February 23, 2005

Former Dover priest Joseph Maguire dies

DOVER (NH)
Foster's Daily Democrat

By BRUNO MATARAZZO Jr.
Democrat Staff Writer

DOVER — The Rev. Joseph Maguire died at a North Country hospital Tuesday, less than a year into a 44-to-88-year sentence for molesting three altar boys at St. Joseph’s Church.

Maguire, 73, died of natural causes at 4:40 a.m. at Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin, state Department of Corrections spokesperson Jeff Lyons said today.

Maguire had been at the hospital since Monday. The hospital is near the state prison, where he has been held since he was sentenced on May 3 at Strafford Superior Court in Dover on 36 rape and molestation charges, Lyons said.

Maguire had also been admitted to the hospital in June for a couple of days, Lyons said.

Because Maguire died while in custody as a ward of the state, the state Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy, Lyons said.

Posted by kshaw at February 23, 2005 08:08 PM