[Note: Friends of Justice is a personal blog. I speak only for myself.]
“Detective McLaughlin skipped the logical first steps that such a letter might have set in motion. He did not consult the priest’s personnel file – which revealed nothing about his ever being in Florida. And he did not consult Monsignor John Quinn, the named originator of the story.
“Instead, armed with the explosive Florida murder-molestation letter, McLaughlin set out to interview dozens of parents and their adolescent sons who had prior contacts with MacRae. Within a week, the entire community was in a state of alarm about the murderous lecher-priest in its midst.”
Read the article by Ryan MacDonald.
The NCRJ is a longtime supporter of Gordon MacRae.
Can’t claim to have been a policeman, but during my working life sometimes found myself thinking like one. Because had auditing assignments, for a total of ten years. In my opinion the detective’s approach was puzzling in the way he approached the whole matter.
For example the accuser said that the priest took pictures of him, after making him expose himself?. This was very specific, and if true, would have pointed to the possibility of photographic evidence, of the alleged crime?
But did Detective McLaughlin obtain a search warrant, in order to find and secure that evidence?
No… he did not??? The surprising thing he did was to ring the priest’s sister, and tell her to ring her brother and ask him to contact the detective’s office???
Which to any thinking person would have been counterproductive, because a guilty person would then have had the opportunity to destroy the crucial evidence. And any such evidence would have been compelling in a court of law.
My considered opinion is that the priest was indeed railroaded.
I know Father MacRae is innocent. What a crooked justice system. All that suffering for Father but all the good he has done— example-Pornchai.Thank you Father You are still in my prayers.