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Geoghan Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty
Friday, September 19, 2003
WORCESTER, Mass. — An inmate (search) accused of slaying former priest John J. Geoghan (search) in prison pleaded innocent to murder Friday, then exited his arraignment screaming "Let's keep the kids safe!" and "Hold pedophiles accountable for their actions!"
Joseph L. Druce (search) allegedly beat and strangled Geoghan in the defrocked priest's cell at Souza-Baronowski Correctional Institute in Shirley on Aug. 23.
In letters to newspapers, Druce has identified himself as Geoghan's "exterminator" and said pedophiles should be castrated. He's also boasted that he killed Geoghan to "avenge the children."
In Worcester Superior Court on Friday, Druce nodded his head as the clerk read the charge that he "did beat and murder" Geoghan. When asked for his plea, Druce shrugged and said, "Not guilty."
Druce's attorney John LaChance has said he plans to seek an insanity defense.
Geoghan, 68, was serving a nine- to 10-year sentence for groping a 10-year-old boy and was accused of molesting nearly 150 boys over three decades. His case triggered the sex scandal that has rocked the nation's Roman Catholic Church (search).
Druce, 38, is serving a life sentence for the 1988 murder of a gay man.
On Friday, LaChance asked that Druce be moved out of the Shirley prison, and Druce interrupted the proceeding to claim he'd found spit and feces in his food. But Judge John McCann denied the request. A pretrial conference was scheduled for Oct. 1.
Friday, September 19, 2003
WORCESTER, Mass. — An inmate (search) accused of slaying former priest John J. Geoghan (search) in prison pleaded innocent to murder Friday, then exited his arraignment screaming "Let's keep the kids safe!" and "Hold pedophiles accountable for their actions!"
Joseph L. Druce (search) allegedly beat and strangled Geoghan in the defrocked priest's cell at Souza-Baronowski Correctional Institute in Shirley on Aug. 23.
In letters to newspapers, Druce has identified himself as Geoghan's "exterminator" and said pedophiles should be castrated. He's also boasted that he killed Geoghan to "avenge the children."
In Worcester Superior Court on Friday, Druce nodded his head as the clerk read the charge that he "did beat and murder" Geoghan. When asked for his plea, Druce shrugged and said, "Not guilty."
Druce's attorney John LaChance has said he plans to seek an insanity defense.
Geoghan, 68, was serving a nine- to 10-year sentence for groping a 10-year-old boy and was accused of molesting nearly 150 boys over three decades. His case triggered the sex scandal that has rocked the nation's Roman Catholic Church (search).
Druce, 38, is serving a life sentence for the 1988 murder of a gay man.
On Friday, LaChance asked that Druce be moved out of the Shirley prison, and Druce interrupted the proceeding to claim he'd found spit and feces in his food. But Judge John McCann denied the request. A pretrial conference was scheduled for Oct. 1.