MURDERED: Irene Garza
When a young woman seemingly vanishes on Easter weekend after an evening spent giving her confession at her local church, the authorities go on an all-out search for the young 23-year-old. It doesn’t take long before her body appears in a nearby canal… but little does the community know that this cover-up goes higher than they could ever imagine, and lasts decades…
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National Sexual Violence Resource Center
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Episode Source Material
- Garza Offense reports (1960): https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Garza-Offense-report.pdf
- Garza autopsy Report (1960): https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Garza-autopsy.pdf
- 48 Hours: Sins of the Father (Season 31, Episode 18). Aired January 27, 2018. Accessed August 19, 2024 via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBVH5obMP10
- ABC 7 Eyewitness News (Los Angeles, CA): What to know about the Los Angeles Catholic Church’s $880M settlement with sexual abuse victims by AP News. Published October 19, 2024. Accessed October 21, 2024. https://abc7.com/post/what-know-los-angeles-catholic-churchs-880-million-settlement-sexual-abuse-victims/15444261/
- CBS News: 48 Hours: The Last Confession, by Richard Schlesinger. Published April 16, 2016. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irene-garza-murder-former-priest-john-feit-arrested-in-beauty-queens-1960-murder/
- CBS News: 48 Hours: Inside the trial of former priest charged with 1960 murder of Texas schoolteacher, by Richard Schlesinger. Published January 27, 2018. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/inside-the-trial-of-former-priest-charged-with-1960-murder-of-texas-schoolteacher/
- CBS News: Church officials shielded priest suspected of murder for decades, by Josh Gaynor. Published February 26, 2018. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/church-officials-shielded-priest-suspected-of-murder-for-decades/
- CNN: Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees: “Beauty and the Priest” (Transcript Only). Aired June 2, 2013. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/acd/date/2013-06-02/segment/01
- CNN US: Police: Evidence in killing of former beauty queen points to ex-priest, by Scott Bronstein and Gary Tuchman. Published May 31, 2013. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2013/05/31/justice/garza-texas-priest-murder-case/index.html
- CNN US: Timeline: The killing of Irene Garza by Gary Tuchman and Scott Bronstein. Published May 31, 2013. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2013/05/31/justice/garza-cold-case-timeline/index.html
- Cold Case Files: Devil in Disguise (Season 2, Episode 6). Aired September 24, 2021. Accessed August 21, 2024 via Hulu. https://www.hulu.com/watch/b4bfd6ef-e25d-4892-8b06-4f922720f7cf
- Courthouse News Service: Former Priest Convicted in Cold-Case Murder Dies in Prison, by Erik De la Garza. Published February 13, 2020. Accessed August 21, 2024, https://www.courthousenews.com/former-priest-convicted-of-1960-murder-dies-in-prison/
- Dallas News (Dallas, TX): Ex-priest on trial in slaying of South Texas beauty queen who vanished after confessing her sins to him, by Marc Ramirez. Published December 2, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/12/03/ex-priest-on-trial-in-slaying-of-south-texas-beauty-queen-who-vanished-after-confessing-her-sins-to-him/
- Texas Monthly (Austin, TX): Unholy Act, by Pamela Colloff. April 2005. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/unholy-act/
- Texas Monthly (austin, TX): Ex-Priest Arrested In The 1960 Murder of Irene Garza, by Pamela Colloff. Published February 10. 2016. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/383337/
- The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, TX): 40-year-old murder, unsolved, unforgotten Profile: Crime records paint portrait of murder victim, by Emma Perez-Trevio. Published July 22, 2002. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Internet Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20171031145531/http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/article_1ae25f4a-e4a3-58d6-be96-bd5a52865f58.html
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Police Search for Vanished School Teacher. Published April 16, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297588264
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Missing teacher’s handbag, shoe found. Published April 19, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297588687
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Missing teacher search expands. Published April 20, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297589157
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Manhunt launched for girl’s slayer. Published April 21, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297589688
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Killer Reward up to $2,500. Published April 22, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297590517
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Film slide viewer taken from canal may be clue in murder. Published April 27, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297592897
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Public help asked in probe of McAllen teacher slaying. Published April 28, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297593386
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): State police get Garza case files, No suspects are charged. Published April 29, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/297594160
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Police search for break in Garza murder case. Published May 1, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/292860623
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Police questioning in Garza case continuing. Published May 8, 1960. Accessed August 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/292866123
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Investigator hired for Garza murder probe. Published August 31, 1960. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/300256950
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Garza murder probe reopens. Published February 21, 1961. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/292555618
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Former priest denies link to murder, abuse, by Emma Perez-Trevino and Roxana M. Popescu. Published July 16, 2002. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/331066325
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Police take second look at unsolved murder case, by Emma Perez-Trevino. Published August 13, 2002. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/331012425
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Murder of Irene Garza goes unsolved, by Sarah Ovaska. Published September 18, 2003. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/670391291
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Garza case in 2nd day before a grand jury, by Sarah Ovaska. Published March 18, 2004. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/670400220
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Man recalls former priest’s scratches following murder, by Emma Perez-Trevino. Published March 25, 2004. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/331725162
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Garza case closes without indictment, by Sarah Ovaska. Published June 10, 2004. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/670413766
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Former monk gives insight into Irene Garza’s death, by Sarah Ovaska. Published June 29, 2004. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/670415694
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Clergy colleagues say ex-priest admitted to 1960 McAllen killing, by Associated Press. Published November 21, 2004. Accessed August 20, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/331761455
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Ex-Priest Is Arrested in 1960 Killing of Texas Beauty Queen, by Fernando Santos. Published February 11, 2016. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/us/texas-beauty-queen-murder-irene-garza.html
- Valley Central (Brownsville, TX): Irene Garza TMs cold case under review in Hidalgo County, by Ashly Custer. Published April 15, 2015. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/irene-garzas-cold-case-under-review-in-hidalgo-county/
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Testimony paints Feit as unusual; recalls macabre remarks, by Molly Smith. Published December 2, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355644867
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Compelling testimony emerges, by Molly Smith. Published December 5, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/358956671
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): ‘To make it go away’, by Molly Smith. Published December 6, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/358957014
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Text of Catholic Church correspondence entered as evidence in Feit trial. Published December 7, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/358957325/
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Former priest John Feit gets life in prison for schoolteacher’s murder, by Molly Smith. Published December 9, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2024 via Internet Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20171209085247/http://www.themonitor.com/irenegarza/article_84172c94-dc8d-11e7-ad35-274cee316d00.html
- The Monitor (McAllen, TX): Former priest convicted of murder dies by Mark Reagan. Published February 14, 2020. Accessed August 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/638049489/
- The Washington Post (Washington, D.C.): In 1960, she went to confession and vanished. Now we know the priest murdered her., by Samantha Schmidt. Published December 8, 2017. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/12/08/in-1960-she-went-to-confession-and-vanished-now-we-know-the-priest-murdered-her/
- Trappist Brothers & Sisters: Balancing Prayer, Reading and Work. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.trappists.org/
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