By Kristen McQueary Staff writer

CHICAGO, IL - Raymond Kowal sat in his car Thursday morning at an Evergreen Park cemetery, watching quietly as the body of his daughter's killer was lowered into the frozen earth. Other members of his family stood at the entrance to St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, 87th Street and Pulaski Road, holding signs with Vicky Kowal's name -- protesting the cemetery's decision to allow Edward Smith to be buried there.

Vicky Kowal's family buried her last summer, shortly after Father's Day, about a 1,000 feet from the plot chosen by Smith's relatives. Smith was awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges in her death when he hanged himself early Sunday in his Cook County Jail cell, according to the sheriff's department.

Smith was accused of slashing Kowal, 27, with a kitchen knife in a random attack June 15, just a few blocks from her home in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood. An off-duty police officer and several neighbors caught Smith as he tried to flee.

Raymond Kowal said he was astonished to learn that Smith would be buried in a Catholic cemetery -- and angered that St. Mary officials didn't move Smith's body to another cemetery.

"First he does that to my daughter and puts our whole family through that, and then he escapes punishment by committing suicide, and now he's being buried in the same cemetery," he said. "It's like a slap in the face."

Roman Szabelski, executive director of Catholic cemeteries for the Archdiocese of Chicago, said both families were part of the Catholic faith and had family members buried at St. Mary.

"One family doesn't trump another family," he said. "Both have the same rights in the eyes of the church to be here. Yes, (Smith) was an accused murderer, but I'm not the judge. Let God be the judge."

A member of St. Cajetan parish near his home, Kowal described himself as a "moral person." But he's haunted by Smith and his daughter sharing the same resting place.

"I would hate to believe he's in the same place my daughter is now," Kowal said. "That's why I had mixed emotions when he hanged himself. He shouldn't have the luxury of going where my daughter is. I questioned my own faith for a little while."

Prior to Vatican Council II, a Catholic who died by suicide was placed in an area of a cemetery considered unconsecrated ground. But church officials decided that practice didn't make sense, and it was discontinued, Szabelski said.

Murder is a sin, but as Catholics, "that's why we have the sacrament of reconciliation," he said. "I don't know where Mr. Smith is. I know where his earthly remains are, but I don't know where his soul is. That's up to him and God."

As a precaution, St. Mary Cemetery officials called on Cook County sheriff's police to patrol the grounds during Smith's burial on Thursday. Kowal and his family did not interrupt the ceremony or confront the dozen or so Smith family members who attended his burial.

Kowal said there has been no contact between himself and Smith's family. He's considering moving his daughter's remains to another cemetery but said he's torn because her grandparents are buried at St. Mary and his ex-wife, Vicky's mother, bought a plot nearby.

"She never would have done that if she had known this would happen," he said.

Kowal attended Smith's court appearances regularly and was looking forward to closure through a conviction and sentencing.

A motive for the killing remains largely a mystery. Smith had apparently grown distraught and temperamental after the death of his mother six years ago. His last known address was in Tinley Park.

On the evening of June 15, he and Kowal crossed paths near 109th Street and Artesian Avenue on the South Side. Smith lunged at Kowal, who was walking down the street after picking up a job application. She died of her wounds. It was unclear why Smith was in the area and what set him off.

Jail guards delivering breakfast trays found him early Sunday slumped in a seated position in his cell. A bedsheet was strung from a metal shelf and wrapped around his neck. He left a suicide note but did not address the attack, according to sheriff's department officials.

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