Posted on 09/01/2003 8:05:31 PM PDT by mattcabbott
(The following article first appeared in the October 10, 2002 issue of “The Wanderer.” The case remains unsolved; but the investigation continues…)
Fr. Kunz Murder Investigation Continues
DANE, Wis. — Contrary to recent rumor that the investigation into the 1998 murder of Wisconsin priest Fr. Alfred Kunz has been completed and its resolution "covered up," the case is still very much open, according to Detective Kevin Hughes of the Dane County Sheriff's Office.
"The Wanderer" reported on the murder of Fr. Kunz, an orthodox canon lawyer, in its March 12, 1998 issue.
Responding to an e-mail inquiry from this reporter, Hughes stated, via e-mail, that "the [Kunz murder] investigation is not over and we are continuing to pursue some promising avenues of investigation. Homicides . . . are always given a priority and we have no intention of closing the case until there is a resolution."
Detective Hughes also provided to this reporter a background summary of the case and a profile of the murder scene — information that is available to the public. The text follows below:
"On March 4, 1998, at 7:00 a.m., the body of Fr. Alfred J. Kunz, DOB 4/15/30, was found in the hallway of St. Michael School. The school is in the Village of Dane, population approximately 600, located in rural Dane County 5 miles northwest of Madison, Wis., the state capital.
"Fr. Kunz was the victim of a homicide. His throat was cut with an edged weapon severing the carotid artery. He died as a result of blood loss. The body was discovered by a teacher arriving at the school and was found lying in the hallway near the door to the father's living quarters in the school. All the doors to the school were locked and there was no sign of forced entry.
"Fr. Kunz was a traditional Roman Catholic priest, who had served at St. Michael Church for 32 years. He had strong traditional orthodox Roman Catholic views that were evidenced by the fact that be conducted Latin Masses as well as English Masses. He was an expert in canon law, the law of the Church, and as such many people nationwide consulted with him.
"On the night prior to the homicide, Fr. Kunz participated in the taping of a religious radio talk program, which was to be aired at a later date. After the taping, at 10:00 p.m., he was dropped off at St. Michael Church/school by another priest. Subsequent to that, at about 10:30 p.m., he had a phone conversation with another priest.
"Investigators believe the killer is someone that Fr. Kunz knows and is familiar with the village and St. Michael's. Fr. Kunz was probably not fearful of the killer. The attack was cowardly, unprovoked, and unexpected. The particular motive is unknown but may be related to jealousy, revenge, betrayal, or any other issue which was personal to the killer.
"The weapon used may have some connection to the type of employment or hobby the killer is engaged in. It is a weapon he is comfortable with and probably carries on his person.
"Post-Offense Behavior:
"The killer's immediate concern, once he left the scene was the weapon, clothing, and other possessions that may have been bloodstained. Since he did not anticipate this problem he had to take some action. He could simply discard the items but it had to be done carefully so that they would never be found. This however posed another problem. How does he explain the missing item(s) to those familiar with him? Another option was to clean the articles. But where? It must be done secretly.
"Another concern for the killer was to ensure that he had an alibi. He had to account for his absence during the time of the homicide. His excuse may have been a weak one, but he will stick with it. People close to the killer may have been aware that he had a problem with Fr. Kunz and may have even sympathized with him.
"The day after the murder the killer may have missed work, feigning a sickness or injury. Or, if he did go to work, may have been unable to concentrate on his job. He kept thinking about the murder and how the police might link him to the crime. This preoccupation would cause him to withdraw from people and activities that he normally would be involved in. This would be a noticeable behavior change. There may have been changes in sleeping and eating habits, loss of appetite, or increased use of alcohol. He may have expressed the belief that the police should be looking for someone who broke into the school and was interrupted by Fr. Kunz.
"The rage evidenced in this crime shows that the killer targeted Fr. Kunz and that the motive was very personal to his killer."
Could you fill me in?
Father Kunz Murder Remains Unsolved Dane County Sheriff's Department Continues To Follow Tips POSTED: 1:13 p.m. CST March 5, 2003 DANE, Wis. -- It's been five years since the murder of a Dane priest, and the case remains unsolved. The parishioners at St. Michael's in the Village of Dane could barely comprehend the crime. Their priest was found dead inside the church with his throat cut savagely, 12 News reporter Nick Bohr said. It's very, very difficult. We've lost a great leader, and a great friend, and we're all hurting very deeply," St. Michael's principal Maureen O'Leary said in March of 1998.
Here's another link with lots of info on Martin, Kunz, et al
I tried to verify by clicking on the supposed Seattle Catholic source link but it loads so slowly that I ran out of patience. Even if I try to post from the Seattle Catholic site, if the article is there, it might suddenly disappear a la the priest testimony thread LOL. Since it is a private website, I can't vouch for the authenticity of the material, but it really makes me wonder if Martin was on to something, prophetic in a lot of ways especially since the s*** hit the fan since his death.
Martin will forever remain an enigma to me.
I read what people say but take them with a proverbial grain of salt.
I still think some of it doesn't ring true about that particlar priest, but maybe someone working closer to the situation can vouch for him.
Still, some of these things are real eye-openers.
Condemned to a life in purgatory for falling prey to a sinner in the Vatican
Maybe I'll post this as a seperate thread.
Whom to believe?
It's sad, really. I can't understand a husband moving away from his wife and child to live in the same area like unless it was to get a bigger scoop or he really didn't like marital life and that was his excuse. In the news business, maybe people come to expect more latitude.
A good priest would have taken him to task and helped save the marriage. It very likely could have been saved if anybody really cared enough. Still the reporter sounds like a guy who was driven and unsuitable for married life.
I don't like to believe Father Martin did that but he very well could have.
In this country, anybody can put out a shingle and set up a one or two-man "monastery" and live off the contributions of gullible women like me.
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