N.J. town prays for slain priest, suspect

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By Victor Epstein ASSOCIATED PRESS

UPDATED:

CHATHAM, N.J. -- An arrest in the brutal slaying of a Roman Catholic priest has brought little solace to this bucolic, upscale community, which widely views the suspected role of the longtime church janitor as a second tragedy.

More than 150 people at St. Patrick's Church for Sunday's early Mass prayed for the Rev. Ed Hinds, whose body was discovered in the church rectory Friday, and for Jose Feliciano, who is charged with stabbing the priest 32 times with a kitchen knife.

"This is a tragedy for this community," the Rev. Owen Moran said after leading Mass. "It's a tragedy for Father Ed and his family, and it's a tragedy for the Feliciano family."

Authorities said the slaying occurred at about 5 p.m. Thursday after an argument between Father Hinds and Mr. Feliciano in the rectory.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi told CNN that the two men argued "over Feliciano's continued employment." He said Father Hinds dialed 911 from his cell phone and said he was being attacked and needed help. The call was cut off. The 911 operator called back, and Mr. Feliciano answered and said "everything's fine," Mr. Bianchi said. The operator wasn't able to send authorities because the calls from the cell phone could not be traced, he said.

Mr. Bianchi said investigators found the priest's cell phone, bloody clothing and bloody towels at Mr. Feliciano's home in Easton, Pa., about 45 miles west of Chatham.

"It's just not believable," said parishioner Dan Langborgh, 47, who lives across the street from the church. "Jose is a very nice guy who has been around for many years. He's the last person I would have suspected."

Mr. Feliciano worked at the church for 17 years, and his family is part of the parish. His son is a graduate of the church school, which runs from kindergarten through eighth grade, and his daughter is a student there.

Father Hinds, who was born in nearby Morristown, became St. Patrick's pastor in 2003. He was also a regular sight in the neighborhood, where he walked Copper, his cocker spaniel.

Parishioner Michael Marotta, 47, said he would not have hesitated to leave his three children in the care of either Father Hinds or Mr. Feliciano, whom he described as caring, quiet, hardworking men. Mr. Marotta, whose 10-year-old son is enrolled at St. Patrick's School, said Mr. Feliciano lived in a home next to the church until a few years ago.

"Everyone loses in this," said Mr. Marotta, who lives down the street from the church. "The church, the broader Chatham community, and the Hinds and Feliciano families. It's disheartening."

Mr. Bianchi said Mr. Feliciano and another man found the body Friday after Fathert Hinds failed to show up for 8 a.m. Mass. Mr. Bianchi said Mr. Feliciano was performing CPR on the priest when officers arrived and his halfhearted attempts struck them as suspicious.

Father Hinds was dressed in his clerical robes and appeared to have been brewing coffee in the rectory kitchen at the time. He sustained wounds to his upper torso, the back of his body and his head from a kitchen knife, officials said. Father Hinds also had defensive wounds on his hands and face, Mr. Bianchi said. An autopsy determined the cause of death was severe trauma.

The slaying rocked this New York bedroom community of about 10,000 residents, where the last violent death occurred in 1990. The median family income is $132,000, and authorities and residents initially had suspected that Father Hinds died at the hands of a needy outsider who had come to him for help.

"Everyone thought it was an outsider because Father Hinds always opened the church to the needy," Mr. Langborgh said.

Parishioners learned of Mr. Feliciano's arrest Saturday near the end of 5 p.m. Mass.

Parishioner Juliette Peros told the Star Ledger of Newark that several people cried when the announcement was made, and a woman seated behind her yelled: "Jose! No, Jose!"

"It's so sad," said parishioner Pat Patello, 52. "I don't think this town will ever get over this."