EDINBURG – Testimony continues on the fourth day of the murder trial against John Feit.

The former priest is accused of killing Irene Garza, a 25-year-old McAllen school teacher, in 1960.

An expert in church law took the stand Monday morning. He said Feit was transferred intentionally after he was accused of the murder.

Thomas Doyle, a lawyer in canon law, is the key expert for the prosecution’s accusation that the Catholic Church moved Feit after being accused.

The prosecution argues Feit was transferred to an out-of-state Trappist monastery, a place where monks assigned are not allowed to speak.  

“You can’t talk to anyone. You can pray, you sleep and you do manual labor and that’s about it,” Doyle explained. “There’s no contact on the outside world. No newspapers. There were no computers at that time. No radios. No television, nothing of that nature. (It’s) certainly, a place where they could shut you out. It’s part of the rule, you didn’t talk. If you talk you can’t communicate.”

Doyle went on to say mail coming in and out is limited to family members and subject to censorship by superiors.

The prosecution finished with Doyle around noon.

Count on us to have more on the defense’s cross-examination.