The rain gently fell on the roofs of the houses in the town of McAllen, Texas. He was a Holy Saturdaywhen the second grade teacher, Irene GarzaHe had gone to mass and to confession. With her white high heels, a white blouse, a long brown skirt with green and blue leaves, and a black leather bag, she had arrived at the Sacred Heart Church.
That Saturday April 16, 1960several parishioners saw when she had entered the compound, but no one saw her leave.
an exemplary woman
Irene Garza was born on November 15, 1934. He grew up with enough comfort, since his parents Nicolás and Josefina Garza had a famous dry cleaner in McAllen. Among her privileges, she was lucky enough to be able to attend school in the city and she was even the first Latina to be part of the orchestra dancers during her high school years.
After his education, he participated in the pageant Miss All South Texas Sweetheart in 1958, where, at only 23 years old, he came in first place, becoming beauty queen.
(You may be interested: The murderer of criminals who claimed the lives of more than 70 and is now a ‘youtuber’).
But his physique was not the only thing that attracted attention. Garza was recognized for her big heart and kindness. At the time of her disappearance, she was working as a teacher at the school Thigpen Elementary. Those who knew her defined her as a shy young woman, but very devoted to service and the community, as well as to her Catholic faith.
He was a voluntary member of the Marian movement ‘Legion of Mary‘, in addition to going to mass and making communion every day.
On the other hand, in 1960, at the age of 25, he still lived with his parents and took care of them.
A sack in the water?
Garza was last seen when she went out to confess a Holy Saturday, almost ago 60 years. As she was quite well known in the town, at the time of the investigation, several witnesses affirmed that she had indeed entered the church, she had stayed in mass but in the end it hadn’t come out.
(Also: The Ghoulish Finds at Las Vegas’ Lake Mead: Bodies, Guns, and More.)
Her parents also became suspicious when they realized that it was almost midnight and their daughter had not arrived. They chose to believe that she had stayed midnight masswhich commemorates the resurrection of jesus and usually takes place at that time; but when the sun began to rise and they saw that there was no trace of her, they went to the Police department to report his disappearance.
For two days the authorities dedicated themselves to compiling all the information, until the Monday April 18 They found a key clue. From the first moment, dozens of inhabitants volunteered to find the girl. In one of the tours, precisely one of them found the little black bag and one of her high heels.
It was there when the Police began to fear the worst and five days later they discovered that their suspicions were unfortunately true. His body was found in a canal, beaten, sexually assaulted and suffocated.
April 21 Garza’s body was found in a canal, several meters away from the first evidence. A man named Arnold was the one who discovered the body that morning. “First I thought it was a floating sack. Then I realized it was the body of a young woman,” he told the AP news agency at the time.
It is estimated that the investigators questioned about 500 people in various cities of Texas, including known sex offenders and family members, coworkers, and ex-boyfriends. Among them was also the last person to see Irene alive: the priest John Bernard Feitwho at the age of 27 was training to belong to the church officially. However, from the first moment she denied knowing what had happened.
John Feit, the main suspect
During the investigation, several members of the church reported that the priest John Bernard Feit he had been in and out of the confessional several times throughout the night, and that Garza had indeed been there.
Because of this, the priest was questioned several times and gave different versions of that night, always denying having anything to do with the crime. The first time he said he hadn’t even confessed.
Meanwhile, the channel where Irene had been found was being drained for evidence. Sure enough, the police found a slide viewer, which belonged to the priest. In fact, it was he himself who called to say that it was his. But what was interesting was that Feit not only accepted that the device was hisbut also admitted that he had attended the young woman that night, but that it had not been in the confessional.
Secondly, Father O’Brienwho worked in the Sacred Heart Churchstated that he had seen Feit take Irene to rectory to hear his confession, which was unusual, but not impossible. Furthermore, he also commented that she had seen scratches on your hands and arms.
Defense argues prosecution wants jurors to look at John Feit’s slide viewer as a “smoking gun.” Defense argues there is no documentation — photos/police reports — showing that police actually found the object at the bottom of the canal where Irene Garza’s body was found. pic.twitter.com/arZxiSdu5g
— Molly Smith (@smithmollyk) December 7, 2017
The accused defended himself by saying that that night, when he returned to his parsonage, he did not have the key, so he had to go up to the house on the second floor. He said that he suffered scratches on his hands, due to the bricks that he had to climb over.
Despite the doubts detectives said they couldn’t link the case with the priest who had confessed her that night.
“We just don’t have a convincing lead at this time,” the McAllen Police Chief told The Ocala Star-Banner on April 22, 1960.
(We recommend: Hitler’s dogs, his love for them and the tragic end they had).
Justice came 57 years too late
In 1970 Feit left the church.
Three weeks after the investigation was closed, a 20-year-old student reported attempted sexual abuse by the priest. Police arrested him for attempted rape and he was put on trial in 1961. In 1962 the defendant was found guilty, but was simply sentenced to a $500 fine.
Later, the priest-in-training was transferred by the Church to a monastery in Missouri and then to a convent in the state of New Mexico. He was there until 1970 when he retired and decided to start a family.
So far, Irene’s case seemed like a losing fight. It took 40 years, until in 2002, the McAllen Police Chief, Victor Rodriguez, reopened the case. The monk Dale Tacheny he was the one who betrayed him, because in Missouri he had learned of the crime. That same year, the polygraph examiner who had examined Feit in 1960 said that he disputed the reported results, since they had been inconclusive.
This made the investigation take a stronger course, until they were able to find evidence and testimony concrete enough to generate an order. In February 2016 he was arrested and charged with the murder. On December 7, 2017, Feit was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to life in prison. As for the crime of rape, this could not be validated due to the lack of evidence.
“The arrest of John Feit is the first step in administering justice for the murder of Miss Irene GarzaHidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez stated.
Feit died in February 2020 at the age of 87 from a sudden heart attack. She only served three years in prison.
More news
Empire House publishes call with the ‘Colombian Barbie’ confronting version of ‘Epa’
Crimes committed by murderous children that horrified the world
The horrible end that humanity would have if the Moon collides with the Earth
The impressive change of Daniela Aedo, ‘Carita de Ángel’, at 27 years old
Trends WEATHER
#Irene #Garza #brutal #crime #beauty #queen #confess