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By Charles Montaldo, About.com Guide to Crime / Punishment since 2004

Priest Convicted in 1980 Stabbing of Nun

Friday May 12, 2006
An Ohio jury deliberated six hours before finding a Roman Catholic priest guilty of the stabbing death of a nun as she prepared for Easter services 26 years ago, in what prosecutors called a ritualistic murder.

The Rev. Gerald Robinson, 68, was found guilty after nine days of forensic-intensive testimony linking him to the crime scene.

According to prosecutors, Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was stabbed 31 times through an altar cloth as she prepared for Easter services at a hospital chapel. Testimony showed that the stab wounds formed an upside down cross and her forehead was anointed with her own blood, an act of humiliation.

Witnesses said Robinson's sword-shaped letter opener matched the victim's wounds and linked to blood stains found in the altar cloth.

Robinson's defense attorneys presented evidence that indicated that DNA found under the nun's fingernails and on her underwear did not match Robinson's DNA.

See Also:
Priest Convicted of Murdering Nun on Easter Eve

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Comments

May 15, 2006 at 9:49 am
(1) Marcus Taft says:

It looks like the jury convicted the wrong man for this crime. There is no DNA evidence or anything except the unsubstantiated word of forensics, yet this man is convicted. My thought is that he was convicted because of the sexual predator scandals in the Church–not because there was any creditable evidence. What a sham of justice this case is!!!!

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