Looks like the Rev. Gary E. Underwood may be heading to trial on charges that he molested three teenage boys during the 1980s.
Underwood, 53, is facing charges of child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor in connection with reports that he abused three boys while working as a priest at St. Odilia’s Catholic Church on Tucson’s Northwest Side.
Underwood is accused of molesting the three teenage boys _ all of them under the age of 15 — during the early 1980s. He had asked that the criminal case be dismissed because of the long delay in charging him. The judge didn’t buy it.
Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Nichols denied Underwood’s motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that it took prosecutors more than two decades to charge him.
In a decision issued last month, Nichols said the victims in the case didn’t contact law enforcement or make their claims in any way known until June 2006. The state filed charges in November and December 2006.
“No showing has been made that the prosecution intentionally slowed the proceedings; once the alleged victims came forward the state acted in a timely fashion,” Nichols wrote in his decision.
Underwood had also noted that all four of the men who lived with him in the rectory of St. Odilia’s at the time of the alleged molestations are dead. Underwood said all those men, if alive, would have testified the charges are false.
But Nichols said the court is unwilling to conclude that the men who lived with Underwood would have knowledge of the allegations, or if they did, that they would necessarily support Underwood.
There’s been no further court dates set in the Underwood case, pending the schedule of prosecutor Kathleen Mayer.
Underwood has not worked in the local diocese since 1987. He is currently suspended from the priesthood and working an administrative job at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La., where he had previously been a chaplain.
His attorney, Dan Cooper, says Underwood is innocent.
Underwood, who was ordained in the local diocese, served at St. Odilia’s from 1983 to 1986, and at St. Anthony’s in Casa Grande in 1987. He was initially arraigned Nov. 17 following a nearly six-month investigation into accusations that he sexually abused two boys. The second indictment against him was dated April 24.
Mayer says Underwood preyed on adolescent boys connected to the Catholic Church, providing them with pornography and alcohol prior to making sexual overtures toward them, and “often used a Jacuzzi in these crimes.”
In other cases, three priests who once worked in the diocese have been sent to prison for sexual abuse.
“Underwood had also noted that all four of the men who lived with him in the rectory of St. Odilia’s at the time of the alleged molestations are dead.”
Yup, and one of the dead is Fr. Robert Gluch (Fr. Bob and his little Scottie Terrier named Marco) who was a molester and had to be baby sat by Fr. Bardon at St. O’s. Fr. Bardon helped me when he found out what Fr. Kevin Barmasse had done to me and other boys and I believe if Fr. Bardon were alive today he would help the men in this case as well!!!! I believe a lot of good priests were put into a position back then to “baby sit” sick priests. But they couldn’t keep an eye on them 24/7! Fr. Bob was baby sat in Sierra Vista before being moved to Tucson and it’s funny that Fr. Kevin was in Sierra Vista before being moved to Tucson as well! Do we see a pattern here?
Thank you Fr. Bardon for helping me! You were a good man and a true priest!
— Troy Gray 01/09/2008 07:02 AM #
And thank you Stephanie Innes, for keeping this subject in the forefront.
I know Fr Underwood, and personally believe that he is falsely accused. He’s a good man and a good priest…to have to prove a negative, 22 years after the alleged incident, seems surreal to me.
How could anyone prove this happened/didn’t happen? In the end it is one man’s word against another. Sadly, because of other criminals, priests have to prove they’re innocent in a country that declares that a man is innocent until proven guilty.
Put yourself in his place…could you prove you are innocent of something that someone else says happened in private 22 years ago? With no physical evidence?
I’m disappointed this case has even gone this far. And I’m disappointed in the vultures who know nothing of the man or the case but persist in persecuting him nonetheless.
— Crusader Airman 01/09/2008 03:34 PM #
I don’t believe the accusations against Fr. Gary Underwood. I knew him personally as my priest from 1989-1991 while serving in the USAF. Even if the accusations are true I hold no ill feelings towards him and won’t pass any bad judgement against him. Your in our prayers!! Jerry and Dulce!
— Jerry Tredway 02/07/2008 09:19 PM #
First, If you know Father Gary you would know that this is just not true. He was our priest at Lajes field from 1988-1990. He was very close to my wife and myself. We spent much time together. Fr Gary and I talked alot about his earlier life and his ministry. He never showed any hint of or guilt of his earlier life. My wife and I both as professional nurse corps practioners in the USAF would have detected this and brought it to the surface. I am disappointed in these three men that want attention or seek to do harm to a man of God. Maybe their backgrounds need to be investigated. If this really happened why did it not surface before now. I will tell you why, because these individual may need psychiatric help, they may be wanting attention, they may be trying to cash in on the lottery of the Catholic Church and some of its priests past sins. In any event God will judge, it may not be on earth, but he will.
-Craig Dunn, Maj, USAF, Ret
My son met Father Gary when he reported to Eglin in 1995. He would talk about him when he called home. He held Father Gary in the highest respect. He was a very good judge of people. When he died at Khobar Father Gary was a great help and comfort to us. I do not believe these charges.People can not hide who they are. Father Gary is a wonderful priest. Our thoughts and prayers are with and hopefully this nightmare will be over for him very soon Herm and Sharon Marthaler
To everyone above, as hard as it is to imagine, Gary was not a good person, let alone a good priest. I also knew him personally growing up as a youth in Tucson. The allegations are absolutely true. I gave a deposition earlier this year to the Pima County Prosecutors Office and am disappointed that I will miss his sentencing on August 4th. Although many years have passed since my experience with Gary, the memory of his evil ways still remain vivid in my mind. The years that have passed have not diminished the negative impact that Gary left in many of the lives that he has “touched”. The distrust of the Church and priests in general has been something I have grappled with over the years. This is very unfortunate because I know there are good priests out there. I have deep and profound respect for the three individuals that have stepped up. As hard as it may be to understand Craig, it’s not always about the money, sometimes you have to stand up and defend yourself- even if years have passed since you’ve been wronged. My prayers are with the victims and ultimately for Judge Nichols that God will give him the wisdom of handing down the maximum sentence allowed by law and finally making Gary accountable for his actions.
This “Father” molested alot more boys than four! I personally know one young man who was molested and it changed his life forever and the lives of all his friend and families also. I am one of those. I was one who was there when he first came out of the seminary and was working at Our Mother of Sorrows of Tucson and had his Gold Corvette. We thought he was the coolest priest ever. Then my best friend told he was hanging out at the rectory with “Gary” and was being shown pornography. I knew at that moment that my friend’s life would never be the same. The evil man who robbed the innocence from my best friend and “brother” changed him from an innocent boy to a confused young man and now he (my friend) is in prison. I believe this man has ruined many young boy’s lives and deserves what ever punishment can be attained. I am no longer a catholic, but I believe that he will suffer the eternal damnation of God’s wrath, less he begs forgiveness of his sin from God and accept Jesus Christ as his Savior (which he apprently did not do even though he pretened to be a man of God). He stole my best friend (brother) from me and I will never be able to forgive him. I hope God can forgive me for my anger and resentment. “Father” Gary Underwood may find the mercy of God, but I hope the court throws everything possible at him.
Yup, and one of the dead is Fr. Robert Gluch (Fr. Bob and his little Scottie Terrier named Marco) who was a molester and had to be baby sat by Fr. Bardon at St. O’s. Fr. Bardon helped me when he found out what Fr. Kevin Barmasse had done to me and other boys and I believe if Fr. Bardon were alive today he would help the men in this case as well!!!! I believe a lot of good priests were put into a position back then to “baby sit” sick priests. But they couldn’t keep an eye on them 24/7! Fr. Bob was baby sat in Sierra Vista before being moved to Tucson and it’s funny that Fr. Kevin was in Sierra Vista before being moved to Tucson as well! Do we see a pattern here?
Thank you Fr. Bardon for helping me! You were a good man and a true priest!
— Troy Gray 01/09/2008 07:02 AM #
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/2007/
— JODY! 01/09/2008 02:15 PM #
How could anyone prove this happened/didn’t happen? In the end it is one man’s word against another. Sadly, because of other criminals, priests have to prove they’re innocent in a country that declares that a man is innocent until proven guilty.
Put yourself in his place…could you prove you are innocent of something that someone else says happened in private 22 years ago? With no physical evidence?
I’m disappointed this case has even gone this far. And I’m disappointed in the vultures who know nothing of the man or the case but persist in persecuting him nonetheless.
— Crusader Airman 01/09/2008 03:34 PM #
— Jerry Tredway 02/07/2008 09:19 PM #
First, If you know Father Gary you would know that this is just not true. He was our priest at Lajes field from 1988-1990. He was very close to my wife and myself. We spent much time together. Fr Gary and I talked alot about his earlier life and his ministry. He never showed any hint of or guilt of his earlier life. My wife and I both as professional nurse corps practioners in the USAF would have detected this and brought it to the surface. I am disappointed in these three men that want attention or seek to do harm to a man of God. Maybe their backgrounds need to be investigated. If this really happened why did it not surface before now. I will tell you why, because these individual may need psychiatric help, they may be wanting attention, they may be trying to cash in on the lottery of the Catholic Church and some of its priests past sins. In any event God will judge, it may not be on earth, but he will.
-Craig Dunn, Maj, USAF, Ret
— Craig Dunn 03/21/2008 12:27 PM #
My son met Father Gary when he reported to Eglin in 1995. He would talk about him when he called home. He held Father Gary in the highest respect. He was a very good judge of people. When he died at Khobar Father Gary was a great help and comfort to us. I do not believe these charges.People can not hide who they are. Father Gary is a wonderful priest. Our thoughts and prayers are with and hopefully this nightmare will be over for him very soon Herm and Sharon Marthaler
— Sharon Marthaler 04/18/2008 10:14 AM #
To everyone above, as hard as it is to imagine, Gary was not a good person, let alone a good priest. I also knew him personally growing up as a youth in Tucson. The allegations are absolutely true. I gave a deposition earlier this year to the Pima County Prosecutors Office and am disappointed that I will miss his sentencing on August 4th. Although many years have passed since my experience with Gary, the memory of his evil ways still remain vivid in my mind. The years that have passed have not diminished the negative impact that Gary left in many of the lives that he has “touched”. The distrust of the Church and priests in general has been something I have grappled with over the years. This is very unfortunate because I know there are good priests out there. I have deep and profound respect for the three individuals that have stepped up. As hard as it may be to understand Craig, it’s not always about the money, sometimes you have to stand up and defend yourself- even if years have passed since you’ve been wronged. My prayers are with the victims and ultimately for Judge Nichols that God will give him the wisdom of handing down the maximum sentence allowed by law and finally making Gary accountable for his actions.
— CPR 07/29/2008 08:26 PM #
This “Father” molested alot more boys than four! I personally know one young man who was molested and it changed his life forever and the lives of all his friend and families also. I am one of those. I was one who was there when he first came out of the seminary and was working at Our Mother of Sorrows of Tucson and had his Gold Corvette. We thought he was the coolest priest ever. Then my best friend told he was hanging out at the rectory with “Gary” and was being shown pornography. I knew at that moment that my friend’s life would never be the same. The evil man who robbed the innocence from my best friend and “brother” changed him from an innocent boy to a confused young man and now he (my friend) is in prison. I believe this man has ruined many young boy’s lives and deserves what ever punishment can be attained. I am no longer a catholic, but I believe that he will suffer the eternal damnation of God’s wrath, less he begs forgiveness of his sin from God and accept Jesus Christ as his Savior (which he apprently did not do even though he pretened to be a man of God). He stole my best friend (brother) from me and I will never be able to forgive him. I hope God can forgive me for my anger and resentment. “Father” Gary Underwood may find the mercy of God, but I hope the court throws everything possible at him.
— Noel Desilets 08/10/2008 11:49 PM #