EDINBURG – The former Rio Grande Valley priest sentenced to life in prison for the 1960 murder of a McAllen teacher has died.

John Feit, 87, died Wednesday, two years into his life in prison sentence for the murder of 25-year-old Irene Garza.

Garza was a school teacher killed Easter weekend after attending church confession. Feit was the priest who heard her confession at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, he was 27 years old at the time.

Word of Feit’s death arrived Thursday through a court filing at the Hidalgo County courthouse. District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez confirmed the former priest died of natural causes.

The death will have no effect on the conviction and his appeal in the middle of a process will now be abated, according to Rodriguez.

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