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This article is about the U.S. TV show. For other uses, see The Keeper (disambiguation) and Keepers (disambiguation).

The Keepers
Promotional poster
Genre	Documentary
Based on	Murder of Catherine Cesnik
Directed by	Ryan White
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	7
Production
Executive producers	Ryan White Jessica Hargrave Josh Braun Ben Cotner Jason Spingarn-Koff Lisa Nishimura Matthew Goldberg Brandon Carroll
Production locations	Baltimore, Maryland
Cinematography	David Jacobson John Benam
Editors	Kate Amend Mark Harrison Helen Kearns
Production companies	Film 45 Tripod Media
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	May 19, 2017

The Keepers is a seven-episode American documentary series that explores the unsolved murder of nun Catherine Cesnik in 1969.

Overview

Catherine Cesnik taught English and drama at Baltimore's all-girls Archbishop Keough High School, and her former students believe that there was a cover-up by authorities after she suspected that a priest at the high school, A. Joseph Maskell, was guilty of sexually abusing students.^[1][2] The series was directed by Ryan White and released on Netflix in 2017.^[3][4][5]

Cast

• Gemma Hoskins – former student and investigator
• Abbie Fitzgerald Schaub – former student and investigator
• Joseph Maskell – former priest and counselor
• Jean Hargadon Wehner (a.k.a. Jane Doe) – former student
• Teresa Lancaster (a.k.a. Jane Roe) – former student
• Randy Lancaster – Teresa Lancaster's husband
• Donna Von Den Bosch – former student
• Juliana Farrell – former student
• Deb Silcox – former student
• Lil Hughes – former student
• Chris Centofanti – former student
• Mary Spence – former student
• Marilyn Cesnik Radakovic – Sister Catherine's sister
• Gerry Koob – former priest and Sister Catherine's former boyfriend
• Tom Nugent – journalist and writer for the Baltimore City Paper
• Bob Erlandson – journalist
• Beverly Wallace – attorney for former students
• Alan Horn – investigator
• John Barnold – former captain, Baltimore City Police Department
• James Scannell – former captain, Baltimore County Police Department
• Brian Schwaab – former detective, Baltimore City Police Department
• Gary Childs – detective, Baltimore County Police
• Sharon A. H. May – former State's Attorney for Baltimore City
• Edgar Davidson – possible suspect in the murder of sister Catherine
• Deborah Yohn – Davidson's niece, who suspects her uncle's involvement in the murders based on anecdotes from her aunt, who is referred to as "Margaret" in the series.
• Sharon Schmidt – daughter of Ronnie Schmidt and niece of Billy Schmidt, who suspects the involvement of both men in the murders.
• Barbara Schmidt – mother of Sharon Schmidt, former wife of Ronnie Schmidt and sister-in-law to Billy Schmidt, who suspects the involvement of her husband and brother-in-law in the murders.
• C. T. Wilson – Maryland state delegate
• Charles Franz – former student at St. Clement's Church
• Werner Spitz, MD – forensic pathologist

Episodes

No.	Title	Original release date
1	"The Murder"	May 19, 2017
Hoskins and Schaub investigate the disappearances and deaths of Sister Cathy Cesnik and Joyce Malecki in November 1969.
2	"The School"	May 19, 2017
The episode reveals allegations of abuse at Archbishop Keough High School, and the personal stories of "Jane Doe" (Jean Hargadon Wehner) and other women at the school. Wehner discusses the day after the murder that Father Maskell took her to see the body of Sister Catherine Cesnik in nearby Lansdowne, Maryland.
3	"The Revelation"	May 19, 2017
In 1992, Wehner faces the abuse she endured at Keough, allegedly at the hands of Father Maskell and other men he knew (including someone known as "Brother Bob"), as well as the threat that frightened her into silence.
4	"The Burial"	May 19, 2017
In 1994, two former students (Wehner and Teresa Lancaster) file a lawsuit against Maskell, the gynecologist they allege witnessed sexual assaults by Maskell, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame, but face intimidation from their lawyers, as well as their psychiatric experts who doubt repressed memories. The lawsuit is thrown out.
5	"The Suspects"	May 19, 2017
A tip line created by the group yields two compelling suspects (Edgar Davidson and Billy Schmidt) who may have been involved in Sister Catherine's murder.
6	"The Web"	May 19, 2017
Sister Catherine's sister, Marilyn Cesnik Radakovic, joins the case and discloses additional information about the days leading up to Cathy's disappearance.
7	"The Conclusion"	May 19, 2017
The season finale details prior sexual abuse by Father Maskell at Saint Clement's Church that was known by the Archdiocese, and the legislative efforts to overturn the statute of limitations in Maryland.

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the series an approval rating of 97% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 8.47/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Keepers draws on riveting, real-life terror to expose long-buried secrets—and tells an inspiring, brilliantly assembled story along the way."^[6] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[7]

Pilot Viruet of Vice wrote of the series, "It's harrowing and upsetting, and it will haunt you for a long time, which is part of what makes it necessary viewing."^[8] In Time magazine, Daniel D'Addario compared The Keepers with another Netflix true-crime series, Making a Murderer, stating that The Keepers does not lead its viewers to a definite conclusion about what happened. "While Sister Cathy Cesnik's death remains a mystery, its aftereffects include both crushing heartbreak and, for the amateur sleuths who seek to crack her case, a sense of making a difference... This isn't just more respectful to the victim than other true-crime stories, with their breathless delight at new clues. It's also more effective."^[9] According to Jack Seale in The Guardian, "Where other true crime hits have followed a linear chronology, The Keepers hops between 1969, the 1990s and today, striking a fine balance between narrative structure – a wow moment at the end of every episode – and respect for a subject that doesn’t need or deserve sensationalism."^[10]

Reaction from the Catholic Church

The Archdiocese of Baltimore declined when asked by Netflix producers to comment on sexual misconduct allegations within the church. Later, the Archdiocese responded to the series by adding a FAQ page to its website, in which it stated allegations that the archdiocese knew of Maskell's sexual abuse prior to 1992 were false speculation.^[11]

References

1.  Loughrey, Clarisee (April 19, 2017). "The Keepers exclusive trailer: Netflix revisits a nun's unsolved murder five decades down the line". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
2.  "Baltimore archdiocese pays settlements to a dozen people alleging abuse by late priest". The Baltimore Sun. November 15, 2016. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
3.  Busch, Anita (April 19, 2017). "'The Keepers': Netflix Drops Powerful Trailer About Murder Of Baltimore Nun". The Independent. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
4.  "Is This Netflix Docuseries the Next Making a Murderer?". Vogue. April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
5.  "'The Keepers' is true crime with a fresh perspective: The victim's". The Washington Post. May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
6.  "The Keepers: Miniseries". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
7.  "The Keepers Reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
8.  Viruet, Pilot (May 25, 2017). "Netflix's Latest True Crime Docuseries Will Haunt You Forever". Vice. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
9.  D’Addario, Daniel (May 25, 2017). "The Keepers avoids true crime's ghastliest pitfalls". Time. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
10.  Seale, Jack (May 18, 2017). "Who murdered Sister Cathy? Netflix takes true crime to the next level". The Guardian. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
11.  "Frequently Asked Questions Based on "The Keepers"". Archdiocese of Baltimore. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.

External links

• The Keepers on Netflix
• The Keepers at IMDb
• The Keepers at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Keepers at Metacritic 

==

Home>Entertainment>Netflix
Updated 17:08 19 Aug 2024  
Sickening story behind ‘incredibly distressing’ Netflix true crime documentary which left viewers ‘disgusted to the core’
------------
Sister Catherine 'Cathy' Cesnik's 1969 murder still remains unsolved to this day


Rhiannon IngleFollow us on Google Discover

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

A true crime documentary from 2017 has stood the test of time after leaving viewers 'disgusted to the core'.

The 'incredibly distressing' Netflix doc in question follows a grim true story of a cold case that tore through Baltimore back in the late 1960s.

The Odyssey trailer

Sister Catherine 'Cathy' Cesnik was loved by her students at Baltimore’s Archbishop Keough High School.

She was last seen on the evening of November 7th 1969 after leaving her apartment, which she shared with her friend and fellow nun, Sister Russell Phillips, and never returned home.

The true crime doc explores one nun's still-unsolved 1969 murder. (Netflix)

Sister Russell then turned to Pete McKeon and Gerry Koob, two friends who were priests and lived nearby (Koob was in a romantic relationship with Cesnik) to call police in the early morning hours after Cesnik’s empty car was found near her apartment complex.

Then just two months later, Cesnik’s body was found at a garbage dump in a suburban area near Baltimore with a medical examination concluding she’d died from blunt force trauma - she was just 26 years old.

The documentary explores what events could have possibly led to Cesnik's death, suggesting that what she was told in confidence by her students - specifically about the horrific sexual abuse they said they'd allegedly endured at the hands of the school’s chaplain and guidance counsellor Father Joseph Maskell - could be behind the young nun’s still-unsolved 1969 murder.

However, Maskell, who died in 2001, denied all the murder and abuse accusations made against him.

If you hadn't already guessed it, the doc is The Keepers and you can watch the official trailer here:

Last year, the case came back into the public conscious after Maryland Attorney General released a report from a four-year-long investigation detailing the 'pervasive and persistent abuse' from the clergy members and others in archdiocese, as per The New York Times.

The report includes 156 clergy members who had allegedly abused more than 600 children starting from the 1940s.

Following the report's release, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori wrote to 'offer his heartfelt apology to the victim-survivors and their families', adding that 'no one credibly accused of child abuse is in ministry in the archdiocese today'.

In response to this news, one X user penned: "As an abuse survivor, The Keepers 2017 documentary series on Netflix absolutely broke my brain open in a positive way.

"It made me realise how enablers/ignorers are at least equally a problem, if not more so, than the predators themselves."

A second warned: "If you're looking for something other than this administration to make you feel sick and disgusted to your core might I recommend The Keepers."
Netflix viewers were sick and 'disgusted to the core' after watching The Keepers. (Netflix)

"I just finished watching The Keepers on Netflix last night," confessed a third. "I don't often watch true crime shows, because there's something exploitative about most of them that I can't stomach.  "But (CW, more in subsequent tweets) The Keepers is amazing."

Another echoed: "Currently watching The Keepers docu series on Netflix, which is one part incredibly distressing account of two nuns murdered to cover up a horrible predator at a catholic high school— and one part 2 extremely charming grandmas solving a cold case."

And a final X user recommended: "If anyone wants a good true crime docuseries on Netflix, I recommend The Keepers.

"It came out a few years ago and I rewatch it once a year. It’s sad and intense."

The Keepers is currently available to stream on Netflix.

==

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The Keepers

123 reviews

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8

/10

Thought provoking documentary

I have always been greatly upset not only by the revelations of child sexual abuse by priests, but, worse, the attempts by the Church to protect their priests over their children. I believe that awareness is crucial to ensuring that we never let this happen again, so I appreciated this well-crafted documentary that gave me more hard, concentrated information about one case, examining the experiences of the victims, the impact on their lives and families, the position of the church, law enforcement, government. I personally believe in the credibility of the victims, applaud them for sharing their stories and their pain, and applaud the women who will not let Sister Cathy's murder be buried and unwittingly uncovered the abuse that I also believe was at the root of it. I see that some reviewers are dismissing their claims and therefore dissing the documentary. Careful here - the fact is that a good documentary is not meant to convince, but to make you consider and think, and this one definitely has.

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107

9

penniweninger

May 21, 2017Permalink

9

/10

An excellent documentary series

Spoiler

This documentary is absolutely crushing.

Starting with the murder of the beautiful, kind spirited Sister Catherine Cesnik and young Joyce Malecki, to cover ups of sexual abuse via the Catholic Churches in Baltimore this documentary will leave you angry, upset and heartbroken.

It is also serves as a stark reminder of how far the law will go to get justice for Father Maskell's victims; tip, not a great distance, and just how much more work is needed to be done.

With the case left unsolved this documentary puts into perspective the sufferings of all involved and brings to fruition an investigation with no obvious end.

Excellent, interesting documentary. Definitely worth the watch.

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75

9

hols3

May 19, 2017Permalink

9

/10

See the movie "spotlight" (2015), then see this documentary.

I'm petrified by the share amount of corruption is going on right in front of our eyes. It is absolutely staggering. How did it all come to this? Or has it been here all along? Is our society corrupt to the very core? I remember when the story about the abuse in the catholic church broke in 2002, and the movie "spotlight" which i consider to be the best film of 2015, tells this story. How they started investigating a priest for abuse and rape, and then they pretty much opened a can of worms.

The story exploded, and grew so fast the reporters were in doubt this could even be true. But as we now know, it is true. And we know it was covered up by the Catholic church. They knew. There is no doubt about this. Thousands of priests abused and raped children all over the world, in large numbers.

When someone rapes and/or abuses children, that is a tragedy in itself. And those performing such acts, or assist, have knowledge of but keep it secret or cover it up, are all equally guilty. What scares me after i saw "spotlight" is that it made me realize how big this problem is. But this is not the scariest part. The scariest part is that the police, high ranked priests, politicians, justice agencies and judges help cover it up.

For someone to see "the keepers" documentary and say: This cannot happen. Well you live in a fantasy world, and you better start reading and educate yourself. We live in a rotten society where the church, which is based on being the good, a place for people to find hope, for many is a place of horror and despair. And that you as a victim, will be silenced, threatened, tortured and/or killed if you speak up against them.

How is this even possible? Where is the justice? These people that have been abused are dying while still being traumatized. And i can only imagine the enormous sense of feeling lost they must have, when they constantly see the justice system fail them over and over and over again. It is absolutely totally unforgivable.

What we are witnessing is a system that protects itself and it's "members". This system is not only the church, this system as we now know, spans all the way to top politicians, which are receiving huge donations from the church, so they can stay in power, and be compliant. This is corruption we cannot allow in leading societies as we live in, this is dictatorships level of justice.

Recently in the news there has been articles covering a series of sexual abuses in Argentina by catholic priests, and that the pope himself has been trying to cover it up. And the third highest ranked Cardinal in the Catholic church was yesterday arrested for abuse by the police in Australia. This is never going to end.

Religions can inflict fear on children, grown ups as well, making them scared of an angry god if they do not do exactly what the priests tell them to do, and since god sees everything, they can not tell anyone about what has happened, or else there will be serious consequences. Holy damn, how much power the church has, and with great powers comes great responsibilities, but also corruption. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

We are suppose to have systems in place to prevent these things from happening, and at least bring justice to victims of such crimes, but since the system is rigged and corrupt to the core, nothing will ever be done. Except if people wake up and demand change in large numbers, we can't sit here and just accept these things.

So thank you for making this documentary. May this be a way to raise even more awareness to how imperfect the world is right outside our doorstep. And may it result in real change in a deeply corrupt system that actually thinks rape and abuse of children and murder are perfectly OK. When someone suicides as a result of being abused like this, that is murder. When someone suicides because the system is not there to protect them as a result of their abuse or bring justice for such crimes, it is also murder.

We all have blood on our hands if we don't change the system.

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81

13

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FabledGentleman

Jun 27, 2017Permalink

10

/10

I Attended Archbishop Keough; This Documentary Is Real

Spoiler

This documentary could've been 20 episodes. The filmmaker did an outstanding job From the many reviews I have read, you do not seem to get it! This was not based on the suppressed memory of several people! This was based on the suppressed memory of one person! A memory so horrible *spoiler* (being shown the dead body of her beloved teacher & being told, "see what happens when you say bad things about people"), that she buried it deeply into her soul. For the reviewer who could not understand *spoiler* that Maskell showed her the dead body, I am assuming you did not watch the entire series? Maskell was "powerful and protected" - *spoiler* Maskell's brother was the Police lieutenant, his best friend was a policeman and Maskell was the Police chaplain...do I need to spell this out? Who would've believed Jane Doe IF she was not afraid to come forward? In addition, by showing her the body, he was directly threatening her. And to those reviewers who wonder about the lack of evidence? *Spoiler* did you miss the part where the police allegedly lost the evidence during Hurricane Agnes?

When the lawyers published an ad (NO money mentioned, just a "Do you know something?"), they received an influx of letters from women who either were affected or knew of someone who was affected.

And for you non-Catholics, you must understand that in the late 60s to 70s, priests were considered God. They were not questioned. They were not to be doubted. One man in the documentary said it best, when the priests visited Catholic elementary school classrooms, when the priests entered the classroom, "there was silence." Very true. So many sexually abused children of priests were deeply afraid to come forward. My own friends, who were abused in their childhood by our parish priest (from ages 8 to 12), did not tell me until they were in their 40s. When I asked "Why didn't you tell me?" their response was, "We were afraid you would tell your mother and she would call the parish or the police."

Jane Roe did not have suppressed memory! She came forward when she read that someone else had been abused. Then more and more came forward. And you must realize, those of us students who were unaffected by the abuse witnessed the behavior of our fellow students who were molested! They appeared drugged, their personalities had changed, their grades dropped, etc.

Nobody received $40 million dollars. Those affected received ridiculously modest settlements despite the horrors they had endured. And the ending *spoiler* which nobody seems to "get" is that this all could've been prevented if the Archdiocese of Baltimore had admitted to Jane Doe (the first woman to report the abuse at Archbishop Keough High School), that yes, indeed, her memories were confirmed by the fact that a year prior to her abuse, a mother at St. Clement's elementary school had reported Maskell's abuse of her son to the police! The Archdiocese told Jane Doe she did NOT have a case because there was no record of any abuse by this said "priest." Instead, the Archdiocese ignored this mother's protest and reassigned Maskell to Archbishop Keough where this monster unleashed further horrors upon many other young girls' lives with a willing accomplice, Father Magnus.

God bless all of the women affected by the Father Monsters and in loving memory to those who committed suicide, had abortions or gave birth and those currently enduring drug or alcohol dependencies or died due to those dependencies because of the atrocities of these two "priests". Maskell could've been removed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore but the AOB prevented it ase Archbishop Keeler was about to be made a Cardinal. And in loving memory of Sister Cathy Cesnik, who was killed because she was about to reveal all of these atrocities to the Archdiocese the next day, but was killed before she moved forward.

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312

14

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bcjjjs

May 21, 2017Permalink

10

/10

I really hope there's a special place in hell for all these perpetrators

Really well done documentary. I've watched four episodes so far and can't stop thinking about it. Truly horrific what these women were put through, by supposed people they could trust, and as teenagers! So sad. Truly hope Justice at least prevailed for perps in the afterlife!

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94

4

lynnw61

May 13, 2018Permalink

10

/10

Gripping, emotional, sickening

I don't write reviews and yet here I am. This documentary is very addictive. My husband and I , both brought up Catholic in the 60's, couldn't stop watching. It sickens me and yet I know it's all true. It makes me hate the Catholic Church for all of their power and manipulation, with no regard for the Sanctity of human rights. Thank you to Ryan, the director of this masterpiece, to Jean and the others who are still trying to get to the truth. I couldn't get this film out of my head...it is transformational.

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67

4

grandmazette

Jul 22, 2017Permalink

10

/10

Powerful and remarkable documentary making

This is a remarkable documentary. I am not going to talk about it too much (you will notice there is no Spoiler Warning here), because feel strongly that if you are thinking of watching it. Please do.

What you will see unfold before you is both horrifying and deeply moving. The human beings here searching for both truth and acknowledgment are just the most inspiring and brave people. It reminded me of why we (all of us) should never put all of our trust in powerful Institutions. We need to be vigilant. All powerful Institutions have a habit of lying to protect the Institution, rather than those they are supposed to serve.

It brings the news stories of survivors of abuse directly from the news to the personal. It packs one hell of a wallop.

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117

10

PippinInOz

May 25, 2017Permalink

I'm numb after watching this.

Shook me to the core. Hope they rot in hell or die the most horrendous death ever.

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21

0

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CineRenaissance

Feb 14, 2020Permalink

7

/10

A tough watch

Spoiler

First of all let me say how brave it is of these men and women to openly discuss the horrendous abuse they suffered at the hands of people they should have been able to trust.

The problem is it is a tough watch at times and let's be fair we all watch these documentaries hoping for justice and if not we want to be riveted episode to episode. For me this falls short in that department in the end it became a slog to get through all the episodes. Compared to docs like the jinx this is not in the same league as far as documentary making goes.

That been said the people who appear speak openly and engage us to feel so much emotion towards there awful suffering and how they've managed to forge lives whilst the evil bast*rds are not only free but within the Catholic church!!

Be prepared though we won't ever know what happened to sister Kathy which I have to say although the central story does get lost amongst the other stories of historic abuse. The only thing I'm sure of is that if there is a heaven Joseph Maskell won't be there. May he rot in peace.

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9

1

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mradarley-47661

Sep 11, 2017Permalink

10

/10

Tragic truth, ingenieously wrapped into a great documentary

I am so angry this happened in our society. I am so angry at the catholic church for hushing all this. Why didn't the church give him up? How could i go to the church and not think about this?? Thank you for opening my eyes!!! Great sequence of actions, the documentary was put togehter very well and the last episode just puts the crown on this series.

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32

1

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catalina_cj

Dec 27, 2017Permalink

7

/10

Netflix - Why are you spoiling stories trying to make a long mini series?

What is wrong with the present batch of mini series from Netflix? The Keepers has a terrific and heart wrenching real story which is told perfectly over the first four episodes. The story unwraps beautifully and just when you relax gives a punch in the gut just with the story of the characters. Then suddenly around the fifth episode you realise the obvious padding of the story,the addition of unnecessary stuff and frankly the destruction of what could have been a tight, fantastic piece of documentary. Netflix -Why do you need to stretch a story to fit your obligatory 7- 8 episodes. Let the content decide the length or else you lose as you have with this series. Similar problems seem with other Netflix series like Mr Mercedes and others. Sad.

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54

23

wotsonurmind

Mar 26, 2018Permalink

10

/10

Truly disturbing viewing

I noticed one reviewer here declaring this story has no factual proof for the claims it makes! Well, you can lead a horse to water.. How there can be any doubting the sincerity of these brave individuals' accounts of the horrors they suffered as children, is simply beyond me.

Away from the subject matter to the presentation: I found the seamless narrative, jumping back and forth chronologically to be very well done. I would deduct 0.5 for the music, which at times I found too loud and a bit heavy-handed. I could not understand a word of what DeepThroat was saying, either.

In all, a gripping documentary. Kudos to Netflix and the whole production. Much heartfelt sympathy and strength to all the victims.

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77

11

corrado-prizzi

May 23, 2017Permalink

7

/10

Great for exposing crimes of the church, but just okay for barely connecting its core story to those crimes.

Spoiler

The Keepers is good, not great. It is a very powerful documentary in terms of how the Catholic church enabled a serial pedophile, and in how it gives center stage to the brave people who stood up for themselves. Still, the seemingly central premise of Sister Catherine's murder, never really ties in to the bulk of the series. If you're hoping for compelling proof that her murder is tied to the Catholic church, the evidence of this is never strongly developed. In some ways, I finished the series more strongly convinced she was killed by a random predator than I believe it was connected to the church. On the other hand, the stories of the people who were abused by a priest, in almost full view of the church and the police, is extremely compelling and thought- provoking. I admire these people for speaking up and when the last credits rolled, I realized this series was really about providing true legitimacy to all people who have been sexually abused as children. That is the real story here - how sexual crimes against the innocent reverberate through their and other's lives for years and years. One final note is that it's clear that Sister Catherine was a very special person, and even though this documentary series doesn't deliver justice for her, it does convey an even stronger message about the way goodness can and will endure.

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26

10

mjoll

May 28, 2017Permalink

5

/10

A fascinating but ultimately very flawed documentary

Spoiler

The Keepers is a fascinating, engaging, and extremely well made documentary series, that is also extremely flawed.

Apart from a little bit of unnecessary padding in places, a little bit of narrative confusion (at times it is a documentary about the murder of Sister Cathy, at other times it is about clerical sexual abuse), and some moments of corny reality TV style set ups, the flaws in this show doesn't lie in it's technical aspects, but rather in the wild conjecture and the lack of accuracy and balance.

For example, the documentary claims that recovered memories are now a accepted and regular feature of modern psychology - however the exact opposite is true, they are still highly controversial and the majority consensus in psychology is that they are extremely problematic.

Why this point is so important is that the entire premise of this series - that Sister Cathy was murdered by (or under the orders of) Father Maskell - hinges entirely on a recovered memory from just one adult female victim of sexual abuse. The way this memory is presented in the series also raises serious questions (or, at least, it should have, but wasn't, in this series) about its validity - the woman concerned says that she only experienced this memory for the first time AFTER a friend planted the seed in her mind about the crime while looking over an old school year book.

If this recovered memory lacks validity, then so does much of this series (which is probably why they were not accurate in the information they presented about recovered memories.)

There is also a lot of conjecture that is extremely speculative and extremely tenuous.

For example - even if their were maggots found on the corpse of Sister Cathy (a major point of contention in the series) that doesn't prove that the recovered memory was true, and it also raises a serious question about why a murderer would show someone a body - thus linking him directly to the crime - when the whole point of the murder was that it was a desperate attempt to try to hide his involvement in criminal activity.

Then there's the conjecture about the necklace - which, for all we know, was purchased, or stolen by Ed, and has nothing to do with Sister Cathy at all - but the series goes to extreme lengths to speculate a connection into existence (and the subsequent interview with an ageing Ed, in a clear state of mental ill health, seems exploitative.)

The other thing that I found really frustrating about the series was that, apart from some basic details in the very first episode, we are not told a lot about the important specifics of the crime, the evidence, the finding of the body, etc - but these are all really important aspects of this case that will have an important bearing on the theory being proposed by this series.

The series also failed to properly explore some rather glaring inconsistencies and questions in its own evidence.

For example - Koob makes a claim about his relationship with Sister Cathy (that she rejected his infatuation for her) that seems completely contradictory to later evidence about her writing a very intimate love letter to him. Then there's also the largely unexplored questions about his role in the crime - which detectives clearly considered to be major at the time.

Then there's the fact that two different uncles (from two different families) are supposed to have committed the crime - but it is clearly indicated that they never knew each other, and nor are they adequately connected to Father Maskell to make the primary claims of the series compelling.

Like I said, this is a fascinating series, and you have to admire the tenacity of the amateur investigators who continue to pursue the cause of trying to get justice for Sister Cathy, however at the end of the day, this feels like a highly speculative fishing expedition, where all sorts of allegations and theories, regardless of their validity, are being thrust out into the public arena in a very spectacular fashion.

The problem is that this ends up being a trial by media, and we all know how dangerous such an approach can be - both for innocent any parties who end up being wrongly tarnished, and also because they can place a successful criminal prosecution of any guilty party at risk.

My hope is that, despite all the flaws, this show leads to a successful closing of this case.

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126

106

brendan-821-654855

May 20, 2017Permalink

9

/10

The Keepers--Another "Spotlight"

In this seven-episode true-crime documentary from Netflix (released May 19 of this year), The Keepers explores the 1969 death of 26-year old Catholic nun and Baltimore schoolteacher Sister Cathy Cesnik and touches on 20-year-old Joyce Malecki's murder four days later. Both slayings remain unsolved. The cover up that follows has echoes of Spotlight (see my review of January 16, 2016).

Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Schaub, two retired 60-something grandmothers and former students of Sister Cathy's at Archbishop Keough High School, still feel disturbed by the almost-half-a- century-old cold case. Who savagely beat and then murdered beloved teacher Sister Cathy? Starting a Facebook group in 2014 to reach out to others to share information about Sister Cathy's murder, these two badass senior citizens–as intrepid and analytical as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple–uncover a cold case like no other that the Baltimore police or Catholic Church has had to contend with. Abbie and Gemma create a safe space for people who had been afraid to speak up. And the role of social media is astounding as a tool for criminal investigation. These two amateur sleuths use the internet brilliantly! See the entire review at: unhealedwound.com

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diana-y-paul

Jul 1, 2017Permalink

10

/10

Utter Disgust at Some of Your Reviews

Spoiler

"All these other people suddenly started remembering things after a lot of media exposure, yet none of them have anything remotely factual to add in the end." You obviously did NOT watch the entire documentary. ONE person began remembering things, Jane Doe. She came forward, then she gave courage to more victims to come forward. None of the other victims had suppressed memories; unfortunately, they had been too afraid to come forward. And Jane Doe never claimed a cent. Did you listen to that part, too?

You do not realize "the times" and the authority that Catholic priests had in the community. We are talking late 1960's here. Imagine revealing you were sexually abused by priests and cops to a nun and the next day, that nun has disappeared? And a priest with a psychiatric degree that has an office at the school, a collection of guns, was chaplain to the police, who had a best friend who was a policeman and a brother(!) who was the police lieutenant...what the heck was the purpose of a priest being employed at an all-girls school? He became out of control and the Archdiocese of Baltimore kept covering it up, kept transferring from parish to parish...did you WATCH all of the documentary?

"One lady for example assumed her deceased husband surely must have been involved because allegedly he came home with blood on his shirt one night. She didn't have any reason other than that." Well, he wasn't going to his job. The bills were piling up. Where was he going? Why did he come home covered in blood on the exact night Sister Cathy went missing, a date coinciding with the day before their premature baby was due to be released from the hospital? There is a LOT more to it...his proximity to Sister Cathy's apartment complex, his assignments from Maskell to go out and "collect girls" plus his possible involvement in the disappearance murder of another girl. The filmmaker only had so much time to address it all. See http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/02/08/baltimore-nun-murder/ and additional interviews featured there. The husband literally "covered" his tracks by purchasing new tires. Or just google search and educate yourselves.

I am so SAD for all of these victims and so astonished at some of you IMDb.com reviewers' reactions to walk over the victims and assume they were doing this for money! Watch the documentary, all of the episodes; listen and learn. The police "allegedly" lost the proof in "the flood" (Hurricane Agnes). Give me a freaking break. Did you miss that part? Proof went missing! Sadly, most of the victims are dead, in mental institutions or on drugs, had abortions or raised the bastard children of "Fathers" Maskell and Magnus.

The filmmaker of this documentary was brilliant; he showed much compassionate and respect to some very brave women who are still fearful for their lives to this very day, just for speaking out. Revealing the corruption of the Archdiocese of Baltimore & the Baltimore City police, apparently fell on some deaf ears and blind eyes.

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valcollins-92819

May 23, 2017Permalink

9

/10

Geez

Holy moly. What a wringer the makers of this documentary put us thru watching this.

We all know now that the Catholic Church has been for decades (centuries?) covering up and cleaning up after abusive, pedophile priests.

This is truly worth watching. I don't feel it is my place to decide on the veracity of the events these women (and men!) tell.

I think walking away from this every single person should have in their mind that in the future such events must not be allowed to happen.

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LauraAnnG

Jan 2, 2021Permalink

10

/10

What are the most important documentaries you'll ever see

An outstanding, frightening and infuriating look into the abuses and cover up perpetrated by the Baltimore archdiocese, likely with the help of local police. This documentary belies the contention that Priests only preyed on boys. I understand the criticism of some reviewers who have suggested some additional editing needed to be done, but a story this important and profound deserves nothing less than 10 stars despite it's flaws. It hits all the main points hard and tells it's story well. For everyone who cares about the pain so many children have gone through because of the Catholic Church, please see this documentary.

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Zebb67

Aug 16, 2019Permalink

7

/10

Two episodes too long

This could be brilliant, but once you're gripped into the story it diverts to other suspects and alternative narratives in an awkward way not intertwined with the flow of the story. You sit just wishing these to hurry up as they offer nothing to the story being told.

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d_welland

Apr 19, 2019Permalink

8

/10

Absorbing and Captivating

A fascinating long view of a group of courageous and tenacious women, who refuse to let slide the brutal murder of a young lady who was important and highly influential in their lives and whom they all loved and respected, a case which the local police had run aground about almost 50 years ago, or seemingly.

This shouldn't be regarded as a murder/mystery so much as an insight into how an appalling crime can open up unexpected cans of worms of broken psyches and institutional corruption and cover-ups for as far as its tendrils reach. The battle between good and evil is rarely better manifested than in the scenario presented here, where some of those invested with the authority of presiding over this, in both metaphysical and actual terms, have clearly acted out both.

It's a natural temptation for us to beatify the dead and only speak well of them, but in this case it appears to be entirely appropriate, in fact the integrity and decency of the victim is very likely the cause of her being slain at the hands, by proxy or otherwise, of those without compassion or apparent remorse. The actuality of who really cares about any of us in the end is shone a light upon here, and although it does not answer the many questions that it throws up regarding the crimes, it does raise the profiles of not just one, but two vicious killings, and will hopefully give further voice to those that were either silenced or masked at the time, and so this is also the story of people trying to regain their personal and collective sense of empowerment from those who would, and have, taken this from them.

An admirable and effective documentary that encourages its audience to look deeper and keep on questioning. The bravery of all those facing their demons here is tangible, provoking us to take action ourselves when it's called for in our lives, and to do the right thing.

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Ionizing

May 20, 2017Permalink

7

/10

Interesting story but way too long

An interesting documentaries some episodes are painfully slow, should have been 2 episodes shorter.

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13

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dayana421

Dec 9, 2019Permalink

10

/10

You won't regret watching this

I am not a binge-watcher. I can't sit through it, but this show made me want to watch the full thing in one sitting.

The build-up ,the real characters and the way the show was made is plain brilliant. Cinematography, the amount of facts presented will keep you engrossed for sure.

One of those rare shows on Netflix that is worth the hype.

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pinky_scotty

Aug 1, 2018Permalink

6

/10

A Hot Mess Still Worth Watching

Spoiler

First, this series is worth watching in its entirety. It has some compelling stories to tell, but it unsuccessfully tries to connect two stories that seemingly have nothing to do with each other. Towards the end of the series, the episodes rely less on facts, and more on sentiments without facts, which is a shame. Is it worth a watch? Definitely, but it is ultimately unsatisfying as it tries to do too much with two stories that it should have focused on separately.

The series is marketed as a true crime story of a beautiful and kind Catholic nun, named Sister Cathy, who disappears, and then is found to have been murdered. Interviews with her former students who are now in their late-60's show what a huge impact she had on them with her kindness and love for teaching. To tell this story could have taken 2-3 episodes.

The really compelling story is that of the evil perpetrated and orchestrated by a Catholic priest, Father Maskell, who rapes teen female students at the all-girls high school where he is dean and a counselor. The use of music, dark images of the school hallway, along with interviews of the teens-now-women was powerful, and enraging. This story could have been told in 4 episodes.

Unfortunately, the filmmakers try to connect both of these stories, which at first appears plausible, but then devolves into factless emotionalism and baseless speculation. In short, Sister Cathy had to be killed because she knew that Maskell was raping students at the school.

After telling the story of Father Maskell and his many victims, the series loses its focus, and jumps around from person-to-person who may have killed Sister Cathy as well as from one conspiracy in the cover up of her murder as well as covering up Maskell's crimes.

Interviews with a police chief is less convincing of a cover up than of the incompetence of two police departments, failed and delayed FOIA requests to the FBI are more about federal bureaucracy, and the interviews with Gerry Koob and family of creepy family members are interesting, but not believable.

It would have been good to have independent follow up on Eric Davidson who is creepy, and who was convicted of trying to pick up underage girls in the late-60's.

The last couple of episodes are running on fumes, and go back to the same well of the dark music and the same creepy picture of evil Maskell, to grasp at straws to connect the two murders.

At the end, the filmmakers leave the viewer with the incredible portrait of evil of Father Maskell and others, the hero survivors of Maskell, and no answers to who killed Sister Cathy. Who are the heroes? Sister Cathy, the women who are survivors, and those who keep working on the case. Who are the villains? Father Maskell and whoever cooperated with his evil.

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sschaefer-71822

May 24, 2017Permalink

10

/10

A riveting documentary that will leave you angry and frustrated

Like murder, sexual abuse should have no Statutes of limitations, and like the Holocaust, should never be forgotten.

The Keepers, is a brilliant spellbinding documentary and expose of the Catholic church, and in particular, the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The story centers around the abuse that both boys and girls of The Archbishop Keough High School suffered at the hands of Father A. Joseph Maskell, Father Mangus and "Brother" Bob in the late sixties and early 70's. From being raped, sodomized and having strangers, including Baltimore Police join in the abuse, this story leads to the murder of Sister Cathy Cesnick.

Follow the relentless search for the truth by "Jane Doe" and "Jane Roe" 30 years later to bring to justice those responsible. Over seven episodes, one becomes angrier and angrier and wonders how the Archdiocese of Baltimore can call themselves men of God when in truth they are pedophiles, rapists and don't deserve to wear the cloth of a Priest. When a successful dentist reports his abuse from over 30 years ago, he is asked by the head of the Archdiocese . "would you like a boat?"

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albloom-03179

May 26, 2017Permalink

10

/10

Fantastic, highly recommend

Fantastic documentary on sister Cathy and her murder. It tells the story of abuse and how the catholic church covered it up. The documentary tells the stories of girls who were abused by the priest's of their school and how the school, archdiocese and police covered it up and how they seek justice for the horrible crimes. Highly recommend it.

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==

천사들의 증언

넷플릭스 다큐멘터리 시리즈 <더 키퍼스>(The Keepers)에 대한 요약 및 평론이다.

서론: 미제 사건의 문을 열며

1969년 11월, 미국 볼티모어의 대주교 키오 고등학교(Archbishop Keough High School)에서 국어와 연극을 가르치던 26세의 젊고 다정한 수녀 캐시 세스닉(Catherine Cesnik)이 흔적도 없이 사라졌다. 약 두 달 뒤, 그녀는 차가운 쓰레기 매립지 근처에서 숨진 채 발견되었다. 그러나 범인은 잡히지 않았고, 사건은 수십 년간 미궁 속에 묻혔다.

라이언 화이트(Ryan White) 감독의 7부작 넷플릭스 다큐멘터리 <더 키퍼스>(The Keepers)는 표면적으로 이 오래된 미제 살인 사건의 범인을 추적하는 범죄 다큐멘터리의 형식을 취한다. 그러나 시리즈가 진행될수록 거대한 권력 집단의 조직적 은폐와 시스템적 폭력의 실체가 드러나며, 작품의 성격은 한 수녀의 비극적 죽음을 넘어 거대한 카톨릭 교단과 공권력의 침묵에 맞서는 피해자들의 투쟁기로 확장된다.

줄거리 요약: 진실을 추적하는 '파수꾼들'

이야기는 캐시 수녀의 옛 제자이자 할머니가 된 두 여성, Gemma Hoskins와 Abbie Schaub가 운영하는 Facebook 모임에서 본격적으로 시작된다. 두 사람은 전문 탐정이 아니지만, 스승의 억울한 죽음을 잊지 못해 독자적인 조사를 이어가며 잊혀가던 사건의 실타래를 풀어나간다.

조사가 깊어짐에 따라 이야기의 중심축은 키오 고등학교의 신부이자 교내 상담교사였던 조셉 마스켈(A. Joseph Maskell)에게로 이동한다. 1990년대 초, '제인 도(Jane Doe)'라는 익명으로 마스켈 신부의 만행을 고발했던 진 하가돈 위너(Jean Hargadon Wehner)를 비롯한 여러 피해 여성이 카메라 앞에 선다. 그들이 증언하는 마스켈 신부의 성폭행과 학대 수위는 차마 차분히 듣기 힘들 정도로 잔혹하다.

마스켈 신부는 다수의 여학생을 지속적으로 성폭행하고 가스라이팅했으며, 이를 은폐하기 위해 경찰 및 인근 의료진까지 동원하는 거대한 네트워크를 구축하고 있었다. 더욱 충격적인 사실은, 캐시 수녀가 바로 이 학생들의 피해 사실을 알아채고 그들을 도우려 했다는 점이다. 진 하가돈은 과거 마스켈 신부가 자신을 캐시 수녀의 시신이 버려진 장소로 데려가 "네가 본 것을 말하면 너도 이렇게 된다"라며 협박했던 끔찍한 기억을 증언한다.

캐시 수녀의 살인범은 누구인가 하는 의문은 곧 '교단과 볼티모어 경찰국은 왜 이 범죄를 수십 년간 방치하고 은폐했는가'라는 구조적 물음으로 이어진다. 다큐멘터리는 교회의 문서 은폐, 경찰의 부실한 수사, 법적 공소시효와 억압된 기억(repressed memory)에 대한 법원의 냉담한 판결 등 진실을 가로막는 신부와 권력층의 공모 체계를 면밀히 파헤친다.

작품 평론: 참극을 다루는 윤리적 시선과 트라우마의 연대

<더 키퍼스>가 기존의 여타 자극적인 범죄(True Crime) 다큐멘터리와 궤를 달리하는 지점은 범죄를 소비하는 관점에 있다. 많은 범죄 다큐멘터리가 자극적인 재연 연출이나 반전에 집중하는 반면, 이 작품은 희생자와 생존자의 목소리를 가장 중심에 둔다.

제목인 <더 키퍼스>(The Keepers)는 다의적인 의미를 내포한다. 첫째는 자신들의 치부와 범죄를 철저히 지키려 했던 '비밀의 파수꾼들(Archdiocese, 경찰)'이고, 둘째는 억울하게 숨진 스승의 기억과 진실을 지키려는 '기억의 파수꾼들(제자들과 생존자들)'이다. 다큐멘터리는 이 두 집단 간의 팽팽한 싸움을 조명하며, 시스템이 침묵할 때 시민과 피해자들이 어떻게 연대하여 거대한 권력에 균열을 내는지를 보여준다.

이 작품의 가장 강력한 힘은 트라우마를 경험한 인물들을 다루는 품위에서 나온다. 용기를 내어 자신의 고통스러운 기억을 털어놓는 생존자들의 얼굴을 카메라에 담아냄으로써, 성폭력이 한 인간의 삶 전체에 미치는 파괴적 영향을 선명하게 입증한다. 진 하가돈을 비롯한 여성들은 단순한 '피해자'로 머물지 않고, 서로의 고통을 증언하고 지지하는 주체적인 생존자로 거듭난다.

구조적으로 7개의 에피소드는 수사극의 긴장감을 유지하면서도, 개별 피해자들의 삶과 서사에 충분한 시간을 할애한다. 마스켈 신부가 이미 사망하여 법적인 처벌이 불가능해진 상황에서도, 생존자들이 추구하는 것은 단지 법적인 유죄 판결만이 아니라 '진실의 인정'이라는 점을 명확히 한다. 캐시 수녀는 비록 목숨을 잃었지만, 그녀가 생전에 제자들에게 보여주었던 사랑과 보호의 의지는 수십 년이 지난 후 제자들이 진실을 찾아 나서게 만든 원동력이 되었다.

결론적으로 <더 키퍼스>는 한 수녀의 미제 살인 사건으로 시작하여 권력 기관의 부패를 고발하고, 최종적으로는 상처받은 이들의 치유와 연대를 노래하는 완성도 높은 잔혹한 잔혹극이자 숭고한 휴먼 드라마다. 비록 완벽하게 닫힌 결말이나 명쾌한 범인의 검거라는 쾌감은 제공하지 못하지만, 진실을 요구하는 목소리가 존재하는 한 침묵의 벽은 언젠가 무너진다는 강력한 메시지를 남긴다. 거대한 시스템의 폭력에 맞서 서로를 지켜낸 여성들의 연대는 범죄 다큐멘터리가 도달할 수 있는 가장 깊은 윤리적 성취를 보여준다.

==

천사들의 증언

<The Keepers> — 요약과 평론

<The Keepers>(더 키퍼스)는 라이언 화이트가 감독하고 2017년 넷플릭스에서 공개한 7부작 범죄 다큐멘터리 시리즈다. 드라마처럼 긴장감 있게 구성되어 있지만, 배우가 재연하는 극영화가 아니라 실제 사건과 생존자들의 증언을 다룬 작품이다. 1969년 미국 메릴랜드주 볼티모어에서 발생한 가톨릭 수녀 캐서린 체스닉의 미해결 살인사건을 출발점으로 삼아, 가톨릭계 여학교에서 벌어진 성폭력과 교회·경찰·사법기관의 침묵 가능성을 추적한다.

아래 글에는 사건의 주요 내용이 포함되어 있다.

1. 사랑받았던 교사 캐시 수녀

캐서린 체스닉 수녀는 볼티모어의 가톨릭계 여자고등학교인 아치비숍 키오 고등학교에서 영어와 연극을 가르쳤다. 학생들은 그를 ‘캐시 수녀’라고 불렀다. 그는 권위적인 교사라기보다 학생들의 말을 들어주고 어려움을 알아차리는 따뜻한 사람이었다.

1969년 11월 7일 저녁, 캐시 수녀는 아파트를 나간 뒤 실종되었다. 그의 자동차는 집에서 멀지 않은 곳에서 발견되었지만 수녀의 행방은 찾을 수 없었다. 약 두 달 뒤인 1970년 1월, 그의 시신이 볼티모어 외곽의 쓰레기 투기장 근처에서 발견되었다. 머리에 심한 상처가 있었고 사망 원인은 폭행에 의한 두개골 손상이었다. 사건은 결국 해결되지 않았다.

작품 초반에는 전형적인 미해결 살인사건처럼 보인다. 누가 캐시 수녀를 죽였는가, 왜 그를 죽였는가, 경찰 수사는 제대로 이루어졌는가라는 질문이 중심에 놓인다. 그러나 이야기가 진행될수록 살인범의 신원을 밝히는 일보다 더 크고 어두운 문제가 드러난다.

2. 두 명의 ‘할머니 탐정’

다큐멘터리를 이끄는 사람은 전문 경찰이나 기자가 아니다. 캐시 수녀의 옛 제자인 제마 호스킨스와 애비 쇼브다. 제작 당시 할머니가 된 두 여성은 은퇴 후 오랜 세월 묻혀 있던 스승의 죽음을 조사하기 시작한다.

두 사람은 졸업생들을 찾아다니고, 옛 기록을 검토하며, 인터넷과 페이스북을 통해 제보를 모은다. 이들의 활동은 취미 수준의 탐정놀이가 아니다. 캐시 수녀가 자신들을 인간으로 존중해주었던 기억에 보답하려는 도덕적 행동이다.

경찰과 교회가 진실을 밝히지 못했거나 밝히지 않았기 때문에, 평범한 시민들이 스스로 기억의 기록관이 되고 조사자가 된다. 여기서 제목 <The Keepers>의 의미가 드러난다. ‘지키는 사람들’은 비밀을 지키는 권력자일 수도 있지만, 희생자의 기억과 진실을 지키는 사람들을 뜻하기도 한다.

3. 조지프 마스켈 신부와 학교 안의 성폭력

조사가 진행되면서 아치비숍 키오 고등학교의 지도신부이자 상담교사였던 조지프 마스켈에게 성폭력을 당했다는 졸업생들의 증언이 등장한다.

가장 중요한 증언자는 진 웨너다. 그는 오랫동안 ‘제인 도’라는 익명으로 알려져 있었다. 웨너의 증언에 따르면 마스켈은 상담과 종교적 권위를 이용해 학생들을 통제하고 성적으로 학대했다. 그는 피해 학생의 가정환경과 심리적 약점을 파악한 뒤 죄책감과 공포를 주입했다. 다른 남성들이 학대에 가담했다는 주장도 제기된다.

여기서 성폭력은 한 개인의 일탈이 아니라 조직적인 권력관계로 나타난다. 마스켈은 사제이자 상담교사였으며 경찰과 지역사회 인사들과도 관계가 있었다. 피해자들은 그를 거부하거나 고발하기 어려웠다. 당시 가톨릭 공동체에서 사제의 말은 거의 절대적인 권위를 가졌다.

웨너는 더욱 충격적인 기억을 증언한다. 자신이 캐시 수녀에게 학대 사실을 알렸으며, 마스켈이 캐시 수녀의 시신을 자신에게 보여주면서 침묵하지 않으면 같은 일을 당할 수 있다는 식으로 위협했다는 것이다. 다큐멘터리는 이 증언을 통해 캐시 수녀가 학생들의 성폭력을 알게 되었고 이를 폭로하려다가 살해되었을 가능성을 제기한다.

그러나 이 연결은 법적으로 입증된 사실이 아니다. 마스켈의 성폭력 혐의와 캐시 수녀 살해를 구분해서 볼 필요가 있다. 마스켈이 여러 학생을 학대했다는 증언은 광범위하지만, 그가 직접 살인을 지시하거나 실행했다는 결정적 증거는 발견되지 않았다. 그의 DNA 역시 체스닉 사건에서 확보된 증거와 일치하지 않았다.

4. 사법제도의 두 번째 폭력

1990년대에 웨너와 또 다른 피해자 테리사 랭커스터는 마스켈과 볼티모어 대교구 등을 상대로 소송을 제기했다. 그러나 법원은 공소시효와 기억의 신뢰성 문제를 들어 소송을 기각했다.

당시에는 억압되었던 기억이 수십 년 뒤 되살아났다는 주장을 법적으로 인정할 수 있는지가 논쟁의 대상이었다. 피해자들이 오랜 침묵 끝에 말하기 시작했을 때, 제도는 왜 즉시 신고하지 않았는지를 되물었다. 그러나 아동 성폭력 피해자가 권위자에게 학대당할 경우 기억을 분리하거나 오랫동안 말하지 못하는 현상은 특별한 일이 아니다.

작품이 보여주는 가장 잔인한 장면은 반드시 성폭력 장면이 아니다. 용기를 내어 말한 피해자가 교회, 경찰, 변호사, 법원에서 다시 의심받는 과정이다. 첫 번째 폭력이 가해자의 학대라면 두 번째 폭력은 피해자를 믿지 않는 제도의 반응이다.

5. 살인 미스터리에서 제도 고발로

중반 이후 다큐멘터리는 캐시 수녀의 살인에 관련되었을 가능성이 있는 여러 인물을 제시한다. 지역 남성들, 경찰과 연결된 사람들, 마스켈 주변 인물들에 관한 제보가 이어진다. 1969년 비슷한 시기에 살해된 조이스 말레키 사건과의 관련성도 탐색한다.

문제는 후보자가 늘어날수록 오히려 사건의 중심이 흐려진다는 점이다. 누구의 증언이 신뢰할 만한지, 살인과 성폭력 은폐가 실제로 하나의 사건인지 명확하지 않다. 일부 주장은 정황과 소문에 의존한다. 시리즈는 캐시 수녀 살해사건을 결정적으로 해결하지 못한다.

그러나 이것을 작품의 실패라고만 볼 수는 없다. 감독은 처음부터 범인을 확정하는 대신, 왜 진실에 접근할 수 없게 되었는지를 보여준다. 기록은 사라졌고, 관련자들은 사망했으며, 기관들은 자료 공개를 거부하거나 제한했다. 볼티모어 대교구는 다큐멘터리 제작진의 인터뷰 요청을 거절하고, 마스켈 관련 내부 자료도 공개하지 않았다고 감독은 밝혔다. 대교구는 한편으로 1992년 이전부터 마스켈의 학대를 알고 있었다는 주장은 근거 없는 추측이라고 반박했다.

따라서 작품의 진정한 질문은 ‘누가 죽였는가’에서 ‘어떻게 한 사회 전체가 피해자들의 목소리를 이토록 오랫동안 묻어둘 수 있었는가’로 바뀐다.

6. 피해자를 구경거리로 만들지 않는 방식

<The Keepers>의 가장 큰 장점은 생존자들을 범죄 다큐멘터리의 자극적인 소재로 소비하지 않는다는 점이다.

진 웨너의 증언은 매우 고통스럽다. 그러나 카메라는 그를 무력한 희생자로만 묘사하지 않는다. 그는 자신의 기억을 되찾고, 공개적으로 말하고, 다른 생존자들과 연대하는 사람이다. 감독은 웨너의 증언을 촬영하기 전 여러 달 동안 신뢰를 쌓았으며, 가능한 범위에서 그의 이야기를 확인했다고 설명했다.

작품은 캐시 수녀도 단순히 숲속에서 발견된 시신으로 만들지 않는다. 그의 가족과 제자들의 기억을 통해 한 사람의 생애를 복원한다. 캐시 수녀는 살인 미스터리의 희생자가 되기 전에 학생들을 보호하려 한 교사이자 한 가족의 딸이며 자매였다.

많은 범죄 프로그램이 범인의 잔혹성과 기이함을 강조한다. 반면 <The Keepers>는 피해자와 생존자에게 서사의 중심을 돌려준다. 이것이 이 작품을 일반적인 ‘범인 찾기’ 프로그램과 구별하는 중요한 차이다.

7. 다큐멘터리의 한계

그럼에도 작품에는 분명한 약점이 있다.

첫째, 7부작은 다소 길다. 중반부에 여러 용의자와 제보가 등장하지만 최종적으로 확인되지 않는 경우가 많다. 일부 내용은 긴장감을 유지하기 위한 장치처럼 보이며, 더 간결하게 편집할 수 있었다.

둘째, 사실과 추정의 경계가 때때로 흐려진다. 마스켈의 성폭력과 캐시 수녀 살해 사이에는 설득력 있는 동기가 존재하지만, 동기가 곧 증거는 아니다. 시청자는 강력한 정황 때문에 마스켈이 살인의 배후라고 확신하기 쉽다. 그러나 다큐멘터리가 제시하는 것은 유력한 가설이지 사법적으로 확정된 결론이 아니다.

셋째, 억압된 기억의 문제를 조금 더 비판적으로 다룰 필요가 있었다. 피해자의 증언을 함부로 의심해서는 안 되지만, 수십 년 뒤 회복된 기억이 어느 정도 정확한지를 검토하는 일 역시 필요하다. 피해자 존중과 증거 검증은 서로 반대되는 원칙이 아니다.

넷째, 가톨릭교회 전체와 특정 대교구 및 관계자들의 책임을 구분할 필요가 있다. 이 작품은 가톨릭 신앙 자체를 공격한다기보다 종교적 권위가 투명성과 책임을 거부할 때 어떤 범죄가 가능해지는지를 보여준다. 실제로 캐시 수녀와 피해자들 역시 가톨릭 공동체에 속한 사람들이었다.

8. ‘지킨다’는 말의 두 의미

제목의 의미는 작품 전체를 압축한다.

첫 번째 부류의 ‘키퍼’는 비밀을 지킨다. 교회의 명예, 사제의 권위, 학교의 평판, 경찰 조직의 체면을 지키기 위해 피해자의 말을 억누른다. 이들이 지킨 것은 신앙이나 공동체가 아니라 권력이다.

두 번째 부류의 ‘키퍼’는 기억을 지킨다. 제마와 애비, 진 웨너와 다른 생존자들은 캐시 수녀의 이름과 자신들이 겪은 일을 망각으로부터 지켜낸다. 이들이 하는 일은 단순한 과거 조사가 아니다. 공동체가 버린 사람들을 다시 공동체 안으로 불러들이는 행위다.

이 대비가 작품의 도덕적 중심이다. 어떤 공동체든 비밀을 지킬 것인지, 사람을 지킬 것인지 선택해야 한다. 조직의 명예를 보호하기 위해 피해자를 희생한다면, 그 조직이 내세우는 종교적·도덕적 권위는 이미 무너진 것이다.

9. 전체 평가

<The Keepers>는 캐시 수녀를 죽인 범인이 누구인지 확정하지 못한다. 이 점에서 전통적인 살인 미스터리로 보면 불완전하다. 그러나 이 작품은 더 중요한 진실을 밝혀낸다. 범죄는 한 사람의 행동으로 끝나지 않는다. 권위에 대한 맹종, 기관의 자기보호, 경찰의 무관심, 공소시효, 피해자를 의심하는 문화가 결합할 때 범죄는 수십 년 동안 지속된다.

특히 인상적인 것은 정의를 실현하는 주체가 영웅적인 검사나 형사가 아니라 나이 든 여성들과 생존자들이라는 점이다. 이들은 국가와 교회가 하지 않은 일을 한다. 서로의 말을 듣고, 기록하고, 기억하며, 아직 밝혀지지 않은 진실을 포기하지 않는다.

결국 <The Keepers>는 ‘누가 캐시 수녀를 죽였는가’라는 질문에 답하는 작품이 아니다. 오히려 ‘누가 진실을 묻었으며, 누가 그 진실을 다시 살아 있게 했는가’를 묻는다. 살인범은 밝혀지지 않았지만 침묵이 어떻게 만들어지고 유지되는지는 분명하게 드러난다.

이 작품의 가장 중요한 메시지는 다음과 같다.

<정의란 반드시 범인을 찾아 처벌하는 것만을 뜻하지 않는다. 믿어주지 않았던 사람의 말을 마침내 듣고, 지워졌던 사람의 이름을 다시 기억하는 일도 정의의 시작이다.>