Church Janitor Charged In Priest’s Slaying

AP Report ^ | October 24th 2009

[Steelfish]

Church Janitor Charged In Priest’s Slaying Catholic clergyman had been stabbed 32 times inside church rectory

Rich Schultz / AP Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi holds up a photo of Jose Feliciano, the man charged with killing the Rev. Ed Hinds.

CHATHAM, N.J. - A janitor was charged with murder Saturday in the slaying of priest whose body was found in the rectory of his northern New Jersey church.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said that 64-year-old Jose Feliciano stabbed the Rev. Ed Hinds 32 times on Thursday after the pair argued.

The 61-year-old Hinds was in his clerical robes when he was killed while in the rectory kitchen of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Chatham.

Feliciano, who also faces weapons charges, had worked at the church for 17 years. He was arrested at his Easton, Pa., home at about 4:50 p.m. Saturday, and Bianchi said investigators found the priest's cell phone there, along with bloody clothing and a bloody towel.

Bianchi said Feliciano was one of two people who said they found the body, and drew the suspicion of investigators when he made a halfhearted attempt at CPR on Hinds. They also said Feliciano's son graduated from the church's school and that his daughter is a student there.

[TennesseeGirl]

"Jose Feliciano"?? As in Feliz Navidad? (sarcasm)

Seriously, would this be an illegal immigrant that picked up the name when he came here years ago? Geez. 32 times! That was one heck of an argument. My sympathies to the priest's family.