Coroner Awaiting Bevilacqua Results

By Keith Phucas
Montgomery Media
February 11, 2012

http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2012/02/11/montgomery_life/news/doc4f366ce62e9fe518047286.txt

In this June 23, 1991 file photo, Archbishop Anthony J. Bevilacqua of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, speaks at a news conference at his residence in Philadelphia before traveling to the Vatican. The retired cardinal, who served as head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for more than 15 years, died in his sleep Tuesday night, Jan. 31, 2012 in his apartment at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa. He was 88. District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman of Montgomery County is investigating the recent death of a Roman Catholic cardinal because of what she called odd timing.

When Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua was found dead a day after he was found competent to testify in an upcoming child endangerment case, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman wondered why county officials were not notified and prompted her to ask for a post-mortem examination.

"When that notification did not come, that piqued my interest," Ferman said at a news conference Friday.

The DA said she learned of the cardinal's death on the morning news on Jan. 31 and not through law enforcement or other official sources, so she asked a county detective to look into the matter.

"The situation struck me as peculiar, somewhat odd that in that close proximity of time where the Philadelphia court had made that determination about this witness, he all of a sudden was found deceased," she said.

Bevilacqua, who was 88, reportedly died in his sleep at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood. He suffered from demential and had cancer.

The cardinal was expected to testify at the trial of 61-year-old Monsignor William Lynn, who served as secretary of clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004.

Lynn is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy for allegedly transfering priests suspected of child sexual abuse to other Catholic parishes during that 12-year period.

Ferman emphasized that the inquiry into Bevilacqua's death was not a criminal investigation, and she had no reason to suspect foul play.

"My determination that something ought to be examined, was simply my determination based on my experience in law enformcement and wanting to put the matter to bed, if we could do that," she said.

Montgomery County Coroner Walter Hofman did not conduct an autopsy of the body on Feb. 1, the day after the death, but did perform a physical examination and is awaiting a toxicology report, he said Friday.

"My thought was someone ought to look at the body to see if there are any signs of anything other than natural causes," she said. "I think it would have made sense to do a toxicology test. And beyond that, just anything the coroner would think is appropriate."

Ferman has not communicated with either Philadelphia DA's Office or Archdiocese of Philadelphia about the death probe, she told reporters.

Contact: kphucas@journaleregister.com