13abc is learning disturbing details of a letter, which set the Father Robinson case into motion

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

WTVG--October 29, 2007 (WTVG) -- While Father Robinson's attorney works on his appeal, for the first time we are learning disturbing details of a letter, which set the cold case into motion.

Last year, a jury found Gerald Robinson guilty of murdering Sister Margaret Ann Pahl in 1980. It was a letter to the Toledo Diocesan review board from June 2003 that sparked investigators to re-open the case. It is a letter filled with bizarre accounts of ritualistic sexual abuse at the hands of members of the Catholic Church, including priests.

Mark Davis is an attorney representing another unknown client who alleges similar abuse by other priests and is suing the Toledo Catholic Diocese.

Mark Davis says, "The group purposely makes it so bizarre that a child is not believable and they can escape and get away with these activities."

In one case, a woman says when she was five she was taken to the Calvary Cemetery and put into a coffin-like pine box with cockroaches. Another time, she describes being taken to an abandoned house on Raab Road to take part in satanic activities. The letter also claims much of the sexual abuse took part at St. Pius and the rituals were horrifying and sadistic.

Ironically, Father Robinson's name was only mentioned once in the letter. She claims she and Robinson took part in S and M sex at St. Vincent's. True or not, it was enough to get law enforcement involved to solve a 20-year-old cold case murder of a nun. Davis believes with the secrets now exposed, it is time to move forward so clients like his can heal.

The letter is listed as one of the reasons Father Robinson's attorney is appealing his case, saying Robinson had nothing to do with the devil worship allegations. But for now, the 68-year-old remains in prison.

However, Robinson's attorney is making an appeal to get the convicted priest out of jail. A motion filed in the sixth district court of appeals asks for Robinson's release from jail on a property bond, with electronic monitoring, pending the outcome of his appeal. The motion says Robinson's trial attorneys were ineffective and questions the jury's ability to understand the evidence.

University of Toledo College of Law associate dean Daniel Steinbock says even with its harsh words, it's a long shot. "This is a strongly argued motion. The fact that it's strongly argued though doesn't make it any more likely to be successful."

The motion also says Robinson's attorneys are still waiting for records from his trial as they write their motion for appeal.

Get more News »