A mistrial has been declared in the trial of a former Episcopal priest charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year old boy. After eight hours of deliberation the jury in the case of Richard Losch (92) was unable to reach a verdict, prompting the judge hearing the case in Grafton Superior Court in North Haverhill, NH to declare a mistrial.
Losch served at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Marblehead, MA from 1969-1986 and as a teacher at the Tower School from 1969-1981 in Marblehead, MA. In 1986 Losch moved to the diocese of Alabama and served as rector at St. James Episcopal Church in Livingston. Title IV proceedings were launched last year against Losch for allegedly molesting one of his pupils during a camping trip at the Indian Pond Reserve Boy Scout Camp in Orford, NH where he was director.
The victim, who was 12 years old at the time, said Losch had him share a bed on the trip, and raped him in the night. Two witnesses, who as boys were on the same trip as the victim, said they could not recall anything untoward happening, nor of the victim ever sharing with them news of the incident. The victim came forward forty years after the crime, when he filed a claim with the Boy Scouts over the abuse. The attorney for Losch reminded the jury that to convict his client, they had to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to retry Losch on the fifty year old charges.