Richard R. Lavigne

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Richard R. Lavigne
BornFebruary 18, 1941
United States
DiedMay 21, 2021
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Occupationformer Catholic priest
Conviction(s)child sexual abuse

Richard Roger Lavigne (February 18, 1941 – May 21, 2021)[1][2] was a laicized priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts and convicted sex offender. Lavigne has been at the center of the priest abuse scandal in the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts with about 40 claims of sexual abuse of minors placed against him.

He was removed from ministry by Bishop John Marshall in 1991. He pleaded guilty to two counts of child sexual abuse on June 26, 1992[1] and was the only suspect named in the unsolved 1972 murder of 13-year-old Danny Croteau of Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1994, DNA tests failed to link Lavigne to the Croteau murder and the Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett did not bring any charges against Lavigne in that case. Lavigne was laicized by the Holy See on 20 November 2003.[3] According to the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry, Lavigne spent the last two years of his life “in violation” and his last known residence was in Chicopee. Lavigne died in May 2021 of acute hypoxia respiratory failure as a result of COVID-19 pneumonia.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Level 3 Sex Offender - Richard Roger Lavigne". Commonwealth of Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  2. ^ Fleming, E.J. Death of an Altar Boy: The Unsolved Murder of Danny Croteau and the Culture of Abuse in the Catholic Church. Exposit, 2018.
  3. ^ Zajac, Bill (January 21, 2004). "Vatican defrocks Lavigne, Springfield, MA Priest". Springfield Republican. SNAP. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  4. ^ Ellement, John R. and Andersen, Travis (May 24, 2021). "Hampden DA identifies former Catholic priest as killer in 1972 slaying of 13-year-old Danny Croteau". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 24, 2021.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Further reading[]

Cullen, Kevin (February 21, 2004). "Diocese's report on sex abuse questioned". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
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