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If you’ve binged Netflix’s latest critically-acclaimed docu-series, there’s a good chance you’re still having nightmares. Told through the eyes of two amateur investigators, The Keepers starts as an investigation into a beloved nun’s murder before spiraling into a full-scale revelation about a pattern of sexual abuse the Baltimore Catholic church is allegedly covering up. It’s a dark series filled with a plethora of mysterious subjects and strong victims ready to reclaim their story. However, there’s one person who has left viewers of the series perplexed — Brother Bob.
The mysterious Brother Bob is never given a last name or any further identifiers. However, he is responsible for some of the most horrific crimes inflicted Jean Wehner and is suspected to be involved in Sister Catherine Anne Cesnik’s murder. Who is this figure, what do we know about him from the series, and what are internet sleuths saying about him? Here’s your cheat sheet on everything related to Brother Bob.
Who is Brother Bob?
Jean Wehner, the incredibly strong and assured voice of Keough High School’s victims, is the first subject to mention this name. Wehner, who over the course of the docu-series’ seven episodes details the many ways Father Joseph Maskell allegedly raped and sexually assaulted her, mentions Brother Bob’s name in Episode 2. The episode largely focuses on her theory that Sister Cathy was murdered for knowing about the sexual abuse church members were inflicting on students. Wehner claims that Brother Bob raped her in Father Maskell’s office. Not much is known beyond that.
How does Brother Bob know Father Maskell?
That’s unclear, but it is clear that the two were working together in some capacity. Almost all of Wehner’s recollections about Brother Bob involve Father Maskell, and at least one time she was assaulted by Brother Bob while Father Maskell was in the room. Wehner alleges that she was raped by Brother Bob from behind. When he wasn’t pulling out, Father Maskell stopped him. Most of the horrifying stories Wehner has about Brother Bob are connected to Father Maskell in some way.
Is Brother Bob connected to Sister Cathy’s death?
Wehner believes he is as do many viewers. In Episode 4, Wehner claims that Father Maskell left her alone in his office one time. When they were alone, Brother Bob allegedly said that he killed Sister Cathy even though he didn’t want to. Wehner also claimed that Brother Bob said he hit Sister Cathy when she allegedly told him she was going to go to the police about the school’s history of child abuse. Whether or not this actually happened and what the exact meaning of the word “hit” is remains unclear. However, it is worth noting that Sister Cathy suffered from blunt force trauma to her head prior to her death.
In her interview, Wehner says she’s unsure whether what Brother Bob said was the truth or just a tactic to keep her from telling anyone about her sexual abuse.
Is there any other information in the series about Brother Bob?
In the final episode of the docu-series, Wehner, who has been remembering more and more about her abuse, recalls a few more details about Brother Bob. She mentions that he had markings on his abdomen. She’s also unsure about Brother Bob’s relationship with the church. It’s unknown whether Bob was this man’s name or if he was even a priest.
“To this day, I’m more terrified of Brother Bob than I have ever been of Joseph Maskell because I don’t know who this Brother Bob is,” Wehner says in Episode 4. “I don’t remember the man’s face and I have no idea if he’s still out there.”
Are there any theories about the identity of Brother Bob?
There have been several so far, but no widely popular theories have emerged. Some have gone through public records of the Baltimore Archdiocese to find former priests who may fit Brother Bob’s description. Others have speculated that Brother Bob is actually a pseudonym for another subject who appears in the film. The mysterious cross-dressing man ‘Skippy,’ Sister Cathy’s friend Gerry Koob, and one of the uncles in the series have all been proposed as alter egos for Brother Bob. (All of these theories have been shot down on various Reddit threads.) At present, it doesn’t seem as though anyone knows any more about Brother Bob than when the docu-series first aired.
