Disgraced New Jersey priest, 70, who moved to Nevada after being accused of sexually abusing children is found MURDERED in his new home

  • John Capparelli, 70, was found shot dead in his home in Henderson, Nevada
  • Police were called to conduct a welfare check on him at 9.30am on Saturday 
  • They will not release further details other than that his death is being treated as a homocide
  • Capparelli moved to Nevada after being removed from the church and fired from his job as a teacher
  • In 1992, the New Jersey diocese removed him amid claims he was groping young boys and taking pictures of them in swimwear
  • He then continued working as a teacher but had his certificates revoked in 2011
  • He moved to Nevada in 2016 and last year his name was on a list of 188 suspected pedophiles from the New Jersey diocese  

By Jennifer Smith For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A disgraced New Jersey priest who moved to Nevada after being 'credibly accused' of sexual abuse has been found shot dead in his new home.  

John Capparelli, 70, was found shot dead in his house in Henderson, Nevada, at 9.30am on Saturday. 

Police were called to conduct a welfare check on the accused pedophile and found his body inside. 

They have not released any further details about his killing but have categorized his death as a homicide. 

Capparaelli moved state in 2016 after being accused of groping young boys and photographing them in swimwear while he held a position within the New Jersey diocese. 

In 1992, he was removed from the ministry after children and their parents brought their allegations to the church but he continued working with kids as a teacher.

John Capparelli, 70, was found shot dead in his house in Henderson, Nevada, at 9.30am on Saturday

John Capparelli, 70, was found shot dead in his house in Henderson, Nevada, at 9.30am on Saturday

Caparelli was found dead in his home in Nevada, pictured, after police were requested to carry out a welfare check. It is not clear who alerted them to his home or how long he had been dead

Caparelli was found dead in his home in Nevada, pictured, after police were requested to carry out a welfare check. It is not clear who alerted them to his home or how long he had been dead 

Some of his alleged victims won settlements from the church but he never faced prosecution. 

The allegations regarded incidents in the 1980s, when he worked at various churches including Our Lady of Fatima in North Bergen, Oratory Prep in Summit, Holy Trinity in Westfield, St. Theresa in Kenilworth and as a Temporary Chaplain at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. 

It was not until his past alleged behavior was exposed in the 2011.

He then had his certificates revoked and fled, in shame, to Nevada to live out his years quietly. 

Police were called to conduct a welfare check on the accused pedophile and found his body. Capparelli is pictured here at his Belleville home in 2011

Police were called to conduct a welfare check on the accused pedophile and found his body. Capparelli is pictured here at his Belleville home in 2011

Last year, his name was among 188 that the New Jersey diocese released as part of an investigation into historic child abuse. 

Rich Fitter, one of his alleged victims who won a settlement from the church after airing his allegations, reacted to the news with numbness.  

'I can't say that I feel sorry for him. I can't say that I feel any sort of loss. I'm just kind of numb. 

'I don't want to sound cold, but the world is a safer place without him. 

'He is a serial predator and he is a sociopath. And he is a criminal,' Fritter told KTNV. 

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