Warsaw archbishop asks Vatican to defrock Polish priest charged with the killing of a homeless man
Prosecutors on Saturday charged the priest, only identified as Mirosław M. in line with Polish privacy rules, with murder with particular cruelty. He is being detained ahead of a trial and faces 15 years to life behind bars.
Investigators say the priest and the victim, Anatol Cz., were together in a car late Thursday when an argument broke out, according to Aneta Góźdź, a spokesperson for the Radom District Prosecutor's Office.
The fight stemmed from a donation agreement where the priest had agreed to provide lifelong assistance and care for the man, Góźdź said in a statement. The argument escalated over the homeless man's future housing.
The priest allegedly struck the victim on the head with an ax, doused him in flammable liquid and set him on fire, the spokesperson said. The priest then drove away when he saw a bicycle light approaching.
The bicyclist found the victim engulfed in flames and called for first responders, Góźdź said.
"An autopsy showed that the victim suffered burns covering 80% of his body and head injuries caused by a sharp-edged heavy object," Góźdź said.
Warsaw Archbishop Adrian Galbas on Saturday requested the Holy See to dismiss the priest from the priesthood, the highest penalty in canon law for a cleric.
In a statement to the archdiocese on Friday, Galbas asked for Catholics to pray for the victim and his loved ones. The archbishop said he was "devastated" by the crime and pledged to cooperate with investigators.
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Belarus targets dozens of government critics with raids and detention, advocates say
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The case continues to attract attention because of Epstein's well-documented connections to the rich and powerful, including royals, presidents and billionaires. Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago. Trump has repeatedly tried to move past the matter, after the Justice Department said last month that Epstein did not maintain a "client list" and it would not release any more files related to the investigation. However, lawmakers in both major parties and many in Trump's base have refused to let the issue go. What To Know The Times published several photographs showing a credenza crowded with framed pictures showcasing Epstein's ties to some of the world's most famous figures, including the late Pope John Paul II, Elon Musk and former president Bill Clinton. Donald and Melania Trump Among the framed photos on display in Epstein's townhouse is a now widely circulated picture from 2000 showing Epstein with Trump and now first lady Melania Trump. Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is pictured next to him in the original image, but she was cropped out of the framed photo in Epstein's home. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. This image, captured in 2000, of Donald Trump and now First Lady Melania Trump with Jeffrey Epstein is on display in Epstein's residence, with his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell cropped out. This image, captured in 2000, of Donald Trump and now First Lady Melania Trump with Jeffrey Epstein is on display in Epstein's residence, with his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell cropped John Paul II A photo of John Paul II, who died in 2005, greeting Epstein and Maxwell is among several framed photos on the credenza. The Sun newspaper reported in 2021 that the image was taken in 2003 after the pair flew to Rome for a private audience with the Polish pope. Mick Jagger The Rolling Stones frontman is seen alongside Epstein in one of the framed photos. Jagger was among the celebrities named in a contact book released by the Department of Justice earlier this year, but he has not been accused of any involvement in Epstein's crimes. Elon Musk The tech billionaire is seen seated at a dining table in one of the framed photographs, but others near him cannot be clearly seen. He has confirmed that he once visited Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. "Several years ago, I was at his house in Manhattan for about 30 minutes in the middle of the afternoon with Talulah [Riley], as she was curious about meeting this strange person for a novel she was writing," he told Vanity Fair in 2019. "We did not see anything inappropriate at all, apart from weird art. He tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island. I declined." In recent weeks, Musk has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. In June, he posted, but then deleted, a claim that the files had not been released because Trump's name featured in them. Fidel Castro Castro, the Cuban leader who died in 2016, is seen alongside Epstein, Maxwell and two others in one of the framed photos. Epstein traveled to Cuba at Castro's invitation in March 2003, according to the Miami Herald. Bill Clinton The Democratic former president is seen chatting to Epstein in one of the framed photos, both dressed in casual attire. Clinton's name has appeared in court documents related to Epstein, but he has not been accused of any wrongdoing and he has denied knowing about Epstein's crimes when they were associated. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Clinton was among those who wrote a note to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. His office told the Journal in response: "It's been 20 years since President Clinton last had contact with Epstein, well before any of his crimes came to light. President Clinton has never been accused of any wrongdoing. Furthermore, when asked about the release of documents last year by the court, we did not, and do not, object to the unsealing." Lawrence Summers A framed solo shot of former Treasury Secretary and Harvard University President Larry Summers is also among the photographs displayed. Summers served as Treasury Secretary from 1999 to 2001, then president of Harvard from 2001 to 2006. The Journal reported in 2023 that Summers asked Epstein for a large donation to his wife Elisa New's nonprofit organization in 2014, and had more than a dozen meetings scheduled with Epstein from 2013 through 2016, including several dinners. Summers "deeply regrets being in contact with Epstein after his conviction" and New's nonprofit "regrets accepting funding from Epstein," a spokesperson for the couple told the newspaper at the time. Richard Branson The billionaire is seen smiling alongside Epstein in one of the framed photos. According to court documents, an Epstein accuser once claimed that Epstein kept sex tapes involving prominent people, including Branson. But she retracted her claims, and told The New Yorker in 2019 that she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epstein's behavior and to make him believe that she had "evidence that would come out if he harmed me." A spokesperson for Branson told The Independent newspaper that the claims were "baseless and unfounded." Mohammed bin Salman A framed photo of Saudi Arabia's crown prince, grinning, with his arm around Epstein was on display in Epstein's office, according to the Times. Epstein pointed out the photo of the crown prince to reporter James Stewart during a meeting at the townhouse in 2018, saying that bin Salman had visited him many times, according to Stewart's report published by the Times days after Epstein's death.
