By Ben Horowitz
The Star-Ledger
November 14, 2011
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/witness_alleged_chatham_priest.html
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| Jose Feliciano, right, turns to look at those sitting in the gallery during his trial for the murder of Father Edward Hinds, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Chatham, held in Superior Court in Morristown today. |
Trying to present accused killer Jose Feliciano in a sympathetic light, the defense called as a witness today a fellow ex-custodian at St. Patrick Church in Chatham who described himself as a friend of Feliciano.
Feliciano is on trial in Superior Court in Morristown on a murder charge in the Oct. 22, 2009 stabbing death of the Rev. Edward Hinds.
John Bongo, the former custodian who was fired a year before the killing, said Hinds told him: "I hate to do this, but because of budget cuts and the financial situation at the parish, we have to lay you off.’’
Bongo said Hinds gave no other reason for the firing.
Bongo appeared to contradict the church’s business administrator, who testified last week that church officials thought both Bongo and Feliciano had been leaving the church dirty for many years and wanted to get rid of both of them.
Bongo testified the church was suffering financially because some parishioners were leaving due to dissatisfaction with Hinds, who took over as pastor in 2004.
Hinds was also less popular than the previous priest, Boingo, who worked at St. Patrick from 2000 through 2008, said.
"Employees and parishioners" were "having problems" with Hinds, Bongo said, adding that the priest had "a hot and cold demeanor."
"Sometimes he’d say ‘hi,’ and other times he’d blow right by you and not say anything," Bongo testified.
Under cross-examination by Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi, Bongo said he was not aware of any "romantic relationship" between Hinds and Feliciano.
Neill Hamilton, Feliciano’s public defender, has claimed Hinds provoked Feliciano into killing him by making him perform unspecified acts.
Bongo acknowledged telling an investigator that if there had been an unusual relationship between the two, he would have known.
Also called as a witness by the defense today was Maris Barrett, a St. Patrick’s employee, who testified that she drove Feliciano to the Chatham Borough police station in 2004 so they could both be fingerprinted. The fingerprinting was required by the Diocese of Paterson for all employees who had contact with children.
Under questioning by Bianchi, Barrett acknowledged she could not specifically remember whether Feliciano had been fingerprinted.
Feliciano’s fingerprints were not sent to the State Police as required, according to testimony. Hamilton has claimed Hinds did that deliberately as part of a cover-up of the things he was allegedly doing with Feliciano.
Barrett testified that about a month ago, Hamilton asked her on the phone if she knew of a "relationship" between Hinds and Feliciano.
"The way he said it bothered me," Barrett said. "Father Ed was not the type of pastor that would have a relationship other than as pastor. He was a good man."
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