Sister Margaret Ann Pahl // 490

Summary

Podcast Summary: Going West: True Crime – "Sister Margaret Ann Pahl" (Episode 490)

Release Date: April 1, 2025
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman

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Introduction

In Episode 490 of Going West: True Crime, hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman delve into the chilling case of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, a devoted nun whose brutal murder in 1980 shocked the Toledo, Ohio community. The episode meticulously unpacks the life of Sister Margaret Ann, the gruesome details of her disappearance, the protracted investigation, and the eventual conviction of Father Gerald Robinson—a pioneering case marking the first time a priest was charged for a nun’s murder in the United States.

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Background of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl

Early Life and Devotion

Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was born on April 6, 1908, in Edgerton, Ohio, into a large German Catholic family. Growing up on a rural farm without modern conveniences, Margaret Ann was one of nine children and exhibited early signs of her unwavering faith. Her family's devout Catholicism deeply influenced her, inspiring her to dedicate her life to the church.

Religious Vocation and Career

By her late teens, Margaret Ann was resolute in her calling to become a nun. In 1927, she entered the novitiate at Our Lady of Pines in Fremont, Ohio, where she spent five years before taking her vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and service. Her career in the church was marked by dedication and advancement; she served as a student nurse, ascending to the role of Superintendent of Nurses at Mercy Hospital in Toledo, Ohio.

Notable Quote:
Daphne notes, “[07:19] Daphne: Margaret Ann had a witty sense of humor and many friends at school, but she was inspired by her unwavering Catholic upbringing.”

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Events Leading to the Murder

Transition to Pastoral Care

In her 60s, Sister Margaret Ann transitioned from her administrative role at Mercy Hospital to focus on pastoral care within the hospital’s chapels. Her responsibilities included preparing for daily Mass, demonstrating her meticulous nature and deep commitment to her faith.

The Fateful Day: April 4-5, 1980

On Friday, April 4, 1980, Good Friday—a day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus—Sister Margaret Ann attended a service that did not meet her expectations for its solemnity. The following morning, April 5, Holy Saturday, Sister Margaret Ann was found brutally murdered in the chapel of Mercy Hospital. She had been strangled and stabbed over thirty times, with nine wounds arranged in the shape of an inverted cross—a symbol often associated with satanic rituals.

Notable Quote:
Heath emphasizes, “[20:37] Te: Yeah, and I'm kind of thinking that maybe investigators from the get go figured, hey, you know, this has got to be the work of, like, some satanic organization or some satanic person because of that inverted cross.”

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Investigation and Initial Suspicions

Early Investigation Challenges

The murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl baffled investigators due to its ritualistic nature and the lack of immediate suspects. The crime scene showed no fingerprints or DNA evidence, a significant obstacle given the limited forensic technology of the time.

Father Gerald Robinson: The Initial Suspect

Within the first week of the investigation, suspicion fell on Father Gerald Robinson, a 42-year-old chaplain at Mercy Hospital. Authorities discovered a letter opener in his desk—a potential weapon matching the murderer's description. However, the absence of blood or fingerprints on the letter opener initially hindered the case, leading to Robinson's off-the-radar status for decades.

Notable Quote:
Daphne reflects, “[23:31] Te: 42 year old father Robinson was heavily questioned by officials and was even given two polygraph tests.”

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Reopening the Case: Allegations and Corruption

Emergence of New Evidence

In June 2003, over 23 years after the murder, a woman came forward with allegations of ritualistic child abuse by a group of priests, including Father Robinson, during the late 1960s. These accusations reignited interest in the Pahl case, suggesting a possible link between the abuse and the murder.

Potential Police Corruption

There were speculations of corruption within the police force, particularly involving the police chief, who was a devout Catholic. This raised concerns that Robinson might have been protected from scrutiny earlier due to his standing within the church.

Notable Quote:
Heath notes, “[46:04] Te: Exactly. But as we mentioned, potential corruption in the early days of the investigation. It begs explaining how many other men in similar positions have gotten away with crimes against women within the Catholic Church.”

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Arrest and Trial of Father Gerald Robinson

Exhumation and Forensic Breakthrough

In April 2004, Father Robinson was arrested and charged with Sister Margaret Ann’s murder. Sister Margaret Ann’s remains were exhumed to gather fresh forensic evidence. Advanced chemical analysis revealed a microscopic drop of blood on the letter opener, linking it to the crime.

Notable Quote:
Daphne marvels, “[39:50] Daphne: Crazy that that tiny drop was detected, because that says a lot.”

The Trial: A Landmark Case

The trial, commencing in April 2006, featured testimonies from two nuns who had witnessed the aftermath of the murder. The prosecution presented compelling evidence, including:

• The letter opener with a blood trace and a matching medallion silhouette on the altar cloth.
• Witnesses placing Father Robinson near the chapel around the time of the murder.
• The ritualistic nature of the crime scene, suggesting personal motives intertwined with religious symbolism.

During the trial, the prosecution emphasized that the murders were not part of a satanic cult but rather a personal vendetta, portraying Father Robinson as a deeply troubled individual who possibly sought to destroy Sister Margaret Ann out of resentment or anger.

Notable Quote:
Heath summarizes, “[45:30] Te: Well, after serving only eight years in prison, in May of 2014, Gerald Robinson had a heart attack...”

Verdict and Sentencing

On May 11, 2006, the jury found Father Gerald Robinson guilty of murdering Sister Margaret Ann Pahl. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, marking a significant precedent in criminal proceedings involving members of the clergy.

Notable Quote:
Daphne states, “[35:49] Te: Yeah. This is just a way to, like, embarrass her and sort of demean her.”

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Aftermath and Reflections

Death of Father Robinson

Father Robinson served eight years before succumbing to a heart attack in July 2014 while incarcerated, closing the chapter on this unprecedented case. His conviction remains the only known instance of a prison priest being sentenced for the murder of a nun.

Broader Implications and Unsolved Cases

The case of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl raises critical questions about the potential cover-ups and unaddressed abuses within the Catholic Church. Daphne and Heath discuss the possibility that other crimes may have gone unnoticed or unreported due to institutional protection and corruption.

Notable Quote:
Daphne ponders, “[47:31] Daphne: A lot of our old episodes are missing. So I feel like we should do it again if you guys want to hear it again.”

Final Thoughts

The hosts emphasize the importance of holding individuals, regardless of their position or influence, accountable for their actions. The case underscores the complex interplay between faith, power, and justice, serving as a sobering reminder of the potential for darkness even within the most devout institutions.

Notable Quote:
Heath concludes, “[46:34] Te: Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I can't believe it took that long for Father Robinson to finally be sent to prison for the crimes that he committed.”

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Conclusion

Episode 490 of Going West: True Crime offers a comprehensive exploration of the tragic and perplexing murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl. Through meticulous research and engaging discussion, Daphne and Heath shed light on a case that intertwines faith, corruption, and the relentless pursuit of justice. This episode not only recounts the harrowing events but also invites listeners to reflect on broader systemic issues within powerful institutions.

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Note: This summary excludes sponsored content and non-relevant sections to maintain focus on the core narrative of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl’s case.

Transcript

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[Te]

Foreign what is going on? True crime fans, I'm your host Te.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host Daphne and you're.

[Te]

Listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Hello everybody. Thank you for tuning in. Big shout out to Kelly for recommending today's case. For some reason I'm so fascinated by like scandal and murder within the Catholic Church and this one is up there as far as like taking the cake goes. Just because the details are so appalling and gruesome and I won't give away why, but this case has a major first in it. Like something legally happened for the first time when the trial goes underway. But I'll talk about that later.

[Te]

Yeah, we don't want to give too many details away right off the bat here, but I will say it did take a very long time to see some justice in this case happen.

[Daphne]

Well, before we dive in, I want to let you guys know we did recently release two new bonus episodes on Apple subscriptions and on patreon.com goingwest podcast Two Wild Stories. The Balanglo State Forest murders that happened in Australia. That's like a backpacking murder hitchhiker type situation. And Then the Mersey island murders that happened in England just two years ago. Both wild stories.

[Te]

Yeah, subscribing is such a great way to support the show. It's a great way to help us keep this show going. So please head on over there, check it out, give it a, give it a trial run, see if you like it.

[Daphne]

We officially have over 130 episodes by.

[Te]

The way, and they are all full length episodes. They're ad free, so make sure you guys go check those out.

[Daphne]

Well, without further ado.

[Te]

All right guys, this is episode 490 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Daphne]

In April of 1980, a nun was found murdered on the floor of a Toledo, Ohio chapel. She had been brutally murdered, her body found with clear signs of strangulation and over 30 stages stab wounds, nine of which were in the shape of an inverted cross. At first it felt as though her murder had been part of a satanic ritual. But as the investigation unraveled, an otherworldly shock hit detectives and the community when they learned who was really behind it. This is the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Paul. Margaret Ann Paul was born on April 6, 1908 in Edgerton, Ohio to parents Catherine and Frank. The Pauls were a German Catholic family and their wooden farmhouse in the Midwest was certainly a busy home because Margaret Ann was one of Catherine and Frank's nine children and she was the fourth eldest child. Growing up as a daughter of farmers. Life in Edgerton during the early 1900s was definitely a bit tough. You know, the realities of the Ohio countryside were rural, vast and often challenging. Like for example, the. The Paul family home had no electricity or plumbing, which made summers tough and winters even more so. The home was heated by a wood burning iron stove lit by kerosene lamps, and there was a small outhouse near the barn in lieu of an indoor restroom. Not long after the end of the Industrial Revolution, by the turn of the century, half of Ohio's population lived on farms. So the state became known as the breadbasket of the country and was the leader of wheat, corn and wool production. And actually the Paul family grew wheat and corn and they also raised numerous animals like chickens, horses and cows. Like many families operated back then, the Paul children very much helped, you know, kind of run the property's operations. They helped tend to the horses and they milked the cows. One of Margaret Ann's siblings later compared their childhood lifestyle similar to how the Amish live nowadays. Now, Margaret Ann had a witty sense of humor and many friends at school, but she was inspired by her unwavering Catholic upbringing. The area had a very prevalent Catholic community and the Paul family were devout Catholics like Margaret Ann, even had cousins who were nuns. And as a teen, she vowed that she would one day follow suit and become a nun herself. Growing up, Margaret Ann was headstrong, determined and quite particular. From a young age, she knew what she wanted and she was confident that becoming a nun was her calling.

[Te]

So by her late teens, in 1927, Margaret Ann was ready to fulfill those dreams of nunhood and had plans to make the journey to Our lady of Pines, which is a convent in Fremont, Ohio. So Margaret Ann packed a few of her personal belongings and she was accompanied by her family as they loaded into their Buick touring car and headed toward Fremont, about 90 miles, or 144 kilometers east of Edgerton. Fremont sits near the southwest border of Lake Erie. The ride to drop Margaret Ann off at the convent was emotional and her parents and sisters basically cried the entire way. And obviously they were really happy for her, but they knew that they'd miss her a lot because her family realized her departure would likely be permanent. But 19 year old Margaret Ann remained steadfast in her decision to leave home and fulfill her mission. So they arrived at Our lady of Pines, which had been there for just a few years at this point, where Margaret Anne would soon undergo many years of training before taking her vows as a nun. And as Margaret Ann's sisters grew up too, several of them became nurses, and even one of them followed in her footsteps to become a nun as well. Margaret Anne spent two years at Our lady of Pines in novitiate, which is the trial staged prior to one becoming a nun. And after this, she spent three more years in the convent before officially taking her vows. Once completed, she finally took a vow of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the sick and underprivileged, and officially earned nun status in her mid-20s. Following the sister of Ministry goal to help others, she soon became a student nurse at a hospital in Lima, Ohio, which is a little over an hour's drive from Fremont. Her initiative and reliability quickly earned her a promotion from the hospital, but she was later transferred to Mercy Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, where she became Assistant Superintendent of Nurses and then eventually earned the role of Superintendent of Nurses there.

[Daphne]

While the demanding and highly regarded position within the hospital was tough, she handled her responsibilities with grace. Over the decades, Sister Margaret Ann continued to prove her successes within the hospital that she worked in, but also made time to visit family back in Edgerton and cultivated many memorable experiences in her personal life throughout the next few decades. By the time she was in her 60s, Sister Margaret Ann returned back to Mercy Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, and she was ready to step down from the high demands of a hospital administrative role. Now, Mercy Hospital in Toledo had two chapels, and after years of, you know, tending to ailing patients, she was excited to give all of her attention to the church. You know, she's kind of winding down a little bit. Her new role was working in pastoral care. And that role would mean she was responsible for making preparations for Mass in the chapels within Mercy Hospital. So day in and day out, Sister Margaret Ann would prepare supplies like communion wafers, wine, anointing oil, holy water, and candles to assure that they were ready for the daily Mass. By many accounts, she was an absolute perfectionist, but she was also incredibly selfless and deeply caring. By 1980, 71 year old Margaret Ann was serving at both chapels of Mercy Hospital and had become hard of hearing. So this resulted in her becoming a little bit quieter and a little bit more reserved. She worked long hours at the chapels, and after serving over five decades within the Catholic Church altogether, Sister Margaret Ann was finally ready to consider retirement. You know, even though she was kind of winding down from her previous role, she is still doing a lot in both chapels. You know, physically, she was tired, and she also had some of her own health issues after serving many years on her feet. So upon the consideration, her tireless devotion to God and the church was her sole duty. Sister Margaret Ann even wore a ring on her wedding finger, serving as a symbolic devotion to her life as a bride of Christ, which is really what a nun is.

[Te]

On Friday, April 4, 1980, it was good Friday. Now, Good Friday is considered a holy day where members of many Christian denominations, including Catholics, observe the crucifixion and death of Jesus. This is, of course, just two days prior to Easter Sunday, a Christian holiday that celebrates Jesus, resurrection from the dead, like many of you guys already probably know. So on Good Friday, a service took place within the chapels of Mercy Hospital. But Sister Margaret Ann was a bit upset about how it played out. A housekeeper at the chapel noted that the service wasn't as perfect as Sister Margaret Ann had hoped it would be. Because basically, the priest leading the service on that Good Friday kinda just shortened the service, which felt disrespectful to the nuns. Now, despite her obvious dismay, what happened the following morning would prove that something even more troubling than shortening a Good Friday service would take place within the walls of the chapel. A disturbing discovery would incite panic, fear, and ultimately, two decades of unanswered questions. On Saturday, April 5, 1980, Sister Margaret Ann awoke promptly at 5:00am in the upstairs living quarters of Mercy Hospital. It was Holy Saturday, a day where many Christian denominations mark the final day of Jesus death and the day before Easter Sunday. And for those who observe, Holy Saturday is often a day of waiting, fasting and praying. Meticulous and considerably old school, Sister Margaret Ann kept detailed journals and documentation about her days at Mercy Hospital. And in addition to her journals, she also had a leather photo album where neatly organized images with hand inscribed titles documented joyful moments, you know, some from childhood memories to her life within the ministry. So on Holy Saturday, after waking up, she went downstairs and by 6:15am Sister Margaret Ann began her duties. She entered a storage room near the chapel to collect an altar cloth and incense. As she began to prepare the chapel for Easter Sunday services, which was going to be that following day, she entered the empty chapel holding the items and then she placed them on a pew. She hadn't had breakfast yet and in an attempt to grab a quick bite, she walked to the dining room at approximately 6:20am and there she ate a grapefruit, a bowl of raisin bran, and she had a coffee. And about 25 minutes after entering the dining area, by 6:45am she headed back to the chapel to continue preparations for Easter Sunday, which happened to fall on her 72nd birthday.

[Daphne]

About an hour and 15 minutes later at 8am, a young nun was walking the halls of Mercy Hospital before going into the chapel. And as she entered the chapel, she noticed a folded cloth on the ground and picked it up before placing it on a nearby pew. The young nun admired the massive organ that gleamed in the chapel. This is a beautiful large instrument and the room was eerily quiet. She took note of this. She wanted to make a phone call, so she headed to the sacristy, which is a small room in the chapel where service preparations are made, because that is where the telephone was. Her shoes clicked on the pristine shiny marble floor leading her to the sacristy. And as she entered the small room, a horrific sight presented itself before her eyes. And she let out a scream that echoed through the chapel. Because there in the sacristy, within the chapel of the Sisters of Mercy on Holy Saturday, laid the deceased body of 71 year old sister Margaret Ann Paul. As described by David Youn, his 2006 book, Sin, Shame and Secrets. She had been strangled and stabbed over 3030 times. She was attacked from behind, likely unable to hear the perpetrator approaching sadly due to her being hard of hearing. And during the attack, the perpetrator tightly tied an altar cloth around her neck, breaking her hyoid bone. The petite elderly nun was immediately incapacitated and fell to the ground. And that cloth had been used to strangle her and was then draped over her torso. Eerily, a crucifix was taken from one of the cabinets in the sacristy and placed over her heart. And then the assailant took a small dagger like object and stabbed the altar cloth that was placed on top of her chest, striking her in the chest repeatedly. Now, disturbingly, nine wounds to her chest were affixed in the shape of an inverted cross, which is obviously commonly known as a satanic symbol. So the coroner later noted that the blade had to have been 3 inches in length and about half an inch wide, so quite small. And the blade itself was not completely flat edged either. So remember this. That's why I said it's kind of like. Like think of like a tiny sword. That's essentially what was used. And we will absolutely be coming back to that. Now, Sister Margaret Ann was also partially disrobed. Her blue dress that she had been wearing was pulled above her chest, and her girdle, underwear, and stockings were pulled down to her ankles, fully exposing her body underneath.

[Te]

So this is just, you know, a beyond degrading state for anybody to be positioned in, but especially a nun who took a vow of celibacy long ago.

[Daphne]

Yeah, not even just like sexually degrading, but the fact that there was an inverted cross on her chest, like everything that had been done to her body was disrespectful to who she was at her core in every single way.

[Te]

Well, it's about to get even worse because while police initially ruled out sexual assault, some reports claim that the attacker used an object, possibly a crucifix, to sexually assault Sister Margaret Ann. The killer positioned her body with her arms out to her sides, and her legs were laid out straight with her feet slightly apart, still wearing her oxford shoes, which were laced and tied.

[Daphne]

And this is a really eerie scene. Like she is laying flat and positioned. She's not kind of like curled over or anything. It was like somebody. Somebody did this very specifically.

[Te]

Yeah. And we're gonna talk a little bit more about how this feels very sacrificial. Well, you know, to go on top of this. On her forehead, a smear of her own blood was clearly intentionally imprinted, as if her last rites had been conducted after the killing. And for whatever reason, before the Attacker left the sacristy. The altar cloth that had been previously placed on her chest was removed. So, as you guys can tell, the state of her body was horrific, and the scene was reminiscent of a satanic ritual. So when police entered the chapel, nuns were strewn around in total panic alongside two chaplains, Father Jerome Svytetsky and Father Gerald Robinson. As speculation circled, many wondered, how could a woman who spent over 53 years of her life devoted to serving others meet such a horrific and gruesome fate, and who had done this to her?

[Daphne]

And this is a hospital where many people are around, so the pool of questioning would generally be pretty broad. But the attack, obviously, as Heath just told us, felt so personal. It wasn't. She wasn't just killed. She wasn't just shot or stabbed. She was stabbed so many times. We have to, you know, remember the inverted cross, the fact that her clothing was disturbed, the fact that she was positioned. It was so, so personal and felt really intentional. So you immediately have to wonder, like, is it personal to Sister Margaret Ann? Is it personal to the church, or is it both? Because it's kind of hard to imagine that someone had a problem with this totally sweet and caring older woman. So, like, did some random person enter the hospital to get back at Catholicism as a whole, you know, or was it against her specifically?

[Te]

Yeah, and I'm kind of thinking that maybe investigators from the get go figured, hey, you know, this has got to be the work of, like, some satanic organization or some satanic person because of that inverted cross. Like, I'm sure that that's what they were initially thinking.

[Daphne]

Yeah, like, why would somebody within the church do that? Because that's directly going against their own religion. So on April 9, 1980, in Fremont, Ohio, black clouds stirred in the sky as a storm was underway. The winds rattled against the roof of St Bernardine's Chapel, where Sister Margaret Ann's funeral mass was taking place just days after her gruesome murder. On this spring day, more than 200 people came to pay their respects and honor this incredibly beloved nun. St. Bernardine's Chapel was filled with mourners, and the congregation gathered with many individuals from the church, including Father Gerald Robinson and Father Jerome Svotetsky. Father Svatetsky, who was a Mercy Hospital chaplain, called the killing a violent, tragic, traumatic death, a death not only blasphemous, but patently absurd. So while he said this, it was noted that Father Gerald Robinson seemed cold and glazed over during the funeral proceedings. When service ended, Sister Margaret Ann's casket was carried out of St. Bernardine's and the tumultuous weather outside actually stopped briefly, the atmosphere overcome with a sudden stillness. Her family and loved ones strongly believed that this was a sign from Sister Margaret Ann, and her body was then laid to rest. As you guys can imagine, the story of this slain nun was an unthinkable tale that made national headlines and shocked many. As police began their investigation, they cast a wide net and interviewed more than 600 people just to try to understand who had committed such a hideous crime. Nuns, chaplains and others within Mercy Hospital were questioned and many suspects were considered. But while the investigation rang out for many months, within the first week, detectives had actually narrowed their hunt down to one person in particular, which is crazy, just considering the lack of advanced technology at the time and of course, the countless number of people who could have entered the chapel and committed the crime. But within the first week, they felt like they kind of knew who did it. And the suspect was shocking because they believed that Father Gerald Robinson, one of the chaplains at Mercy Hospital, was the killer.

[Te]

42 year old father Robinson was heavily questioned by officials and was even given two polygraph tests. During one of the tests, after long and arduous hours of questioning, Father Robinson actually admitted that someone had confessed to him about committing Sister Margaret Ann's murder. But considering his role, he claimed that he was unable to name the confessor due to the religious severity. However, it was found that he had lied about this. Nobody had confessed anything to him relating to Sister Margaret Ann. Under the stress of the questioning, he admitted to falsely making the claim in hopes of ending the long interrogation.

[Daphne]

Or are you trying to get them off your tail?

[Te]

Yeah, trying to kind of steer them in a different direction. Well, during a search of his living quarters at Mercy Hospital, a letter opener was found within his desk. The letter opener looked more like a small, sharp edged sword.

[Daphne]

Sounds familiar.

[Te]

Yeah, and actually it wasn't made public at the time, but this was believed to be the weapon that was used to viciously stabilize this innocent nun to death. But unfortunately, the lack of physical evidence made it incredibly difficult to prove that Father Robinson committed this murder. I mean, it's not like there was visible blood on the letter opener or anything like that. So they really didn't have much to go on here. And on top of this, there were no fingerprints, fabric, threads, or blood from the killer at the scene of the crime. But we also have to remember that in 1980, DNA testing as we know it today just didn't exist. So they had very little to work with here, especially Considering the lack of witnesses to the crime. Also, since several people within the church rushed to the crime scene before police entered the chapel, important prints could have been contaminated. Pertinent items like Father Robinson's letter opener, the altar cloth and her clothing were safely stored in police headquarters for the time being. But the case would eventually go cold.

[Daphne]

Police still kept Father Robinson on their radar. But the Toledo, Ohio born chaplain was a notable pillar of the community. Not at all the type of person anybody would think could be responsible for something so disturbing. Well, interestingly, there was speculation about COVID ups within the police force. And not to say that somebody in the police force was responsible, but it was actually noted that the police chief himself was a devout Catholic and a high ranking leader. So it's believed by many that he was possibly encouraged not to press charges against Father Robinson, regardless of suspicion. So between one morally corrupt system and the other, the horrors of Sister Margaret Ann's death proved to become a distant memory as time went on. But this was of course, not the case for her family. She was remembered by many as a truly incredible and pious woman whose memory would live on. One of her family members said, quote, sister Margaret Ann was a loving, caring, compassionate person who took her responsibilities very seriously. Everything she did and accomplished was for the glory of God. Our family feels very blessed to have witnessed the life of Sister Margaret Ann. She inspired us all. Well, as time would go on, one thing would eventually become clear. Despite one's hierarchy within their church, nobody is above the law. So this brings us to June of 2003, over 23 years after the murder. And this is crazy. So a woman appeared at a secret hearing at a church review board in the Toledo, Ohio area. And she came forward with some damning accusations. This woman, who was about 41 years old at this time, claimed to have been a victim of abuse as a child many decades earlier. She detailed harrowing accusations of ritualistic sex abuse that she endured as a minor, as well as several years of abuse committed by a group of priests, including cult like and ritualistic ceremonies back in the late 1960s.

[Te]

And remember, this is not just one person, this is a group of priests that are abusing a child.

[Daphne]

So scary. Like just the fact that she says it was cult like and that it was ritualistic like, you can only imagine what that looked like. So she said that the rituals occurred in the evening and included altars and chanting. And she said she was only now coming forward with the allegations due to fear of not being believed while heinous claims of abuse within the church and just everywhere really have become much more common over the years as victims bravely call out their abusers. This one was important for another reason, because while the woman stating that she was abused named several priests as the perpetrators, one in particular stood out. Father Gerald Robinson.

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[T-Mobile Customer]

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[T-Mobile Employee]

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[Te]

After the private board meeting confessions, the allegations were brought forward to the prosecutor's office in Lucas County, Ohio. And while it took several months, by the end of 2003 a prosecutor had assigned investigators to this case regarding the woman who had been abused by those four priests decades earlier. With further digging, the name Father Gerald Robinson rang a bell to the prosecutor and investigators. And over 23 years after her murder back in April 1980, the killing of Sister Margaret Ann Paul would resurface, making one of Toledo's most high profile unsolved homicides officially reopened. So with a new team on the case In April of 2004, officials had enough evidence to make their arrest. On April 23rd of 2004, shortly after his 66th birthday, Gerald Robinson was arrested and charged with the murder of 71 year old sister Margaret Ann Paul Hall. He was arrested at his home, which was actually right by the police station. Shortly afterwards, to strengthen their case, Sister Margaret Ann's remains were exhumed from her resting place at St. Bernardine Cemetery 24 years after she was buried. Because even though more than two decades had passed, her skeletal remains could lead to key insights. With the permission of her family, the remains were removed from the grounds of St. Bernardine's for a short period of time, and forensics were examined with fresh eyes, which would be huge for this case, but we are going to get into that soon. While Father Robinson was initially charged with aggravated murder in the time between his arrest and the trial, the Lucas county prosecutor's office in Ohio reduced the charge from aggravated murder to murder, Saying the killing was not premeditated.

[Daphne]

Well, two whole years after Gerald Robinson was arrested on April 17, 2006, the trial commenced. Like I said in the intro, There is a big first in this case and that I can finally reveal. This was the first trial in the United States history Where a priest was charged for a nun's murder. And there are definitely other cases out there where priests are suspected of murder, but not. They haven't been charged. This was the first time that ever happened. So during the trial, two nuns who had been at Mercy hospital the day that Sister Margaret Ann was discovered, took the stand. Both nuns described the horrific state of her body, and they referred to the scene as ritualistic, Stating that the positioning of her body on the floor was not natural, which police vehemently agreed to. While the recollection on the stand occurred 26 years after the discovery, the traumatic memory was clear as day. Actually, even a mannequin was present to mimic the position that her body was found in. Again, with her arms appearing to be purposefully placed evenly to the sides of her body and her legs out straight in front of her, with her feet about 12 inches apart. Understandably, the sexual assault question came back into the equation. And while a swab had been previously performed, and it didn't appear that she had been raped because of the lack of DNA, it did appear that there were abrasions present inside of her, and. And this insinuated an object was used to assault her. Heath mentioned this earlier because many sources claim that it's believed to have been a crucifix or possibly a candlestick that was used to assault her. Now, from the beginning, it was believed that the killer personally knew Sister Margaret Ann and that this wasn't some random act of violence. And they also believed that the person had practice in religious rituals. You know, they knew to put the cross of Blood on her forehead. The fact that they had that inverted cross, like, a lot of it, and of course, the altar cloth being placed on her chest, it seemed like this person knew things.

[Te]

Yeah, they had some prior knowledge of, you know, the practice of the religion.

[Daphne]

Exactly. And then the upside down cross stabbing markings on Sister Margaret Ann's chest pointed to a possible occult killing, now believed to have been inspired by a crucifix placed upon her chest over the altar cloth during the act. It seemed to be a very symbolic notion. The altar cloth, which is a sacred item, was pierced and degraded while covering her body, Another nod to the act being sacrificial. As for her blood itself, this, remember again, was used to smear an inverted cross on her forehead while her killer evidently was performing her last rites. Like, this was yet another sign of disgrace, because usually one's last rites are typically performed with oil, not their own fricking blood.

[Te]

Yeah. This is just a way to, like, embarrass her and sort of demean her.

[Daphne]

Yeah. It felt like a complete taunt to not only the victim, but the representation of the blood of Christ as a whole. I feel like I've learned so much about rituals and Catholicism during this episode, but basically because of all this, I do want to also mention that Father Robinson's literal job was to perform last rites and anoint patients.

[Te]

You know, part of me kind of wonders if, you know, the initial murder took place, and then in order to kind of divert some suspicion away from himself, Father Robinson then decided to do these things that looked like they were satanic to kind of make it seem like, hey, you know, I'm. I'm a priest. Like, I would never do something like that. You know, it had to have been, like, a satanic person who killed this woman, because I could never do that.

[Daphne]

Yeah. I mean, it's clear that this guy is obviously very, very evil anyway. But it is wild to me that he would even do that, considering his position and his beliefs.

[Te]

Yeah.

[Daphne]

But I could totally see that happening, that he was trying to divert the blame away from himself or any attention, because. Yeah, how could he do that? Just, like, how could he sexually assault a minor 20 years before that as well?

[Te]

Exactly. He was, you know, throughout his life, he's trying to cover his tracks of all of his, you know, evil things that he was doing.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And I also want to mention, it is interesting to me as well, that this happened during such a prominent weekend, the day after Good Friday, you know, Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. That feels sacrilegious in Nature as well. So it almost feels like because of all these things coming together, it does feel very intentional. It feels almost premeditated. But they're thinking that it. That it wasn't, that he killed her in a fit of rage, as we're going to discuss, and then probably, like you said, did these other things to cover his tracks.

[Te]

Well, the police lieutenant who initially took part in the questioning of Father Robinson in the weeks after the murder took the stand. During the trial, the retired lieutenant was part of the squad that searched Father Robinson's living quarters and found the small sword like letter opener, which was believed to possibly be the murder weapon. Now, as mentioned earlier, the original coroner determined the weapon used was a small object about 3 inches long and a half an inch wide and was not flat. And while a small pair of scissors was also considered, the weapon was believed to be sharper than a pair of scissors. While the letter opener was collected way back in 1980, an important realization of the state of the object was curious to investigators. Like objects that we use on a regular basis, one could assume a letter opener would be covered with fingerprints or even possibly evidence of paper or glue on the tip. But when the letter opener was dusted, it was completely clean. No fingerprints, not even one which naturally would lead one to believe that the object had been pristinely wiped down. But if this was the murder weapon, based on the several stab wounds on Sister Margaret Ann's body, surely whatever weapon was used would have had even a microscopic trace of blood on it. So a substance called phenolphthalein was used on this dagger, which is a chemical used to indicate the presence of blood. The substance changes color when even a small amount of blood is present. And while it originally didn't highlight any traces of blood, a criminologist carefully painted the phenolphthalein on a tiny medallion design on the letter opener, and a very, very small purple dot appeared. And the dot was so microscopic that the blood itself wasn't able to be tested. But the positive presence of blood was undeniable here.

[Daphne]

Crazy that that tiny drop was detected, because that says a lot. And also on top of this, the small medallion of the US Capitol that was engraved on the letter opener was also mentioned, because not only was it where the blood was, but upon further analysis of that altar cloth, the one that had been draped over her body during the stabbing, forensic experts testified during the trial noting a faint marking on the altar cloth, because the marking portrayed a silhouette that matched the medallion design on the letter opener. So it really did Seem like that cloth was laying atop her body when she was being stabbed, and that it was imprinted in this small way with the letter opener, AKA the murder weapon. Now, aside from the forensics done on the altar cloth and the letter opener, Sister Margaret Ann's exhumed remains showed small jab marks on her jaw. And the size of the jab marks were compared to the size of the tip of the letter opener. And this, based on reports and photographs, was proven to be consistent by the prosecution. So it does seem like she was assaulted in her face with this very same weapon. So all signs are pointing to Father Robinson's letter opener, kept in his desk at Mercy Hospital, as the murder weapon.

[Te]

But let's talk about a few witnesses here. So, during the trial, a witness claimed to have seen Father Robinson near the chapel doors at about 7am on the day of the murder. Sister Margaret Ann was likely killed between 6:45am and 8:00am, which would make it rather suspicious that he was just kinda lurking around the halls at that time. Another witness said that she had seen Father Robinson leave the chapel with a duffel bag at around 7:30am that morning, half an hour before Sister Margaret Ann's body was discovered by that innocent young nun. But 45 minutes after she was seen heading into the chapel after breakfast. One individual testified seeing a priest who matched the description of Father Robinson walking away from the chapel after the estimated time of the murder. Then another witness, a receptionist and maintenance worker, heard footsteps in a hallway leading to Father Robinson's living quarters around this time. But she couldn't confirm who the steps, the footsteps had come from. And to give you guys a little bit of a visual, the chapel had two stories and as we mentioned, Sister Margaret Anne lived upstairs. But Father Robinson was the only person who lived on the ground floor of that chapel. Which would make the movements from the chapel to his living chambers a lot shorter, making for an easy escape. Meaning he could have walked from the chapel after the killing, cleaned the letter opener and placed it back in his desk before police found it later. But if it was a first time kill for him, how would Father Robinson be so good at keeping his DNA out of the crime scene? Well, to explain that, since DNA testing was still in its infancy in 1980, it's possible that the police didn't properly protect the evidence from any contamination since they weren't aware of what was to come in terms of DNA testing. But obviously he was suspected quite quickly. So it seems he didn't do too good of a job at being discreet.

[Daphne]

Here While this trial was highly publicized, it was even on Court tv. And in a case so unheard of, motive is a big question mark that begs for an explanation. While some claim that Father Robinson had never exhibited the type of behavior that would be consistent with being a killer, it was reported that he was a loner and very few people truly knew him. And then, of course, there was that woman's accusation of him being involved in her sexual assault as a child. So feel like this guy had a lot of secrets. His mother was reportedly very harsh on him while he was growing up. And it's believed that like many other killers out there, he had a distaste for women of authority. I mean, after all, the nuns basically ran the Mercy Hospital chapels. And this apparently bothered Father Robinson. So could he have killed Sister Margaret Ann because she was a woman of authority? Was it a satanic and ritualistic killing? Was he fed up when she was upset about the Good Friday service? By the end of the trial, the prosecutor made a statement that rang through the courtroom saying, you listened to this evidence. You heard what took place in the sacristy. Is this some sort of satanic cult killing? No. Was this part of some ritualistic Black Mass? No. Sorry to disappoint. This case is about perhaps the most common scenario there is for homicide. A man got very angry at a woman and the woman died. The only thing different is the man wore a white collar and the woman wore a habit. After this powerful statement, the jury deliberated and reached their verdict. And on May 11, 2006, the jury found 68 year old father Gerald Robinson guilty of murdering Sister Margaret Ann Paul. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for his heinous crimes.

[Te]

Well, after serving only eight years in prison, in May of 2014, Gerald Robinson had a heart attack at the Hocking Correctional Facility in Ohio where he was serving his sentence. He remained in hospice at Franklin Medical center for two months before dying on July 4, 2014 at 76 years old. And while it was the first of its kind, the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Paul is currently the only publicly known case of a prison priest killing a nun.

[Daphne]

At least where they've been caught for it.

[Te]

Exactly. But as we mentioned, potential corruption in the early days of the investigation. It begs explaining how many other men in similar positions have gotten away with crimes against women within the Catholic Church.

[Daphne]

Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Te]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I can't believe it took that long for Father Robinson to finally be sent to prison for the crimes that he committed.

[Daphne]

Yeah, seriously. And just regarding that last line, you said he's like one very well known case that comes to mind is the Keepers, you know, the murder of, of nun Catherine Sesnick, because it's very much believed that she was murdered by a priest, you know, Joseph Mascul. So I, I just wonder how many other cases like this there are out there. And it's so interesting and I cannot remember. I feel like we definitely covered that case, but I tried to find it earlier, like on our Patreon, our bonus episodes, our regular episodes, and I can't find it. So if anybody happens to remember where and when we covered that, I think think we're gonna have to do it again because I don't know, did we do that?

[Te]

I think we may have done it. It might have been a long time ago though. So we'll have to go back and dig through some of the old cases that we did and, and see if we actually did do that one.

[Daphne]

A lot of our old episodes are missing. So I feel like we should do it again if you guys want to hear it again. I just find that case so fascinating and horrific. So let us know. But thank you guys so much for tuning in to this episode. Thank you so much again to Kelly for telling us about this because we did not know about it before you emailed us.

[Te]

Yes, thank you so much, Kelly. And also just want to mention again, we have those bonus episodes on our Patreon. They're also on Apple subscriptions where we just released two episodes, one on the Belanglo Forest murders and also the Mercy island murders.

[Daphne]

Yes, we now have 131 full length ad free bonus episodes. We leave the United States a lot on that series. We call it Real Crime, but it's exactly like Going west. So check it out. Thank you guys so much and we will see you again on Friday.

[Te]

All right, guys. So for everybody out there in the.

[Daphne]

World, don't be a stranger. Sa.

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