A Polish prosecutor claims Father Jerzy Popiełuszko was likely murdered on October 25, 1984, not October 19th, and held in a bunker beforehand.
New Version of Father Popiełuszko’s Death According to the Prosecutor
Prosecutor Andrzej Witkowski, who has investigated the murder of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko twice – in 1990-1991 and 2002-2004 – believes the accepted timeline of events is incorrect, contradicting findings from the Toruń Court.
Witkowski’s investigations challenged the testimonies of Captain Grzegorz Piotrowski, Lieutenant Leszek Pękala, and Lieutenant Waldemar Chmielewski, officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who were convicted in the case.
Discrepancies in the Official Account
According to the official version, Popiełuszko was abducted on October 19, 1984, in Górsk, severely beaten, and thrown into the Vistula River at Włocławek the same day. Witkowski asserts evidence contradicts this timeline.
He cites testimony from a tracker dog handler who, on October 19th, indicated the dog lost the scent over 200 meters from the car, suggesting Popiełuszko was moved to another vehicle, likely belonging to military personnel.
Doubts About Key Witness Testimony
Witkowski questions the testimony of Waldemar Chrostowski, Popiełuszko’s driver, who claimed to have escaped from the abductors’ vehicle. Forensic analysis of Chrostowski’s torn jacket revealed the fabric wasn’t ripped, but cut with a sharp instrument.
This suggests Chrostowski collaborated with the kidnappers, and Witkowski believes his statements were manipulated, with the court accepting one of three inconsistent versions without verification.
Attempted Recruitment, Not Just Murder
Witkowski suggests the Toruń trial was part of a larger operation not aimed at murdering Popiełuszko, but at recruiting him as an agent. He believes the process would have ended if Popiełuszko had yielded to his captors.
Pressure to collaborate began in 1983, but Popiełuszko consistently refused. His abduction and imprisonment were intended to force his cooperation.
The Kazuniu Bunker
Witkowski claims Popiełuszko was held in a bunker in Kazuniu, supported by previously unpublished investigation findings from 1984. Suspects Chmielewski, Pękala, and Piotrowski reportedly identified and prepared a bunker there on October 10, 1984, to hold the priest.
Evidence of Continued Life After Abduction
Witkowski points to communication between security service officers and doctors who previously treated Popiełuszko between October 20th and 25th, seeking information about his health and medication, indicating an attempt to keep him alive for potential recruitment.
He states with a high degree of certainty that Popiełuszko was alive and imprisoned in the Kazuniu bunker between October 20th and 25th, and murdered on October 25th.
Discrepancies in Time of Death and Body Disposal
The forensic report from November 30, 1984, determined the cause of death was asphyxiation, ruling out drowning. Witkowski cites testimony from workers at the Certa Fishermen’s Cooperative near Włocławek, who reported seeing Popiełuszko’s body thrown into the Vistula River on October 25th, not six days earlier.
He alleges the body underwent procedures at the Włocławek hospital to create the impression it had been in the water for 11 days, when it had only been five.
Questioning the Convicted Officers’ Role
Witkowski believes Captain Piotrowski, Lieutenant Pękala, and Lieutenant Chmielewski were accessories to the murder, not the direct perpetrators, and that the true perpetrators remain unidentified and unpunished. He investigated leads related to the Military Counterintelligence Service and the General Staff’s Second Department but was prevented from continuing.
Background on Father Popiełuszko
Father Jerzy (Alfons) Popiełuszko was born on September 14, 1947, and became a spiritual leader of the Solidarity movement. His Masses for the homeland, beginning in April 1982, became a symbol of freedom.
He was abducted on October 19, 1984, while returning from Bydgoszcz. His funeral on November 3, 1984, drew approximately one million mourners. Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on June 6, 2010.