Geoghan Triggers Another Crisis,” Boston Globe, November 30, 2003.

 

Druce tightened the socks until he saw blood coming out of Geoghan’s nose and ears.139“Office: Inmate Boaster of Geoghan Killing,” Boston Globe, September 10, 2005. As Geoghan lay on the floor, Druce repeatedly jumped off the cot on him, breaking his ribs and puncturing his lungs. Druce also had a razor and intended to make sure that Geoghan would never be able to have sex with a child again even if he survived the assault.140Gary V. Murray, “Officer Says Druce Boasted about Killing,” Worcester Telegram and Telegraph, September 10, 2005. Another inmate saw the attack and called for a guard; the guards forced the door open with a crowbar at 12:07 p. m.. Druce had been alone with Geoghan for only about ten minutes. Geoghan’s face and head were purple; he was not breathing and had no pulse; he was taken to the Leominster hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:17 p.m.

 

Druce considered himself a hero.  He told the guards, “I just saved your kids from being raped.”141Al Guart, “Perv Rev’s Strangler a Hero in His Own Sick and Evil Mind,” New York Post, August 31, 2003. From being nothing he would now be famous; he told guards that now the pope would know him.142“Officer: Inmate Boaster of Geoghan Killing,” Boston Globe, September 10, 2005. What Druce did was to make it harder to expose the malefactors in the Boston archdiocese.143Paul Schindler, “Yet Another Victim: John J. Geoghan, priest at center of Catholic scandal, slain in prison, “Gay City News, 29 August – 4 September 2003:  “In monitoring the unfolding sex abuse scandal, Erickson keeps in close touch with Daniel Shea, a gay attorney from Houston who has represented a number of sex abuse victims in central Massachusetts. Contacted about the Geoghan killing, Shea forwarded a copy of a subpoena that he served in July in a civil lawsuit alleging that George Rueger, an auxiliary bishop in the Worcester diocese, raped Sime J. Braio in 1964 when the accuser was 14. Shea explained that the subpoena, served on an official of the Boston archdiocese, clearly signaled his effort to link Rueger and Geoghan to a beach house in Scituate, a south shore suburb of Boston, where Braio alleges the abuse took place. The archdiocese succeeded in quashing the subpoena and Shea said his next move was to depose Geoghan directly on the matter, an option now foreclosed.” Geoghan had been convicted of only one count of child molestation. At the time of his death, he was appealing his conviction. If an appellant dies during an appeal, the conviction is vacated. The court has therefore declared John Geoghan not guilty.144Theo Emery, “Ex Priest’s Geoghan’s Conviction Vacated,” Duluth News Tribune, September 26, 2003.

 

After pleading not guilty to murdering Geoghan, Druce left the courtroom shouting “let’s keep the kid’s safe. Hold pedophiles accountable for their actions.” Prisoners waiting nearby cheered and chanted, “Druce, Druce, Druce.”145Sean P. Murphy, “‘Keep the Kids Safe,’ Druce Shouts in Court,” Boston Globe, September 20, 2003.  Another day Druce left the courtroom shouting, “”God save all the innocent kids.”146Gary V. Murray, “Druce Testifies about Abused Past,” Worcester Telegram and Telegraph, January 21, 2006. Druce was convicted of first degree murder and faces solitary confinement. After hearing the verdict, Druce said he accepted the punishment but added: “Hold the pedophiles accountable, as well as myself.”147Denise Lavoie, “Druce Guilty in Slaying of Pedophile Priest,” AP, January 25, 2006. As a bizarre footnote to the murder, two pirated videos appeared. One was from a security camera in the prison. It showed the guards trying to open the door to Geoghan’s cell and then dragging Druce out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjkHXDtoXAo). The other was from a camera that somehow had been smuggled into the prison. It showed Druce enthusiastically pantomiming his murder of Geoghan (Michele McPhee, “Druce Attorney, DA Seek Copies of Macabre Tape,” Boston Herald, August 30, 2005).

 

For those who believe in an afterlife and a judgment and have doubts about Geoghan’s fate, Msgr. John Jenik of the South Bronx has offered a cheerful prognosis: “I mentioned him [Geoghan] in my homily at Mass Sunday and used the word ‘horrific’ to describe him. But I also said that forgiveness is extended to one and all including Hitler and Stalin because it is the church position that all will be saved.”148“Few Tears Are Shed,” New York Newsday, August 26, 2003. Jenik did not identify his source for his belief in universal salvation.

 

Archbishop Julian Herranz of the Vatican offered a more mature perspective: “We Christians must pray for the souls of the deceased. We cannot judge souls; that is the prerogative of God. This does not, in any way, mean justifying sin. We cannot ignore sin. The world does that too often and too easily…The greater the sin, the greater the need for our prayers, especially when it involves people in the Church.”149Meghan Dorney, “Former Priest John Geoghan Murdered in Prison,” Boston Pilot, August 29, 2003.

 

 

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Footnotes

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Learn more about the Crossland Foundation and what it is doing at www.crosslandfoundation.org