

Dontee Stokes, 26, (left) is accused in the shooting of Rev. Maurice Blackwell (Right). Dontee has alleged the priest had molested him in 1993.
Dontee Stokes is charged with attempted murder in the Monday night shooting of Blackwell. Police said Stokes shot Blackwell right outside Blackwell's Baltimore home after the priest apparently refused to talk to him.
Blackwell was accused, but never charged with sexually abusing Stokes 13 years ago. "Nuns knew about it. Priests knew about it. They did not address me. The archdiocese did not address me. The only person to address me was the police and nothing was done. And, nothing still has not been done until this day," Tamara Stokes said.
In 1993, Dontee Stokes and his mother told police that Blackwell had been fondling him during bible study class at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church in Baltimore, Md.
Baltimore police spokeswoman, Regina Averella said, "There was an investigation back in 1993, when, obviously, Mr. Stokes was still young. That investigation was forwarded to the state's attorney's office and, for whatever reason, nothing more came from the investigation."
A spokesman for the archdiocese said Blackwell was placed on leave in 1998, for having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Dontee Stokes' family said Dontee struggled to recover from the alleged abuse.
At the barbershop where he worked, friends said the recent publicity about the church scandal may have had an effect. "He was getting on with his life. But, being the case that other things have been going on as far as priests and all that, maybe it did stem up a lot of feelings," said Damon Fisher, a co-worker of Dontee's.
Investigators said Stokes has confessed to the shooting. He turned himself in Monday night and led police to the gun used in the crime.
The archdiocese acknowledges that Maurice Blackwell was sent to a church-run residential treatment facility in Connecticut, back in 1993.
The Archdicese of Baltimore: http://www.archbalt.org/
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