BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — October 13th marks ten years since prominent Buffalo priest Father Joseph Moreno died in his St. Lawrence Catholic Church rectory back in 2012.
Fr. Moreno’s twin sister, Susan Moreno, tells 7 News reporter Yoselin Person that at the time of his death, the medical examiner ruled his death as a suicide, but Susan says that’s not the case.
“This will never be a suicide this is a travesty of justice from the DA’s office down to the police department down to the church which the clergy had the child abuse case,” she said. “Which my brother was going to expose if they would’ve done their due diligence and ruled this as a homicide, then we wouldn’t be doing what we need to do.”
The family hired a famed forensic scientist Michael Archer who reenacted what he believes happened and found Fr. Joe had two gunshot wounds to his head inside the rectory.
“One of the greatest moments of his life was when he served at 911, and not only did he receive a letter from former President Bush,” Susan says. “And they awarded him the medal of honor, which was stolen the day he was killed.”
A host of the true-crime podcast 7 Deadly Sinners, Rachel O’Brien, is also working with the family.
Rachel says the evidence is clear and straightforward.
“How could he take a gun in his left hand, especially if he was right-hand dominant? How could he? I mean, I couldn’t hold a gun with this hand and reach it around his head like this and manage to shoot himself twice in the back of his head,” she said. “So, in the history of any death by suicide, I don’t think that’s really possible.”
She, too, believes there’s more to the story, and she’s fighting for justice.
“We have a huge following, and we’re hoping that enough ears will be on it and enough people will say, hey DA John Fynn, maybe take another look at this case because it was not open and shut,” she says.
Meantime, Fr. Joe’s sister Susan will continue to shine a light on her twin brother’s story.
“We are so very proud of you. I know you were going to expose what is finally coming out and probably even things that you and I have not discussed,” Susan said. "I wish you were here, dad is dying, and he misses his son very much.”
Click here to get more information about Fr. Joseph Moreno’s death.
