The disgraced Alabama priest who eloped to Italy with an 18-year-old woman over the summer has reportedly married the teenager. Alex Crow, a 30-year-old Catholic priest, has married the young woman who recently graduated from high school in 2023, according to a marriage certificate filed in Mobile County on Monday.
Crow and the teenage girl, Taylor Victoria Harrison, were married last Friday, according to the date mentioned on the marriage certificate. Harrison only turned 18 back in June, according to the marriage document. An archbishop revealed on Wednesday that the Vatican is likely to take official steps to expel Crow from the priesthood in the wake of this controversial marriage.
Grooming and Marrying an Innocent Girl
The teenager attended McGill-Toolen Catholic High, a school where Crow occasionally visited theology classes, according to reports. The relationship between the two came to light when authorities came across a love letter from Crow to the young woman on Valentine's Day, a time when she was still a student.
Crow and the woman reportedly traveled to Europe over the summer and returned to the United States earlier this month, according to AL.com.
During their approximately four-month stay in Europe, both the Mobile County Sheriff's Office and the Mobile County District Attorney's Office conducted investigations into possible wrongdoing by the former priest in the Archdiocese of Mobile.
However, these investigations proved to be ultimately unproductive.
Upon learning of Alex Crow's departure with the young woman, the archdiocese took action by stripping him of his duties, citing that he had "abandoned his assignment." This response from the archdiocese reflects the serious consequences and disapproval faced by Crow for his actions.
Unlike a Spiritual Leader
With Crow already under suspension, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi hinted this week that Crow has likely delivered his final sermon, signaling potential further consequences from the Vatican.
"The recent news of Crow's civil marriage only confirms the Archbishop's judgment. Archbishop Rodi anticipates that the Vatican will eventually laicize Alex Crow," read a statement from the Archdiocese of Mobile.
In an earlier statement, Rodi strongly criticized the actions of Crow, stating that his behavior was "totally unbecoming of a priest." This condemnation reflects the serious disapproval from the spiritual leadership regarding Crow's actions.
Earlier this month, the district attorney in the county announced the closure of an investigation into criminal wrongdoing related to the case.
District Attorney Keith Blackwood mentioned that the young woman met with prosecutors but chose not to answer any questions, leading to the decision to close the criminal investigation.
