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Police said they found the body of 70-year-old John Capparelli during a pre-dawn welfare check Saturday at his home in the city of Henderson, just outside Las Vegas.
He'd been shot once in the neck, they said.
Capparelli's name was included on a list that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark (RCAN) released last month of 200 or so New Jersey priests "credibly accused of sexual abuse."
SEE: Dozens Of Bergen County Priests Accused Of Sexual Abuse, NJ Diocese Reveals
Capparelli was ordained in 1980.
He worked as a temporary chaplain at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood and taught while serving at Our Lady of Fatima Church on Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen.
Capparelli also served at three Union County parishes: Oratory Preparatory School in Summit, The Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity in Westfield, and the Church of Saint Theresa in Kenilworth.
He was defrocked in 1992, following allegations that he'd groped and brutalized teenage boys over more than a decade. His teaching license was subsequently revoked in a settlement.
Although he was never convicted of a crime, accusers told officials that Capparelli made them wrestle in swimwear while he took photos. He was also linked to a fetish website that he allegedly ran, according to NJ.com.
Capparelli later regained his license and taught in Newark public schools until new allegations were raised eight years ago.
The pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church in Wayne was suspended after he admitted Capparelli as a guest to a 2014 family festival.
Capparelli reportedly moved to Henderson in 2016.
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