A Catholic priest was found severely beaten and unconscious Dec. 21 in Douglas Park in Springfield, Ill.
According to the State Journal-Review, Monsignor Eugene E. Costa, 53, was in critical condition at St. John’s Hospital, suffering from serious head injuries, police said. Police said they had no suspects.
Costa, chancellor of the Springfield Catholic Diocese and pastor of churches in Sherman and Athens, was discovered unconscious on a hillside near the park’s band shell by Springfield Park District Police about 10:30 p.m. Springfield police Lt. Rickey Davis said Costa is thought to have been lying there for two or three hours before he was found. He was severely beaten, primarily in the head, although it doesn’t look like a weapon was involved.
Over the years, Douglas Park has developed a reputation as being a meeting spot for gay men. However, the park also is the site of many high-profile community events. Davis said investigators do not know what Costa was doing at the park, although he acknowledged the park’s reputation as a hangout for men had entered people’s minds.