Body of Joyce Malecki, whose 1969 murder was featured in 'The Keepers,' exhumed by FBI
BALTIMORE - The FBI exhumed the body of Joyce Malecki, whose 1969 unsolved murder was documented in the Netflix series "The Keepers," Thursday morning as part of an ongoing investigation into the cold case.
Malecki vanished while Christmas shopping at Harundale Mall on Nov. 11, 1969. Her body found was two days later at Fort Meade. Investigators said she was strangled and stabbed.
Malecki is buried at Loudon Park Cemetery in Baltimore.
"We remain committed to bringing justice for Joyce and her family," the FBI said in a statement Thursday. "Because the investigation is ongoing, we cannot provide any additional information."
"I think that something is still happening in the case and that they are in possession of some information," freelance journalist Tom Nugent said.
People have long speculated that there was a link between the killings of Malecki and Sister Cathy Cesnik, a teacher at Baltimore's Archbishop Keough High School.
Cesnik disappeared four days before Malecki and her body was found in January, 1970, in a wooded area in Lansdowne.
"The Keepers" explored the connections between their murders.
WJZ has been investigating both cases for decades.
Video below -- WJZ investigates: A look back at coverage connected to Joyce Malecki's murder as FBI prepares to exhume body
So has Nugent, who was featured prominently in "The Keepers."
We spoke with Nugent by phone about the plan to exhume Malecki's body.
"I'm amazed and very pleased," Nugent said.
He's hoping this will lead to a revelation that will bring peace to Malecki's family.
"They never did stop trying to solve this," Nugent said. "The idea that they might find out what happened is wonderful for them."
Father Joseph Maskell, who served as a guidance counselor at Archbishop Keough in the 1960s and 1970s, has been accused of sexually assaulting 39 victims, according to April's report released by the April by Maryland's Attorney General. He died in 2001.
A WJZ investigation revealed many of those victims confided in Sister Cesnik just before her shocking murder.
Maskell's body was exhumed in 2017 by Baltimore County Police investigating the death of Cesnik, but there was no evidence tying him to her crime scene.
"Throughout the whole 50-year history of this awful case, there have been numerous attempts to link those two (Cesnik and Malecki), but nobody succeeded," Nugent said.
Malecki attended mass with Maskell and lived near the church's rectory.
Nugent is hopeful Thursday's exhumation will give authorities a break in the case.
"I'm hoping something new is brought to bear and we can finally see justice done in a case that clearly warrants it," Nugent said.
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