Nun's SUV found near Cottonwood, account of arrests disputed

(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)

Father Gilbert Schneider with St. Berard Parish in Navajo, N.M., stands in front of the house Monday where the body of homicide victim Sister Marguerite Bartz was found. Law enforcement from the FBI, New Mexico State Police and the Navajo Nation are investigating.

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Navajo Nation police confirmed that the SUV belonging to homicide victim Marguerite Bartz was found Monday, Nov. 2, near Fish Point, Ariz.

Sgt. Emmett Yazzie at the Chinle Police District said Bartz's 2005 Honda CRV had been recovered but he disputed a report that occupants of the vehicle had been arrested.

According to Ernie Lee, official specialist for Tsélani-Cottonwood Chapter, a local woman came to the chapter house Monday to report a suspicious vehicle parked in a ditch with people inside. The vehicle took off when she approached it, she told Lee.

The woman phoned in a report to the Navajo Nation Police in Chinle, and after a second call the police responded, locating the vehicle on Navajo Route 251 near Fish Point.

She told Lee the driver attempted to flee, leading the police on a high-speed chase before crashing the vehicle. Two male and three female occupants were arrested and a large quantity of alcohol was confiscated from the vehicle, he recounted.

According to Yazzie, no one was arrested.

The Times attempted to contact Samson Cowboy, director of the Navajo Department of Public Safety, but he was unavailable Tuesday.

Bartz, a nun based in Navajo, N.M., was remembered at an emotional evening service Monday at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Fort Defiance. Her pictures were displayed at the pulpit and were accompanied by lighted candles on each side.

The church was filled with community members, who wept throughout the ceremony.

"She (strove in) her life that she imitated the quality of Jesus," said the Rev. Gilbert Schneider.

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Bartz, 64, was found dead Sunday in her convent at St. Berard Parish in Navajo. She was slain some time between the previous night, Halloween, and when she was found, according to a press release issued Monday by the Diocese of Gallup.

Schneider mentioned Bartz's skills as a teacher and the amount of time she devoted to teaching.

"She would say, 'I'm so busy,'" he said. "I would say, 'Well, you made yourself busy.'"

Cowboy confirmed Monday that a homicide had occurred and said he would release additional information after meeting with other law enforcement agencies. The FBI did not return phone calls from the Navajo Times and so far has not released any information to the public about the incident.

According to several local residents, Bartz was beaten to death. A colleague found her body Sunday morning after she failed to show up for Mass, the diocese release said.

The memorial service touched on the violence that may have been involved but Schneider told the congregation to use the opportunity to be a "people of peace" and to remember the standards Bartz's taught.

Community members expressed worry to the Navajo Times that the parish would close because of the incident, but Schneider reassured the congregation that the church would remain and continue to serve.

The circumstances surrounding Bartz's death are under investigation by the FBI and further details have not been released, the diocese said.

Law enforcement teams from the New Mexico State Police, the Navajo Nation Police and the FBI's Evidence Response Team were in Navajo Monday morning and were continuing to process the crime scene.

No one associated with the teams would answer press inquiries.

According to the diocese, the FBI wants to hear from anyone who spoke to Bartz on Halloween night or anyone who has information related to the investigation. Anyone with information can contact the FBI at 505-889-1300.

Investigators have not released any suspect descriptions and there is no information if one or several individuals were involved, but the subject or subjects should be considered armed and dangerous, the diocese press release said.

"If she didn't agree with you she would tell you why, but gently," Vanessa Bartz, Bartz's sister-in-law, said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Bartz was a kind, studious person and enjoyed playing with her nieces and nephews during family reunions, she said.

Most of Bartz's family lives in Texas and she has six brothers and one sister, according to Vanessa.

The diocese released the following background information about Bartz: She was born in Plymouth, Wis., in 1945 and entered the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1966 from Beaumont, Texas. She professed her final vows in 1974.

Bartz earned a bachelor's degree from Xavier University and a master's degree in religious education from Loyola University, both in New Orleans.

Over the course of her service, she missioned in Dorchester, Mass.; Lawtell, La.; Peña Blanca, N.M.; Laguna, N.M.; and Santa Fe, N.M. Bartz came to Saint Berard Parish in 1999.

Bartz is a former guidance counselor at St. Michael Indian School and was on its board of directors.

Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament is headquartered in Bensalem, Pa. It is a religious order founded in 1899 by Saint Katherine Drexel.

Irene Clark of Crystal, N.M., said she knew Bartz for three years. They became acquainted after Bartz made weekly visits to Clark's mother.

On Monday Clark walked away from the parish grounds in Navajo with tears in her eyes.

"She's a nice lady, who would want to do that," Clark said. "What's wrong with this community?"

Local residents interviewed by the Navajo Times asked to remain anonymous and said they did not know who might be responsible for Bartz's death. Nearby, Navajo Elementary School was heavily vandalized on Halloween night, but it is not known if the two incidents were related.

Last rites for Sister Marguerite

There will be a rosary for Sister Marguerite Bartz on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. at St. Michael Indian School Student Chapel.

The funeral will be held Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup. Burial will follow in the sisters' cemetery at St. Michael.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the scholarship program at St. Michael Indian School would be appreciated.

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