The Killer Priest

By Ana Benson

The Catholic Church is known for sweeping everything under the rug and keeping their secrets from coming out. In the 1990s, the public finally found out about the sexual abuse that was predominant in this religious institution. Having in mind that they managed to cover up numerous cases throughout the decades, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they also concealed a murder which shocked a small town of McAllen in 1960. 
Religious people from this area refused to believe that a priest was capable of such a thing, and the police had almost no evidence. The case went cold, and it collected dust for decades, waiting for someone to start talking. And luckily, one person decided to tell the investigators everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trellis Publishing
• Release date: Jun 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201035693

Book preview

Biography of Father John Feit

The Catholic Church is known for sweeping everything under the rug and keeping their secrets from coming out. In the 1990s, the public finally found out about the sexual abuse that was predominant in this religious institution. Having in mind that they managed to cover up numerous cases throughout the decades, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they also concealed a murder which shocked a small town of McAllen in 1960.

Religious people from this area refused to believe that a priest was capable of such a thing, and the police had almost no evidence. The case went cold, and it collected dust for decades, waiting for someone to start talking. And luckily, one person decided to tell the investigators everything.

Early life

John Feit was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1933. He was a quiet and shy boy, who always kept to himself. John was a good student, and his parents never had any issues with him during his adolescence. The family was highly religious, so they weren’t surprised when John informed them that he was planning to become a priest. His parents supported this decision, and soon enough, John Feit started his training. But one of his friends would later say that when they asked John why he became a priest, he answered: I just wanted to give it a try.

Father John Feit’s life as a priest was a busy one. He was constantly traveling, which was not a problem for him. However, the Catholic Church sent the young man to Texas at the end of the 1950s, where he remained for years. His parishioners liked him, and they often described Father John as very sympathetic and eager to help.

The disappearance of Irene Garza

McAllen is a town located in Hidalgo County which is often called Rio Grande Valley. Since it is near the border between Texas and Mexico, McAllen has a strong Latino community. The Garza family immigrated to the United States, and they started a dry cleaning business. The success was immediate, and they relocated to the northern part of McAllen after just a couple of years. It housed wealthier and more prominent citizens. The Garza family was religious, and the members rarely missed the opportunity to visit their local church on a daily basis.

Irene Garza was the pride and joy of her parents. She attended McAllen High School and became a head drum majorette. Irene even competed in Miss All-South Texas Sweetheart in 1958 and won the title that year. Determined to continue her education, Irene Garza enrolled in Pan American College where she studied to become a teacher. After getting her diploma, Irene Garza moved back to McAllen, Texas. She wanted to help her community and work with kids from marginalized families. She taught lower grades in an elementary school and was selected to be a secretary of the PTA.

But no matter how busy she was, Irene Garza would always show up for a mass at the Sacred Heart Church. It was Saturday, April 16th, 1960 when Irene took her family’s car in order to attend the evening confession. She left the driveway at 06:30 PM, ensuring her mother that she will be back soon. Irene Garza did arrive at the church, and she was seen by several parishioners who were there at the same time. The church was crowded because it was Easter. One of them remembered that Irene asked him politely if she could step in front of him in the line for the confession because she was in a hurry. However, nobody can confirm that they saw Irene exit the church. She never came home that night, but her family wasn’t too worried. The midnight mass was scheduled for the night, so they thought she stayed there. However, the parents didn’t hear from Irene in the morning. They went straight to the church, but the only thing they found was Garza’s family car parked in the street. There was no sign of Irene.

The police were informed about the disappearance, and soon enough the whole town of McAllen knew that the beloved schoolteacher