2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion

We know from the prologue that Jeffreys didn't murder two of the boys he was convicted of killing. Did you think at that time that Father Francis had taken that murder confession from another priest? Why do you think Jeffreys confessed to Father Francis?

I think the fear of his impending death may have motivated Jeffreys to confess. Maybe he did not realize that repentance was part of the requirement to obtain absolution.

I could mistake his motive, however, but I don't want to think the alternative -- that he simply wanted to set the record straight, and that asking for a priest would make that so. What does everyone else think?

Well, he had already confessed to murdering the Wilson boy but always denied killing the other two boys. I think he wanted Francis to believe him about those two so by admitting the truth about Wilson, they'd question him having killed the others. It was sad that Francis already knew as well as the cops that caught him.

I think he had two motivations - first, he wanted the killer of the boys to be caught. Not because he wanted justice for them or anything but he didn't like the idea of someone getting away with it when he didn't.

Second, he wanted Father Francis to suffer knowing the real killer was still out there.

He did seem to enjoy seeing Father Francis suffer, didn't he? Do you think Jeffreys knew who killed the boys?

Jonetta wrote: "He did seem to enjoy seeing Father Francis suffer, didn't he? Do you think Jeffreys knew who killed the boys?"

No. I think he only knew that he didn't.

I agree that he wanted Father Francis to suffer with the knowledge that he (Jeffreys) hadn't killed two of the victims. I don't think Jeffreys knew who the killer was or who set him up.

I wondered whether the actual killer disguised his voice in the confessional, so that Father Francis didn't know for sure who the killer of those earlier boys was.

I think so because he wasn't certain of the killer's identity at the time.

I believe most inmates on death row get to see a priest and I just figured that Father Francis was the one available for it. I also don't think Jeffreys knew who killed the other boys.

At the time, no I did not know that Father Francis had taken the murder confession from another priest. I think Jeffreys confessed because he only killed one boy and not the other two and wanted someone to know that he was set up and that the real killer was still out there. He didnt want the real killer to get away with it and kill more boys.