Profile Facts
- Name
- Robert N. Burkholder
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Ordained
- 1947
- Status
- Convicted
- Died
- 6/6/2006
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Called one of Michigan’s worst pedophiles, Father Robert N. Burkholder admitted in writing in 1993 to molesting at least 23 boys. Ordained in 1947 for the Archdiocese of Detroit, he was extradited in 2002, pleaded no contest, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail plus five years’ probation. He died in 2006. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC document his case for survivors.
His written admission and no-contest plea are established facts. Survivors abused by Burkholder, in Michigan or during his years as an Army chaplain in Hawaii, may still pursue civil claims.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
The Archdiocese of Detroit is the largest of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, joined by Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, and Saginaw. The Attorney General’s 2018 investigation covered Detroit, and Burkholder appears on the archdiocese’s June 10, 2019 credibly-accused list. White Law PLLC acts as a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer for survivors statewide.
Burkholder’s first complaint came in 1968, yet he remained in ministry for another quarter century, even serving as an Army chaplain in Hawaii from 1982. Civil litigation can examine every institution that enabled those decades of access.
The Allegations Against Father Robert N. Burkholder
Where He Served
Burkholder was ordained in 1947 and served in the Archdiocese of Detroit, “retiring” in 1985. He was removed in 1993 after his written admission, worked as an Army chaplain in Hawaii from 1982, and was permanently removed without privileges in 2005. He died on June 6, 2006.
What Was Established
Published records indicate that Burkholder’s abuse dated to the 1940s, with the first complaint in 1968. In 1993 he admitted in writing to molesting at least 23 boys. Civil suits filed in 1994 were dismissed on statute-of-limitations grounds; a settlement followed in 1995. Extradited in 2002, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years’ probation. He was named in two Hawaii suits in 2009. Per the Michigan Attorney General’s December 16, 2024 Diocese of Lansing report, a victim of another priest alleged that both that priest and Burkholder abused him together in 1968–1969, at ages 10–11, in abuse said to include sodomy, forced oral copulation, and beatings. These admissions and pleas are established facts.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal Cases
The state extradited and prosecuted Burkholder, securing a no-contest plea and a jail sentence. Criminal punishment, however, does not pay for a survivor’s therapy or lost years.
Civil Lawsuits
Civil lawsuits seek financial recovery for survivors, and Burkholder’s written admission to molesting at least 23 boys is devastating evidence. Claims may target the Archdiocese of Detroit, and potentially military or Hawaiian entities tied to his chaplaincy.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally permits civil sexual abuse lawsuits within ten years or until the victim turns 28, whichever is later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct has no statute of limitations in Michigan.
Although 1990s civil suits were dismissed on limitations grounds, the law and the available defendants differ for each survivor. An attorney should evaluate your claim on its own facts.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
An archdiocese that kept a priest in ministry for 25 years after the first complaint, and allowed him to serve as a military chaplain, may face liability for each victim harmed in that span. Survivors can recover damages for medical and therapy costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Call White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195. Consultations are free and confidential, and we work on a contingency basis.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.