By MICHAEL WOJCIK
News Editor
CHATHAM - A bail review hearing scheduled to be held Oct. 27 in Superior Court of Morristown for the janitor employed by St. Patrick Parish here who has been charged with the murder of St. Patrick's beloved pastor, Father Edward Hinds on Oct. 22, was cancelled. No reason was given for why the hearing was postponed or when it will be rescheduled. The janitor, Jose Feliciano, 64, of Easton, Pa., has been under guard at Morristown Memorial Hospital for the last several days where he was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness.
Several media outlets reported that the suspect was plagued with financial and health problems. He and his wife, Marisol, both were employed at two jobs. But earlier in the year, Feliciano lost his second job at an electronics store. According to authorities, Feliciano was upset that Father Hinds was intending to lay him off, due to financial constraints at St. Patrick's.
Authorities arrested Feliciano Saturday and charged him with first-degree murder and weapons charges in the death of Father Hinds, whose body was found Friday morning in the rectory kitchen. Feliciano is being held on $1 million bail, set by Morris County Assignment Judge B. Theodore Bonzonelis.
"Feliciano entered the rectory about 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, and got into an argument with Father Hinds over the janitor's continued employment," Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said.
At 5:11 p.m. on Thursday, Father Hinds called 911 on his cell phone to report that he was being attacked and requested help, but his call was cut off. The dispatcher called back, allegedly prompting Feliciano to answer the phone, reporting, "everything's fine." The operator could not trace the location of the call and, therefore, could not dispatch authorities, various media outlets reported.
The prosecutor said during the argument, the suspect "found a kitchen steak or paring knife" and allegedly stabbed the priest, dressed in clerical garb, 32 times.
In confessing to the crime, the prosecutor said, Feliciano allegedly told authorities that he mopped up the blood with rags and paper towels and placed them in a black bag, which he put into a trashcan. The suspect disposed of the knife after he returned home and destroyed Father Hinds' cell phone, news reports stated.
Feliciano and a deacon of the parish discovered Father Hinds' body in the kitchen Friday morning after he failed to arrive in the church to celebrate 8 a.m. Mass - a cause of concern, because the priest was noted for his punctuality. Also, Father Hinds was not present Thursday night at the parish school's Safety Night - which again was unusual because he made it a point to attend such events.
On Friday, a 911 call was received 8:03 a.m. At the crime scene with police there, Feliciano "made a half-hearted attempt to do CPR in front of police. He made about two or three compressions," Bianchi said.
The arrest affidavit said authorities found that Father Hinds' cell phone had been used in Easton, about 40 miles west of Chatham. The investigation led authorities to a park - about 50 yards from Feliciano's home - where they found a garbage can that contained a T-shirt and rags "saturated with what appeared to be blood." Authorities also found the alleged knife used in the attack and priest's cell phone, Bianchi said.
An autopsy revealed that Father Hinds had stab wounds to his upper torso and the back of his head and defensive wounds on his hands and contusions and bruises to his face, Bianchi said.
Feliciano moved to Chatham from Puerto Rico and then moved to Easton a few years later. In 1996, he was baptized a Catholic, after completing religious formation at St. Patrick's, where he worked for 17 years. His family belonged to the parish. His son was graduated from the parish K-8 school, where his daughter is currently an eighth-grader. They are both receiving grief counseling.
