The murder of Buffalo Diocese Monsignor Francis J. O’Connor was front-page news across New York State in 1966.
O’Connor, who was the 44-year-old editor of the diocese’s weekly newspaper, was found in Scajaquada Creek drowned, with fractures to the larynx and hyoid bone in his throat and contusions and abrasions to his scalp.
Revealed in the 56-year-old reports on the murder of Monsignor Francis J. O’Connor were shocking secrets – a priest and a diocese journalist had been suspects – and a cache of other never-before released details.
But within two months of the death, Buffalo police suddenly shut down their investigation, without telling O’Connor’s family, friends or the public why.
In 2023, The Buffalo News published stories over 18 consecutive days about the unsolved murder of O’Connor after two reporters and their editor were given unprecedented access to the Buffalo police homicide file.
The News’ series revealed publicly for the first time that:
- Two Buffalo Diocese priests – Monsignor Franklin Kelleher, who was known as the diocese’s unofficial disciplinarian of priests, and the Rev. John Lewandowski, who has been credibly accused of sexually molesting boys – were considered suspects in O’Connor’s death by homicide detectives….
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