This is a rush transcript from "The Big Story With John Gibson and Heather Nauert," November 9, 2007. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
HEATHER NAUERT, CO-HOST: In "Big Crime," tonight, a man of the cloth has literally been praying on late night talk show host Conan O'Brien. A priest at the archdiocese of Boston went before a judge today after getting arrested for trying to sneak into Conan's NBC studios earlier this week. The priest has apparently been stalking the funny man for quite some time and has even been sending threatening letters on, get this, parish letterhead, the church letterhead. BIG STORY correspondent, Douglas Kennedy has more on the creepy clergyman's dangerous obsession — Douglas.
DOUGLAS KENNEDY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Heater, he's been stalking O'Brien for over a year, following him wherever he goes and sending strange and threatening notes. His parishioners today say it is a mighty fall from grace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KENNEDY (VOICE OVER): He went from holy homilies to stalking celebrities. Police say obsessed with late night talk show host Conan O'Brien.
CONAN O'BRIEN, TALKS SHOW HOST: That wasn't funny, but we'll applaud it.
DR KEITH ABLOW, FORENSIC PSYCIATRIST: A stalker essentially fails to appreciate the boundaries of others. Now, that can be through intent, somebody who wants to harass another person to inflict harm, but it can be, and it may be in this case, because of a delusion.
KENNEDY: For years, David Ajemian he has been a parish priest tending to parishioners at Saint Patrick's church in Stoneham, Mass. But cops say he secretly became consumed with hearing a confession from the carrot-topped comic, following him around the country and even tracking him down on a recent trip to Rome.
ABLOW: This is a dangerous situation, because whenever somebody feels that they have a rightful place in your life and you disagree, imagine the way that they in their delusional world regard your disregard for them?
KENNEDY: Recently, cops say the obsession took just that turn with the fanatic father barraging Conan with letters and e-mails. "This is your priest stalker again, the one that's been tracking you through space and time, in the dimming hope that you might finally acknowledge me."
In one letter he compares himself to the Virginia tech gunman claiming he too, looked out that dark and dreaded doorway. In another, he says he's like Rupert Pumpkin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The more scribbled the name, the bigger the fame.
KENNEDY: The fanatic fan played by Robert DeNiro who kidnaps Jerry Lewis, a late night talk show host, so he can take his place on TV.
In another letter, the crazed cleric also admits to stalking tennis king, John McEnroe. "He's coming to Boston next week and I'll be in the stands waiting for his confession." Parishioners at Saint Patrick's say they can't believe it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm surprised and shocked. Oh, that's sad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am sad. And that's why I'm here today is just so I can go in and say prayers because we want a holy priest. We need to pray for our priest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KENNEDY: New York's D.A. has charged him Ajemian with stalking and aggravated assault, and today, a judge found the priest fit to stand trial. His lawyer says he recently started treatment for depression, and as so often happens, his treatment, John and Heather, turned out worse for him than before.
JOHN GIBSON, CO-HOST: Conan's priest — stalker priest, the church can't lock him up, because the criminal system is going to get him first.
KENNEDY: Yeah, the D.A. has him now and the D.A. is going to try to lock him up. The church...
GIBSON: Will do what?
KENNEDY: Already has put him on administrative leave and said he cannot work with the public, although his boss priest at the Saint Patrick's parish says if he gets better, maybe we'll let him talk to people again.
GIBSON: Douglas Kennedy. Douglas, thank you very much.
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