The Keepers
We've only watched the first two episodes of this seven episode documentary looking into the unsolved murder case of Baltimore Nun Cathy Cesnik in 1969. I intended to wait till we finished all seven episodes before writing my thoughts on this one but I think it'll be better to try and digest it in chunks as the developments throw up new avenues. Cathy went to the store one evening and never returned, her car found abandoned on the opposite side of the road from her apartment. Should would be found months later in some woodland with her body assaulted and her skull crushed on one side. The show isn't led by a presenter or narrator, it also doesn't present itself from Cathy's perspective or that of any potential suspects, instead it's led via interviews taken with those who knew her and were taught by her at the local Catholic school Cathy worked at. Some of these being co-workers and pupils at the school and some of them still investigating this cold case themselves nearing fifty years later.
Episode one is pretty straight forward, it focuses on the circumstances leading up to Cathy's disappearance and a second case that occurred just four days later that mirrored these circumstances. As the episode draws to a close you're left with two main thoughts, the first being that one of the most dangerous common mindsets has always been this 20th century approach of 'it used to be safer in my day, you used to be able to leave your door open and you didn't get all the crime you get these days', yes you did. You had an utter s***storm of abhorrent behaviour that people simply didn't speak about so it was allowed to continue without end due to the lack of a growing light shining on it that we have now no matter how depressing constantly hearing about the depravity in the world is. The second thought is that you'll have seen enough crime stories in your life to get a distinct 'it was someone she knew' vibe. But the episode, as each one seems to, ends with the reveal that sets up the second episode: Claims of conspiracy and of a witness
Given the straight forward nature of the first episode and the slight apathy claims of conspiracies bring up we were somewhat cold going into the second episode. It was an eye opener though, the episode moves away from the crime scene of the first episode and the possible second case and instead fully focuses on the other pupils of the Catholic School and its faculty. What follows is a stomach churning tale of the vilest acts and abuse both physically and mentally across a mass of individuals too great to be the result of people inventing it. It shines a dark light on the likely scale abuse had in the mid-1900's in Baltimore and by proxy the rest of the world in addition to the sadistic ways faith can be used against children. By the end it feels all to obvious that the identity, motive and methods of the killer is known and as to how the now likely correct claims of conspiracy play into it.
That's where our interest is beginning to peak, there's still five episodes left meaning there's clearly a lot more to be answered and more dimensions to this that will likely undermine this seemingly open/shut case and why it wasn't so at the time.
We've only watched the first two episodes of this seven episode documentary looking into the unsolved murder case of Baltimore Nun Cathy Cesnik in 1969. I intended to wait till we finished all seven episodes before writing my thoughts on this one but I think it'll be better to try and digest it in chunks as the developments throw up new avenues. Cathy went to the store one evening and never returned, her car found abandoned on the opposite side of the road from her apartment. Should would be found months later in some woodland with her body assaulted and her skull crushed on one side. The show isn't led by a presenter or narrator, it also doesn't present itself from Cathy's perspective or that of any potential suspects, instead it's led via interviews taken with those who knew her and were taught by her at the local Catholic school Cathy worked at. Some of these being co-workers and pupils at the school and some of them still investigating this cold case themselves nearing fifty years later.
Episode one is pretty straight forward, it focuses on the circumstances leading up to Cathy's disappearance and a second case that occurred just four days later that mirrored these circumstances. As the episode draws to a close you're left with two main thoughts, the first being that one of the most dangerous common mindsets has always been this 20th century approach of 'it used to be safer in my day, you used to be able to leave your door open and you didn't get all the crime you get these days', yes you did. You had an utter s***storm of abhorrent behaviour that people simply didn't speak about so it was allowed to continue without end due to the lack of a growing light shining on it that we have now no matter how depressing constantly hearing about the depravity in the world is. The second thought is that you'll have seen enough crime stories in your life to get a distinct 'it was someone she knew' vibe. But the episode, as each one seems to, ends with the reveal that sets up the second episode: Claims of conspiracy and of a witness
Given the straight forward nature of the first episode and the slight apathy claims of conspiracies bring up we were somewhat cold going into the second episode. It was an eye opener though, the episode moves away from the crime scene of the first episode and the possible second case and instead fully focuses on the other pupils of the Catholic School and its faculty. What follows is a stomach churning tale of the vilest acts and abuse both physically and mentally across a mass of individuals too great to be the result of people inventing it. It shines a dark light on the likely scale abuse had in the mid-1900's in Baltimore and by proxy the rest of the world in addition to the sadistic ways faith can be used against children. By the end it feels all to obvious that the identity, motive and methods of the killer is known and as to how the now likely correct claims of conspiracy play into it.
That's where our interest is beginning to peak, there's still five episodes left meaning there's clearly a lot more to be answered and more dimensions to this that will likely undermine this seemingly open/shut case and why it wasn't so at the time.
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