Florida Diocese Mourns Slaying of Beloved Priest

Authorities arrested the man who is suspected of murdering Father Rene Robert, who was remembered as having ‘died doing what he loved: helping people.’

Father Rene Wayne Robert
Father Rene Wayne Robert (photo: Woody Huband/ dosafl.com )

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A Florida priest who went missing last week has been lauded by his diocese as a humble and generous servant after his remains were found in Georgia on April 18.

“He always saw the good in people he served, reminding them that God created them for greatness, with a good and noble purpose for others,” Bishop Felipe Estévez of the Diocese of St. Augustine said April 19.  

“While his life was taken from us tragically on Sunday, April 10 — the day of his disappearance — it is important that we remember how he lived his life in selfless love for others,” the bishop said.

Father Rene Wayne Robert, 71, was last seen April 10. Parishioners grew concerned when he didn’t show up for a funeral service. Police received a request for a welfare check on April 12. After they failed to locate the priest, a missing-persons investigation was launched.

The priest’s remains were found April 18, after Steven Murray, 28, the suspect in the case, directed investigators to his body in a rural area south of Augusta, Ga. Murray was arrested early April 14, after police spotted him in Father Robert’s car speeding through a construction zone and later crashing into a tree in Aiken, S.C.

Police said that Murray had been recently released from prison and was receiving help from Father Robert.

Although Father Robert’s body was not formally identified by the morgue, Sheriff David Shoar of St. John’s County confirmed that the priest clearly “was the victim of homicidal violence.” Murray will be charged in Georgia with first-degree murder.

“My brother died doing what he loved: helping people,” Debbie Bedard, Father Robert’s sister, told Action News Jacksonville. “And if it wasn’t for the sheriff’s department, all the agencies, they wouldn’t have found my brother, and I thank God that they did, so we can take him home.”

Father Robert served as the chaplain at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. He was known for his service in prisons and homeless ministries.

Bishop Estévez asked for prayers for Father Robert as well as the man who is believed to have taken his life.

“In this Year of Mercy, let us pray that our loving Lord will pour his merciful love upon the troubled soul of the one who took his life. And may Jesus Christ grant eternal rest to Father Rene and peace for his family and our community who suffer his loss, yet trust in the Good Shepherd’s care for all.”