SNAP Organization Speaks out on 56-year-old Murder Case

KRGV
February 10, 2016

http://www.krgv.com/story/31183610/snap-organization-speaks-out-on-56-year-old-murder-case

An organization worked closely with Irene Garza’s family in her murder case.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Director David Clohessy said the organization continued to follow the case for decades. The arrest of John Feit may now bring closure to Irene Garza’s family.

“Even though… Feit is yet to be convicted, just his arrest, we believe, will really be comfort for them and, quite frankly, make citizens of Arizona safer,” Clohessy said.

Clohessy said he can’t believe Feit was sent to Arizona to work at Catholic Charities as a suspected murderer.

“He was suspected of having murdered this young, vulnerable woman,” Clohessy said. “And yet, Catholic officials let him move to Phoenix, where he worked around very vulnerable young woman in Catholic Charities.”

Clohessy said he wants answers from the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.

“We believe that Brownsville Catholic officials recruited, educated, ordained, hired, transferred, shielded Father Feit for decades,” Clohessy said.

Clohessy said he hopes this arrest will finally bring some closure.

“They have a moral and a civic duty to help law enforcement to convict him at this point,” Clohessy said. “And we believe that means that they should aggressively reach out to anybody who might have seen, or suspected, or suffered his crimes and beg them to call police and prosecutors.”

Clohessy said he will continue to wait for any new information. He said SNAP is going to continue to reach out to the Garza family, as the case proceeds.