"A Kiss Before Dying" is an article by Pamela Colloff, published in Texas Monthly in September 2014. The article tells the story of the murder of Irene Garza, a 25-year-old schoolteacher and former beauty queen, in McAllen, Texas in April 1960. The main suspect in the case is a man named John Feit, a 27-year-old former priest who had been a suspect in the murder from the beginning but was never charged due to lack of evidence. The article provides a detailed account of the investigation, trial, and conviction of John Feit in 2017. Colloff explains how Feit became a prime suspect from the beginning due to his proximity to the crime scene, his past history of violence against women, and the fact that he had given Garza confession just before her death. Despite this, Feit was never charged due to lack of physical evidence and conflicting testimony from witnesses. …show more content…
The article provides a detailed account of the new evidence that was used to convict Feit, including DNA evidence that linked him to the crime and the testimony of a fellow priest who claimed that Feit had confessed to the murder. The article also delves into the larger issues surrounding the case, such as the Catholic Church's handling of sexual abuse allegations and the way in which the case was handled by the legal system. Colloff explains how the Catholic Church had covered up Feit's past history of violence against women, and how the legal system had failed to bring him to justice for decades. Throughout the article, Colloff also provides a glimpse into the life of Irene Garza and the impact her death had on her family and community. It is a tragic story of how a young woman's life was taken, and how her killer was able to evade justice for