Ex-New Orleans clergyman sentenced for molesting adolescent male passes away in prison

NEW ORLEANS — A former Catholic priest, aged 93, who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the sexual assault of a teenage boy, has passed away. This information was confirmed on Friday by officials in Louisiana as well as Hecker’s attorney.

Lawrence Hecker died from natural causes at 3 a.m. Thursday while incarcerated at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. His passing occurred less than two weeks after receiving his life sentence, according to Ken Pastorick, the communications director for the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Hecker had pleaded guilty to serious charges, including first-degree rape and aggravated kidnapping. This plea came shortly before jury selection for his trial, which had been postponed multiple times. The case involved multiple alleged victims who were prepared to provide testimony against him. The victim of the incident to which Hecker admitted guilt stated that the priest had assaulted him after claiming he would help him practice wrestling moves in the mid-1970s.

In a statement relayed through his attorney, Richard Trahant, the survivor expressed a mix of emotions regarding Hecker’s death. “The only prayer I can come up with is that I hope he spends eternity in hell after God’s judgment of him,” the victim declared. He also conveyed a sense of relief, stating, “Now after his death I feel vindicated and free.”

Hecker’s trial was significantly delayed due to concerns regarding his mental competency. According to his lawyer, Bobby Hjortsberg, Hecker had been suffering from dementia.

Ordained as a priest in 1958, Hecker continued in his clerical role even after a credible complaint of child molestation emerged in the late 1980s. He ultimately exited the ministry in 2002.

Hecker’s conviction comes at a time when the Archdiocese of New Orleans is grappling with a slew of sexual abuse allegations dating back decades, resulting in the organization being involved in bankruptcy proceedings.

This article serves to highlight the disturbing legacy of abuse and its repercussions within the church, as well as the ongoing efforts to seek justice for victims. The aftermath of Hecker’s case reflects a wider societal reckoning with such acts.