I have just finished the Netflix series, so I've come looking for a discussion.
What is everybody's theory about this?.
My Theory:
Cathy Cesnik was about to whistle blow the entire Paedophilia going on.
Rev. A Joseph Maskell and his "friends" planned to frighten Cesnik, threaten her to silence. Beat her a little bit.
But accidentally killed her, as "Father Bob" stated.
People involved with the murder, who were involved in the rapes in the offices =
"Father Bob" (AKA: Billy Schmidt), because Billy and "Skippy" liked to dress up as Nuns and Priests. So Billy was impersonating a Priest when Maskell invited him to "play".
"Edgar Davidson" - Cruising around the school trying to pick up school girls.
"Maskell" - Well documented.
"Skippy" - Billy's friend (maybe lover).
"Unidentified Police officials" - Raped the children, so got rid of evidence alongside Maskell's policeman brother.
1. They all planned to threaten Cesnik.
2. Billy (with his son), and Edgar went to confront Cesnik but they accidentally killed her.
3. Billy shoves his son into his apartment next door, whilst Edgar wraps Sister Cathy Cesnik's body up into the rug.
4. Billy calls his friend "Skippy", to come over and help dispose of the body.
5. Edgar, Billy and Skippy put Cesnik's body into the trunk, whilst Edgar drives to the forest.
6. Skippy distracts Billy's son with shooting, whilst Billy and Edgar handle the body.
7. Billy and Edgar return to their homes covered in blood. Edgar leaves Cesnik's car where it was found by everybody.
8. Involved Police cover up, and "lose" evidence year by year.
What do you guys think?.
I think that Edgar should have his DNA matched against the cigarette buds found in Cesnik's car.
I also think Jean Wehner should be shown a picture of Billy and Skippy, to see if either one of them is "Farther Bob"
She might recognise him then, who knows.
Although I agree with a lot of this theory, i.e several accomplices, a huge cover-up, and people withholding information - I believe these were Sister Russell and even Gerry had me raising my eyebrows a few times - it also has a lot of inaccuracies.
Firstly, Cesnik was about to blow the whistle that's for sure but I don't think even she knew the extent of what she was exposing. This is clearly a much wider child sex ring that operated within different institutes and Maskell was the tip of the iceberg. We clearly see how far this gang reached from victims stating they'd been abused by police officers, to the horrendous disciplinary "actions" of the church, to the disappearance of key evidence (the letter Cathy sent to Marilyn and the photographs Deep Throat said he saw). Child sex rings are often riddled with people in powerful positions and those who have authority and it's because they are pretty confident they can get away with it.
Now back to your theory, when you are in a "gang" you can count on the other members. So yes, I also believe Maskell rang the alarm about Cathy because she's not some teenager you can intimidate into keeping quiet - something I think they realised when he and Magnus went to threaten her the night before she disappeared. The reason she was such a threat is because it was the first time a complaint was made to someone outside of the "circle." When the mother complained to the Archdiocese in 67 about Maskell at St.Clements, she was essentially complaining to the perpetrator. But Jean confided in someone outside of that protective circle, they didn't have anything on Cathy and she didn't owe them anything. I think Maskell raised the alarm to Brother Bob or someone else, and was aware of but didn't kill Cathy Cesnik. His DNA didn't match either.
I don't agree with Billy Schmidt being 'Brother Bob' because the characteristics described by Jean and by Billy's sister-in-law don't match. Also I don't see why Billy would have the desire to rape young girls when he's gay. The troubled and haunted Billy who finally comitted suicide cannot also be the eery Brother Bob who confidently says to Jean that he killed Cathy. I just don't find that link to be plausible. I actually think Skippy (whoever he may be) is a more likely match to Brother Bob. An explanation could be that Billy, Skippy's lover, got dragged into something he wasn't prepared for by a man who took advantage of the feelings Billy held for him.
Billy didn't have a son, it was his nephew Brian. And I'm not sure if I am 100% convinced from his accounts. I don't see why Billy would have him over that night, but let's say I do - we'd have to accept the possibility that Cathy was killed at home (which is possible as I read an account that said witnesses saw her car parked in its space at 8:30pm - so maybe she made it home) But then, where was Sister Russell? And we know that she died from blunt trauma to the skull - where was the blood?
Let's say Brian's memory is what really happened; there was only 3 people in Brian's account - Billy, Skippy and his Uncle Bobbie who was the one that kept him occupied, not Edgar. Maybe Billy or Uncle Bobbie suggested where to take the body seeing as they knew the area Cathy was found.
I think it is possible that Edgar is Skippy (and also Brother Bob), he seems to be the disturbing person that Jean remembers - he gifts his wife the necklace, smirks at the tv reports, also tried to choke his wife while saying he could make himself believe he had nothing to do with it, and finally, he was arrested for trying to pick up young girls in a stolen car. The interviews with him also were very creepy, he'd admit things and then completely contradict it one second later. In my opinion, he was afraid of giving himself away. What I saw was a man who was embodying the toll that such a crime and incidents surrounding it can do to a person. Maskell and that whole gang, the abuse, the murder, Billy's suicide and then all the things we will probably never know - maybe I'm reaching but I felt his eyes and body language gave a lot away.
Having only watched the docu, I would say I think Edgar was the one who physically killed Cathy but he couldn't have done it alone and I don't think it was his idea. And maybe Billy was the one who helped him either knowingly or naively. But realistically, it could have easily been any one of the suspects - I mean even Gerry's story had holes in it!
However, one thing that is harrowing is that in an article Deep Throat stated that once, a superior called him and said "This is a career buster. We knew who the hell killed her back when it happened, you'll find out and you'll find out things you shouldn't, let it go."
That makes me think the murder was premeditated, it wasn't a threat gone wrong, Maskell and Magnus already tried to threaten her the night before. They failed and so it was passed to someone else to take care of (Maskell and Magnus worked with her, they had motives so it would be illogical for them to do it). They wanted (needed) to get rid of the threat she posed permanently because they knew they couldn't silence her - and the one who covered it up is sitting in very high places (and their number one reason is to protect themselves and their powerful friends).
It's very sinister. Solving this case would expose something much bigger, something we already know, but has never been named and shamed officially - crimes that no-one has served any time for. And with that painful truth in mind, I don't think it will or can ever be solved, it would be like asking a turkey to pray for Christmas: they just won't do it.
