December 2, 2003

WISCONSIN
MichNews.com

Matt C. Abbott

The Rev. Alfred J. Kunz was a priest known and consulted by many in the Catholic Church.  He was a canon lawyer, meaning he had thorough expertise in the laws of the Church – the Code of Canon Law, as it is known.  He also was a staunch defender of orthodoxy, not much liked by Catholic liberals (at least, those who actually knew of him), and a thorn in the side to those who desire to see authentic Christianity wiped off the face of the earth.

In March of 1998, Fr. Kunz was found murdered.  Brutally murdered.  And his murder remains unsolved.  For a little background of the case, I give you the following text, provided by Detective Kevin Hughes of the
Dane County Sheriff’s Office:

“On
March 4, 1998, at 7:00 a.m., the body of Fr. Alfred J. Kunz, DOB 4/15/30, was found in the hallway of St. Michael School. The school is in the Village of Dane, population approximately 600, located in rural Dane County 5 miles northwest of Madison, Wis., the state capital.

“Fr. Kunz was the victim of a homicide. His throat was cut with an edged weapon severing the carotid artery. He died as a result of blood loss. The body was discovered by a teacher arriving at the school and was found lying in the hallway near the door to the father’s living quarters in the school. All the doors to the school were locked and there was no sign of forced entry.

“Fr. Kunz was a traditional Roman Catholic priest, who had served at St. Michael Church for 32 years. He had strong traditional orthodox Roman Catholic views that were evidenced by the fact that he conducted Latin Masses as well as English Masses. He was an expert in canon law, the law of the Church, and as such many people nationwide consulted with him.

“On the night prior to the homicide, Fr. Kunz participated in the taping of a religious radio talk program, which was to be aired at a later date. After the taping, at
10:00 p.m., he was dropped off at St. Michael Church/school by another priest. Subsequent to that, at about 10:30 p.m., he had a phone conversation with another priest.

“Investigators believe the killer is someone that Fr. Kunz knew and is familiar with the village and
St. Michael’s. Fr. Kunz was probably not fearful of the killer. The attack was cowardly, unprovoked, and unexpected. The particular motive is unknown but may be related to jealousy, revenge, betrayal, or any other issue which was personal to the killer..”

There are, of course, at least a few theories about who, or what, might have been behind Kunz’s murder.  The prominent theory is that Kunz was killed because he “knew too much.”  About what?  About the sexual misconduct of some men of the cloth.  Men who were able to cover up their misdeeds for years, even decades.  Men who formed the underbelly of the American church.

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