May 01, 2006

Catholic expert on rituals set to testify

TOLEDO (OH)
Toledo Blade

By DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR

A Catholic priest known for his expertise in rituals and a retired Toledo detective who led the original investigation into the 1980 slaying of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl are expected to testify today in the Rev. Gerald Robinson's murder trial in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Father Robinson's defense team, meanwhile, is continuing to press for reasonable doubt with the state's case, based on circumstantial evidence in a murder that happened 26 years ago. They plan to call witnesses later this week or early next week.

The 68-year-old priest maintains his innocence.

The Rev. Jeffrey Grob of the Chicago archdiocese is nationally known for his knowledge of Catholic rituals, both official church liturgy and rituals of the unofficial kind - he wrote his doctoral dissertation on exorcism.

Posted by kshaw at May 1, 2006 04:15 PM