State records show that a suspended Alabama priest recently married the 18-year-old woman he fled to Italy with this summer, and an archbishop said Wednesday that he expects the Vatican to pursue the man’s official dismissal from the priesthood.
A marriage certificate filed Monday in Mobile County shows that Alex Crow, a 30-year-old Catholic priest in south Alabama, married the 18-year-old. Crow left the country in late July with the teen who is a recent graduate of McGill-Toolen High School. Crow was not an employee at the school but sometimes visited theology classes there, news outlets reported. The marriage certificate indicates the woman turned 18 in June.
Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi announced in July that he had suspended Crow and forbidden him from acting, dressing, or presenting himself as a priest. Rodi later said he saw no way for Crow to return to the priesthood.
“the young woman came to a meeting with an attorney and declined to answer questions.”
That’s not an investigation. The DA closed the investigation because she didn’t rat on him. With his attorney keeping an eye on her.
They can’t make her testify against him because he’s her husband.
In the old-fashioned sense, because she’s married, she’s not ruined. Case closed.
Also the Catholic Church is politically powerful, and while they’re prepared to kick him out, they’ll also hush up police investigations.
Sketchy as hell, yes, but if there’s no evidence of wrongdoing the law can’t, and shouldn’t, take action against him.
Until evidence comes to light. This is key. They have fuck all of a case right now and if they blow their load too quickly, he’ll be protected by double jeopardy laws.