MD--Victims applaud police & prosecutors in girls’ murder
For immediate release: Wednesday, July 15
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
We’re impressed by and grateful to Maryland police and prosecutors who are pursuing a very old murder case involving Sheila and Katharine Lyon who were abducted in 1975. We’re especially encouraged by the pledge Maryland authorities to go after those who helped conceal these horrific crimes. (All too often, those who commit crimes against kids are prosecuted but those who conceal those crimes are not.)
Law enforcement should never let those who hurt kids rest. Those who commit or conceal crimes against kids should never be allowed to exploit technicalities like the statute of limitations.
We commend Montgomery County, Maryland state’s attorney John McCarthy, state's attorney and Bedford County commonwealth attorney Randy Krantz for their diligence and for being undeterred by the passage of time.
We beg anyone and everyone who may have any knowledge of or suspicions about these crimes to call law enforcement immediately. Don’t even think about whether what you know or suspect is too old, too small, too indirect or too insignificant to report. Let the experienced, independent professionals make that determination. Just do your civic and moral duty and call 911.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, S[email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Sex offender charged with murder of 2 sisters in 1975 case
By BEN NUCKOLS - Jul. 15, 2015 3:25 PM EDT
WHEATON, Md. (AP) — Forty years after two young sisters vanished from a suburban Maryland mall, an imprisoned sex offender has been charged with murder, authorities said Wednesday, bringing some clarity to a baffling case that made parents afraid to let their children out of the house.
Lloyd Michael Welch Jr., 58, told authorities he was with the girls when they were abducted in March 1975 but . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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