Netflix has released the official trailer for its new documentary series exploring the cover-up of the 1969 murder of Baltimore nun Sister Catherine Cesnik.
The story is familiar to many around the Baltimore area: A well-liked 26-year-old nun and teacher at Archbishop Keough High School disappears; about two months later, her body is found near a dump in southwest Baltimore County; some students and community members suspect priests and law enforcement worked to cover it up; the case remains unsolved to this day.
Next month, Netflix’s “The Keepers” will follow in the footsteps of the online streaming company’s other popular true-crime shows (“Making a Murderer,” “Amanda Knox”) by digging up details about the events surrounding a mysterious killing.
The trailer offers snippets of the show, including interviews with former students of Cesnik’s and others who say they were sexually abused as students at Archbishop Keough.
“I believe Cathy Cesnik was killed because she said she was going to talk about what went on at Keough,” says one woman in the video.
Many years after Cesnik’s killing, former students went public with allegations that they were abused by priests and others affiliated with Keough. Many of the alleged incidents were linked to Father A. Joseph Maskell, who served as the chaplain for the school, as well as various local and state law enforcement agencies. Maskell died of a stroke in 2001, but his name has reappeared over the years, most recently when the Archdiocese of Baltimore paid out tens of thousands of dollars in settlements to his accusers.
Ryan White (“The Case Against 8,” “Good Ol’ Freda,” “Serena”) is the director of “The Keepers,” which will debut on May 19.
With its shots of old newspaper headlines, spooky mixes of Irish music and drums and magnificent aerial shots of Baltimore, the trailer entices viewers to learn more about the mystery of Cesnik’s killing and the mysterious culture of the Catholic Church in Baltimore. Click here to view, or watch above.
