A Catholic priest who was charged in May 2019 with two counts of rape is believed to have died.

A spokesperson for the Michigan Attorney General’s Office said the office is still working to confirm the death of Jacob Vellian, a priest from India who worked at the St. John the Evangelist Parish in Benton Harbor, where he allegedly raped a girl.

The Attorney General’s Office last week released an extensive report on a number of allegations in the Kalamazoo Diocese. The report stated Vellian is believed to have died while awaiting extradition to Berrien County, Mich., from India. The AG’s office said it was notified in November 2023 of Vellian’s likely death, and is working to confirm that information.

Another priest in the Kalamazoo Diocese – Brian Stanley – was previously convicted and sentenced. Brian Stanley, a priest at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church in Otsego, was sentenced in January…