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	Chatham Priest Slaying: Hearing Set for Man Charged in Fatal Stabbing By Peggy Wright Daily Record April 13, 2011 http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20110412/NJNEWS/110412013/Chatham-priest-slaying-Hearing-set-for-man-charged-in-fatal-stabbing CHATHAM — A court hearing was set for May 2 on whether prosecutors may argue their theory that Jose Feliciano stabbed the Rev. Edward Hinds to death in Chatham because the priest had learned he was wanted for alleged sexual abuse of a child 21 years earlier. The upcoming hearing on so-called "prior bad acts" committed by Feliciano, now 66, is one of the last motions that needs to be resolved before a date is set for Feliciano to be tried for the murder Oct. 22, 2009, of the 61-year-old pastor of St. Patrick's R.C. Church on Washington Street in Chatham. Morris County Assistant Prosecutors John McNamara Jr. and David Bruno want to argue at trial that the church custodian's motive for the killing was that Hinds had discovered he was wanted in Philadelphia since the late 1980s for inappropriate sexual behavior with a child. Authorities have said that Feliciano, a married father of two, used various birthdates and Social Security numbers to avoid being picked up on a warrant issued against him after his failure to appear in court in Philadelphia to answer to the charge. Authorities say they have evidence that Hinds intended to terminate Feliciano from his long-time custodial position based upon the information. Feliciano, who admitted to the homicide on Oct. 24, 2009, contends he stabbed the priest to death because Hinds implied he would be fired if the janitor didn't continue having a sexual relationship with him. Prosecutors have said the homosexuality claim is "self-serving" on Feliciano's part, with no evidence to support it. Feliciano was brought into court for the brief hearing before Superior Court Judge Thomas V. Manahan, who set aside May 2 and May 3, if necessary, to hear testimony on Feliciano's alleged past.
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