AFFIDAVIT OF CARL CROTEAU
karen
AFFIDAVIT OF CARL CROTEAU
01/11/2004
The following is the Dec. 12, 2003 affidavit of Carl Croteau:
My name is Carl Croteau. I currently reside with my wife Bernice at 106
Ferncliff Avenue in Springfield, MA.
I am the father of the late Danny Croteau who was murdered on April 15,
1972.
In the early 1990's, after Richard Lavigne plead (sic) guilty to sexually
abusing other boys, I was contacted by Attorney Michael Wiggins who
requested that I sign a written statement regarding my recollection of
events that occurred surrounding the murder of my son and the sexual abuse
of my other sons. The signed statement is attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and
is incorporated herein by reference as a sworn statement.
In supplementation of my statement I wish to state that the late Lieutenant
Fitzgibbon was the chief investigator on my sons' cases and was my principle
contact with the State Police and the Hampden County District Attorney's
office. I, as well as my family met with him many times. He shared with us
information about the investigation and was clearly interested in
prosecuting Richard Lavigne for his crimes.
When I would ask him whether Richard Lavigne would be prosecuted he
repeatedly told me that "his hands were tied" and that he could do nothing
more to advance prosecutions on behalf of my sons and Danny. He further
specifically indicated to me that if Richard Lavigne was a "factory worker"
the case would be over, indicating to me that the Hampden County District
Attorney's office refusal to prosecute was for reasons other than the fact
that they did not have a reasonable chance of obtaining a conviction. It was
my understanding from the conversations I had with Lieutenant Fitzgibbon
that the District Attorney's office and/or the Diocese of Springfield was
blocking any action on Danny's murder and my son's molestation case.
I recall a particular face-to-face meeting I had with Matthew Ryan several
years after the murder and when it appeared that nothing was going to happen
on Danny's case. I specifically asked him if you are not going to prosecute
Richard Lavigne for Danny's murder at this time then why don't prosecute him
for molesting my son? The only explanation he offered was that a prosecution
of Richard Lavigne for molesting my son would hinder a prosecution for
murder. I viewed that to be an excuse to conceal the real reason he would
not prosecute since he had a victim ready, willing and able to testify. I
then started to suspect that something was occurring that was not on the
level.
I had a good relationship with Father and later Bishop O'Neil from when he
was a curate at our parish through when he became Bishop of New Hampshire.
We would occasionally have dinner together and had numerous personal
conversations both inside and out of my home. There is no doubt in my mind
that in early 1972 he knew that my one of my sons was sexually abused by
Richard Lavigne, that Richard Lavigne attempted or did in fact molest other
sons of mine, that other boys were molested by Richard Lavigne and that my
son Danny was murdered in connection with sexual abuse perpetrated upon him
by Richard Lavigne. Based upon my conversations with Father O'Neil, I
believe that he knew in the late 1960's that Father Lavigne molested boys.
It is further my opinion that Bishop Weldon, and the other Bishops who
served in the time up through Father Lavigne's conviction, knew that Richard
Lavigne molested boys and never did anything about it. I also believe that
Father O'Neil told officials within the Diocese of Springfield in the spring
of 1972 because the Diocese Attorney came to our house to ask us what we
wanted as a result of our conversations with Father O'Neil.
I am also aware that my son Gregory met with Bishop O'Neil shortly after he
became a Bishop in the early 1980's and told him to his face that he was
also victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Richard Lavigne.
It is important to me that the truth be told and not be kept secret any
longer. It has been over thirty years since Danny was murdered and even more
than that since some of his other brothers were molested. The District
Attorney let the statute of limitations pass without prosecuting Richard
Lavigne for abusing my son and countless other children were molested as a
direct result of the Diocese's inaction after they knew my sons were
molested and that Danny was murdered. It is my desire to assist the other
victims of clergy abuse and to make sure this tragedy not befall any other
family.
On behalf of myself and my wife Bernice and my late son, Danny Croteau, I
wish that all investigatory, District Attorney, State Police and impounded
court files be released. The only condition I wish to put on the release is
that I do not wish the release of the information of the specific act of the
killing or any items of physical evidence that only the killer of my son
Danny would know, to protect the (future) possibility of a prosecution.
Signed under the pain and penalties of perjury this 12 day of December,
2003.
(signed) Carl Croteau The following is an affidavit by Carl Croteau from the
1990s:
My name is Carl Croteau. My wife and I have been members of St. Catherine of
Siena in Springfield for many years. All of my sons, Carl, Jr., Greg,
Joseph, Michael and Dan served as altar boys at St. Catherine during the
late l960's and early 1970's.
We got to know Father Richard R. Lavigne very well when he was serving at
St. Catherine. He was a very frequent visitor to our house and almost like a
member of the family. We trusted him completely and allowed our kids to go
away with him frequently on both day and overnight trips. I was very busy
working two jobs in those days, and we were grateful to Father Lavigne for
the time he could spend with the boys when we were absent.
I had no idea, before the murder of my son Danny in April 1972 and the
subsequent investigation, that Father Lavigne had sexually abused any kids,
either our own or any others. I do remember that Father Lavigne was a very
physical person who worked out a lot, and I remember seeing him being quite
rough physically with boys, grabbing them and squeezing them hard. At one
point, I said to him that I didn't like the way he was physically squeezing
the boys and told him not to do it with any of my boys.
The only other unusual thing I remember from before 1972 that might be
linked to Lavigne is that one day Father Griffin came to me and complained
that my Danny and other boys were being disrespectful of the Host (the wafer
used for Holy Communion) and eating pieces of it outside of church services.
This bizarre behavior might possibly have been attributable to the adverse
reaction kids had from their contact with Father Lavigne.
Father Lavigne remained a close friend of the family after he was
transferred to St. Mary's from St. Catherine. We thought he had been
transferred because Father Griffin didn't like his political positions and
his radical tendencies as a priest. He frequently would come over to pick up
our boys and take them out.
After the murder occurred in 1972, Father Lavigne officiated at the funeral
Mass, but I do not remember him being present at the wake. I do remember him
telling me that there would have to be a closed casket, supposedly because,
according to him, the other members of my family wanted it that way due to
Danny's physical condition.
The only priests I can recall being at the wake were Father Griffin and a
priest from the Franciscan Order named Father Barnabus. I remember Father
Griffin being very heavy hearted during the wake and saying very little.
Father Barnabus, whom none of our family had ever met before that day and
who had no official function at either St. Catherine or St. Mary, cried a
lot at the wake. This puzzled us because we didn't know him at all. I have
heard that he took confession from Father Lavigne shortly after the night of
the murder.
A short time after the funeral, Father Lavigne called us up and said that he
would not be contacting us any further in light of "the circumstances." We
didn't know what he was talking about, but we heard from the police that
Father Lavigne had become a prime suspect in the murder investigation.
The police told us not to talk with our boys before they interviewed them.
After interviewing the boys, the police told us that Joe had been molested
and that Father Lavigne had attempted to molest Carl and Greg. We went down
to the police station in Chicopee and Joe, my wife and I signed a complaint
for murder and Joe signed a complaint for Lavigne's sexual assault of him.
A short time after we signed the complaint Father (now Bishop) O'Neil came
to our house to visit us. I remember he looked as white as a sheet and
appeared nervous and trembling. He asked if I thought that Father Lavigne
had committed the murder. I said to him that the police had told us he was
the chief suspect, that Father Lavigne had also molested or attempted to
molest our other boys, that there were other kids out there who said they'd
been molested but whose parents were reluctant to come forward, and that I
therefore did believe that Father Lavigne was the murderer. Father O'Neil
seemed extremely upset to hear this.
A week or two later, Father O'Neil showed up at our house. Father O'Neil
handed me a wad of bills for spending money and said that they were sending
us on an all-expense-paid trip to visit my wife's sister. We assumed that
this was being done to help us deal with the pressure during the
investigation.
We did go to Disneyland with some of our kids for a week. A short time after
we got back, maybe a month or so after the investigation had started
focusing on Father Lavigne, attorney James Egan came to our house
unannounced. After identifying himself as the attorney for the diocese, he
asked me point blank "What do you want out of this? Is there anything you
want?" We were stunned by this question and didn't realize at first what he
was talking about. I said something like, "What do you mean, what do we
want?" There was an awkward silence, then he said,"Well, if you ever decide
you need something, let us know." Then he left without any further
discussion. We never heard from him or the Diocese again.
During the subsequent years, I remember that the subject of the murder
investigation and what had happened to Danny and my other boys would
frequently come up when Father O'Neil would visit us. Father O'Neil told me
on more than one occasion of reports he had received from Annie, the
housekeeper at St. Catherine, that Father Lavigne had many times persuaded
kids to skip school and to stay with him in his private bedroom.
There is no doubt in my mind that Father O'Neil, both from hearing from me
earlier about the police reports of sexual assaults on my children and
others, and from other sources such as Annie, that there were many
allegations of prior sexual abuse of boys by Father Lavigne. Father O'Neil
told me more than once not to let any man come between me and God, obviously
referring by the word "man" to Father Lavigne and what he was alleged to
have done to the kids. However, I do not remember anyone from the Diocese,
whether Father O'Neil or anyone else, ever asking to interview any of my
boys or any other boys in the parish in order to learn whether Father
Lavigne had molested them.
Sometime in 1975, I was very frustrated with the course of the
investigation, because despite Lt. Fitzgibbon promising me that they would
"nail him," indictments had (not) come down against Father Lavigne. I
visited Matty Ryan, the D.A., in his office and asked him why the case was
not proceeding. He said to me, "How can I ever convince a jury of twelve men
and women to find a priest guilty of murder?" I then asked him, "What about
the abuse case involving my other boy Joe?" He said that he couldn't push
that case because it might screw up the murder case.
Through the years we never specifically discussed with our boys what Father
Lavigne had done to them because we understood the police to have instructed
us not to do so in order not to prejudice the trial of the criminal case
against Father Lavigne.
(signed) Carl Croteau
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--
"+ I just reports the news... I don't MAKE it."
Patrick Raymond Barker bark...@erinet.com
15/12/2003