Mobile archbishop rebukes sheriffâs claims church isnât cooperating in Alex Crow investigation
The Archbishop of Mobile took to Facebook Monday to rebuke suggestions by Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch that church officials haven’t been fully cooperative in the investigation of former priest Alex Crow.
Burch said last week the Archdiocese of Mobile had not “gone above and beyond” in sharing information with investigators, according to a report by Lagniappe.
“If we ask for something, they will typically provide it,” Burch told the outlet. “He’s disgraced the church, [and] I’d be going above and beyond to provide whatever, but that’s just me.”
Here is full coverage of the case of Alex Crow
Burch also reportedly said he suspects others in the archdiocese have more information, but aren’t coming forward.
Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, however, said Monday the archdiocese has fully cooperated with law enforcement.
“In late July, when we were notified Alex Crow had abandoned his parish ministry and left the country with a recent McGill-Toolen graduate, we immediately notified the district attorney of Mobile County,” Rodi said.
“Based upon this report from the archdiocese, the district attorney’s office opened an investigation.
“The Archdiocese of Mobile has and continues to fully cooperate with investigators,” Rodi continued.
“Alex Crow was immediately notified that he could no longer could perform any priestly ministry, he could not dress as a priest, he could not continue to tell people he is a priest.”
Crow was stripped of his duties as a priest in July after the archdiocese said he had “abandoned his assignment.”
Crow had reportedly left the country with an 18-year-old woman, with the two later located in Italy by a family member of the young woman.
At the time, about three weeks ago, Burch said no criminal activity was suspected.
In his Monday statement, Rodi also said Crow will not be able to return to the priesthood, regardless the outcome of the investigation.
“We see no way for Alex Crow to return to ministry and this has been shared widely in the Catholic church,” he said.
In his statement, Rodi also said he joined with those who are “concerned, sad, angry, about the behavior of Alex Crow and how his behavior is affecting the young woman with whom he is traveling, their families, and the entire family of the Archdiocese of Mobile.”
Burch has accused Crow of “grooming” the young woman when she was still a student at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, as well as “another couple of young girls,” although investigators have yet to produce any hard evidence outside of two letters the sheriff’s office say were written by Crow.
When asked by AL.com how they had determined the letters were genuine, the sheriff’s office would only say “they were given to us, but we’re not saying from who.”
Rodi acknowledged Monday there are still many questions to be answered surrounding Crow’s activities.
“All of us want to know the truth. All of us want to know the facts of this case,” he said.
“Now I know you have questions,” he said later in his statement. “I do, too. And the archdiocese will continue to cooperate with civil authorities as they try to put together the pieces of this puzzle.”