Netflix Latest Series 'The Keepers' Talks About Cathy Cesnik Cold Case

Netflix has been impressing us with some amazing series, documentaries and movies. Now they’re releasing another incredible docuseries. As it comes from the creators of “Making a Murderer,” one of the most iconical ones of both recent times and Netflix.

The seven-episode miniseries goes through one of the most horrendous and yet unsolved crimes of Baltimore. Where a nun called Catherine Cesnik was murdered, and her body was found two months after. It took place on the 60’s but Sister Cathy touched many people’s lives, being this one of the reasons why the story is so important.

Discovering the dark secrets of a cold case

The story is probably one of the most interesting and yet horrendous ones ever. Since it goes through conspiracy theories, links with powerful people, child abuse, prostitution and obviously murder. As it seems that Sister Cathy was killed due to the fact that she knew too much and she was going to speak about it.

The docuseries director Ryan White says the whole story is based on “family secrets,” as it involves his family as well. Due to the fact that Catherine Cesnik was his aunt’s favorite teacher back in the day. “That alone was devastating for my aunt and kind of shaped the trajectory of her life”. As he decided to get involved in the story that he never heard about before.

The docuseries contains information about the horrific web of adults involved in child abuse

Cesnik’s tale has been surrounded with many dark things, to the point it has been diminished and many have done a lot of work so it doesn’t come to light. As the documentary explores more than just the beloved 26-years old nun’s death in 1969. It also explores what may have happened to her and what she knew. Including also the network of child abuse and “this really horrific web” of adults who did it in Baltimore.

Being probably this what Sister Cathy was trying to unmask. Many have said that the brain behind that dark web was Father Maskell, a priest at Cesnik’s school. Who also seemed to have great influence and powerful connections in the city. White said “This is a story of accountability and, at best, dozens of people and institutions dropped the ball and didn’t protect children and adults. At worst, dozens of people and institutions covered things up so it could never be brought to light or were directly involved in crimes”. As the documentary tries to raise to light all these other aspects of the case.

Solving the horrific case of sister Cathy Cesnik

Probably one of the highlights for White is the collaboration with Jean Wehner, “a really brave woman who’s been trying to tell this story for decades and has been silenced”. Since Wehner, known in Baltimore only as “Jane Doe” for many years, along with “Jane Roe” (Teresa Lancaster) accused Maskell of raping them when they were students. Now after Maskell passed away in 2001 they’ve gone public. As Wehner joined White’s project, he also discovered she knew his family turning it into something more personal.

“I just knew with Jean, we were doing something so painful, so traumatic. … I felt a huge responsibility, a bigger responsibility than I ever have. This is not just a trauma victim. This is a person whose story has been deliberately buried, and she’s had to live with that her entire life”. White says, as he also discovered how deep the story ran and how many branches it had. To the point that even the church acknowledged that Maskell was “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors”.

A lot of people got involved in the making of ‘The Keepers’

White describes him as a “sociopath” who used drugs, hypnosis, and psychological manipulation, among other tactics to abuse of children. White believes Cesnik may have been one of the few adults who tried to do something about it. Along with that, the project also has Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Schaub, two former students of the school who Cesnik’s who run a grassroots Facebook group about the case, and Cesnik’s sister, Marilyn.

“A lot of people got away with that and a lot of people died freed adults because the story is 45 years old. But there are people still alive who I do believe need to be held accountable.” White said. Since they were “very conscious” of how the docuseries ends. Adding that the goal was never to answer the question who killed Cesnik, but more of what is behind. Also “I finished this project thinking this murder can be solved,” White stated.

He is also very happy that Netflix can be the platform to make the story known. “We’d always say to each other, ‘The least we can do is bring these stories to light,’ Because they’re the ones who lived it, and they lived in darkness their whole lives. I’m proud of it and I’m glad that we’re finished, but it doesn’t change what happened. If some good can come of bringing it to light, and I hope it can, then I’ll be very fulfilled”. The Keepers will be released in full on May 19th on Netflix.