New Orleans priest accused of deaf-community abuse dies in fall at 87

Gerard Joseph 'Jerry' Howell, an 87-year-old Catholic priest long accused of sexually abusing children in the deaf community, died after an apparent fall in his Austin apartment. The Archdiocese of New Orleans reportedly knew of the allegations for 40 years yet continued to support him. His death closes a case that highlighted institutional failure to address abuse, though legal accountability may now be moot.