WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette
By Milton J. Valencia TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
WORCESTER— The lawyer for the man charged in the killing of defrocked pedophile priest John J. Geoghan closed out a two-day series of hearings yesterday by submitting evidence showing Joseph L. Druce was taking a list of medications before the killing and by presenting a videotape showing correction officers speaking with Mr. Druce before returning him to his cell.
The evidence was shown as part of a motion filed by lawyer John H. LaChance seeking the suppression of Mr. Druce’s alleged confession in the Aug. 23, 2003, beating and strangulation death of the 68-year-old ex-priest in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center on the Lancaster-Shirley line.
Mr. LaChance submitted a separate motion seeking the dismissal of the charges, alleging the state Department of Correction has interfered with the trial by harassing and intimidating Mr. Druce. The tape, which was shown Thursday, was part of that motion, with Mr. LaChance alleging correction officers harassed Mr. Druce right after the killing.
At the time of the killing in the protective custody unit at the maximum-security prison, Mr. Geoghan, a central figure in the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, was serving a sentence of nine to 10 years for sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy. Mr. Druce, who has publicly identified himself as a victim of sexual abuse as a child, was serving a life sentence for the murder of a man he believed was gay.
After the killing of Mr. Geoghan, Mr. Druce allegedly said he did it to prevent other children from suffering.
Mr. Druce is planning to raise an insanity defense, but the two separate motions remain before Superior Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman.
Mr. LaChance concluded his motion to suppress Mr. Druce’s alleged confession by arguing his client was beaten by prison staff and he was “in pain, suffering from a major mental illness and in a manic state” when he confessed to prison investigators and state police. Mr. LaChance submitted evidence showing that Mr. Druce’s prescription medications, for mental illness and anxiety attacks, were changed repeatedly in the months leading up to the killing.
The motion to dismiss the case because of interference remains open. In the most recent development, Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte has initiated an investigation of the release of a DOC videotape of Mr. Druce acting out the killing shortly after it occurred. The tape was leaked to the Boston Herald, which Mr. LaChance termed the latest example of interference in Mr. Druce’s right to a fair trial.
Mr. Druce has repeatedly complained, often blurting out in court, that he has been harassed by DOC administrators telling him to plead guilty to end the case.
The killing of Mr. Geoghan raised many questions about the security measures in place at the jail at the time; two studies were commissioned to research how the DOC handled the incident. Mr. Druce has said in court before that a correction officer allowed him to access Mr. Geoghan’s cell.
Mr. LaChance submitted the two studies as part of the hearings.
Judge Hillman continued the case to Oct. 28, but indicated he would consider Mr. Druce’s allegations that jail administrators continue to harass him. “Someone needs to talk to someone over there,” Mr. LaChance said.
Judge Hillman said, “I’m not unmindful this is a big issue we need to deal with.