Former monk testifies against ex
John Feit
EDINBURG  Texas -- A former monk has testified that an ex-priest accused of killing a Texas woman in 1960 confessed to him three years after the killing. Dale Tacheny testified Monday in the murder trial of  John Feit   now 85  who is accused of suffocating Irene Garza after she went to confession at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen.
While police had interviewed hundreds of people in connection with Garza's murder   Feit  was their focus.  He  was the last person to see Garza. However  no charges were filed against  Feit  at the time.  He  eventually left McAllen  and the case went cold amid what many believed was a cover-up by the church.
Tacheny said  Feit  confessed to  him  in 1963  after the church sent  Feit  to a Missouri monastery where Tacheny worked. The former Trappist monk said  Feit  expressed no remorse during the confession.
Tacheny said he didn't initially report the crime because it "was not my place to make a judgment." The 88-year-old said he instead tried to counsel  Feit  to change his behavior toward women. But in 2002  Tacheny went to police in San Antonio and reported what  Feit  allegedly told  him  decades earlier.
Tacheny spoke to "48 Hours" in 2014 about what he says  Feit  told him and read excerpts of the letter  he  penned to investigators in 2002.
According to Tacheny   Feit  said the woman was in her early 20s and that the murder happened around Easter  after  he  heard her confession.
" He  assaulted her  bound her and gagged her " Tacheny says  reading from the letter to police. "...Later  I do not remember if it was hours or days   he  moved her to another location  and after some time  he  placed her in a cellophane bag and put her into a bathtub. As  he  left   he  could hear her saying  'I can't breathe  I can't breathe.'"
According to Tacheny   Feit  said when  he  returned  the woman was dead.  Feit  allegedly said  he  disposed of the woman's body along a roadway. Garza's body was found days after she disappeared in a canal.
Investigators said  Feit  gave them conflicting versions of what happened the day Garza died in April 1960. They said  Feit  initially claimed  he  didn't take Garza's confession and that another priest was present at the time. But  he  later said  he  was alone and had taken Garza's confession  according to investigators.
 Feit 's attorney argues there is no physical evidence linking his client to the killing. He also said Tacheny made assumptions about the crime when he reported it to police in 2002.
The office charged  Feit  in Garza's death the next year.
 Feit  has pleaded not guilty.  He  denied killing Garza to "48 Hours" correspondent Richard Schlesinger in 2014.
EDINBURG  Texas -- A former monk has testified that an ex-priest accused of killing a Texas woman in 1960 confessed to him three years after the killing. Dale Tacheny testified Monday in the murder trial of  [TGT] now 85  who is accused of suffocating Irene Garza after she went to confession at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen.
While police had interviewed hundreds of people in connection with Garza's murder    [TGT] was their focus.   [TGT]   was the last person to see Garza. However  no charges were filed against   [TGT] at the time.   [TGT]   eventually left McAllen  and the case went cold amid what many believed was a cover-up by the church.
Tacheny said   [TGT] confessed to  him  in 1963  after the church sent  Feit  to a Missouri monastery where Tacheny worked. The former Trappist monk said   [TGT] expressed no remorse during the confession.
Tacheny said he didn't initially report the crime because it "was not my place to make a judgment." The 88-year-old said he instead tried to counsel  Feit  to change his behavior toward women. But in 2002  Tacheny went to police in San Antonio and reported what   [TGT] allegedly told  him  decades earlier.
Tacheny spoke to "48 Hours" in 2014 about what he says   [TGT] told him and read excerpts of the letter  he  penned to investigators in 2002.
According to  [TGT] said the woman was in her early 20s and that the murder happened around Easter  after  he  heard her confession.
" He  assaulted her  bound her and gagged her " Tacheny says  reading from the letter to police. "...Later  I do not remember if it was hours or days   he  moved her to another location  and after some time  he  placed her in a cellophane bag and put her into a bathtub. As  he  left   he  could hear her saying  'I can't breathe  I can't breathe.'"
According to  [TGT] said when   [TGT]   returned  the woman was dead.   [TGT] allegedly said   [TGT]   disposed of the woman's body along a roadway. Garza's body was found days after she disappeared in a canal.
Investigators said   [TGT] gave them conflicting versions of what happened the day Garza died in April 1960. They said   [TGT] initially claimed   [TGT]   didn't take Garza's confession and that another priest was present at the time. But   [TGT]   later said   [TGT]   was alone and had taken Garza's confession  according to investigators.
 Feit 's attorney argues there is no physical evidence linking his client to the killing. He also said Tacheny made assumptions about the crime when he reported it to police in 2002.
The office charged  Feit  in Garza's death the next year.
  [TGT] has pleaded not guilty.   [TGT]   denied killing Garza to "48 Hours" correspondent Richard Schlesinger in 2014.