Murder by Church Leaders or Their Staff

These are just a few of the killing incidents we have identified. Most entries on these pages only contain arrests, charges, or indictments, which may eventually be reduced, dropped, or expunged, and as such, these actors may in fact be innocent in a court of law. These are just a few of the murders, attempted murders, and justifiable homicides we have identified. There are many more to be uploaded, so please check back.

Click on the link to read the report.

2023

• Rashid Ali Bynum (pastor) is allegedly linked to the murder of a New Jersey councilwoman. She was shot while sitting in her SUV outside her town home. The victim had been married in Nigeria before coming to the US. It is believed her death involved a financial dispute. The offender’s church was experiencing financial difficulties. Champions Royal Assembly, Nigeria. Church associate arrested in death of pastor, councilwoman gunned down outside her New Jersey home.

2022

• Leticia McCormack (ordained elder) was charged with abusing and killing her adopted 11-year-old daughter. The child had bruises and “severe levels of malnourishment.” San Diego Rock Church (mega church), San Deigo, CA. 1)  San Diego Rock Church pastor breaks silence on former church elder charged with child-abuse death. 2) Megachurch leader arrested alongside her parents for allegedly torturing and murdering daughter. 

2021

• John Ward Gill (former pastor) is accused of shooting and killing his brother and reportedly had been struggling with mental illness. He was charged with second degree murder. Middleburg Open Bible Church, Middleburg, FL. Middleburg man accused of killing brother is former pastor.
• Matt Baker (pastor) was arrested for killing his wife, which was first reported as a suicide. Crossroads Baptist Church, near Lorena, TX. Former Waco-area pastor indicted on murder charge in wife’s death.

2020

• Soloman Whitt (basketball coach) is charged with allegedly strangling and throwing down a flight of stairs the mother of two children he was breaking boundaries with. Salvation Army, King County, Seattle. The victim was concerned about her killer’s “inappropriate contact” with her children. The suspect was alleged to not be the victim’s boyfriend. Whitt allegedly confessed to police. West Seattle man accused of killing his housemate after she told him to move out.
• Andrew Cote (pastor) shotgunned an elder neighbor and his neighbor’s friend who were hot-tubbing. Iglesia Bautista De Fe Y Amor (independent Baptist), Las Vegas, NE. Feud ends in gunfire as pastor kills two in front of his daughter, Las Vegas cops say.
• Elijah Stansell (pastor’s son) used church van to run over and kill his new girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. Westwood Missionary Baptist Church, Polk City, FL. Grady Judd: Pastor’s son, 3 others charged in death of Polk City librarian.
• Sylvester Ofori (pastor) reportedly shot and killed his estranged wife Barbara Tommey outside a credit union. They were in the process of divorce. He had threatened her life the day prior. Flood Gates of Heaven Ministries, Orlando, FL.  ‘Followers call him a prophet:’ Pastor charged with murder in wife’s slaying at credit union.

2019

• Victor Mateo (pastor) charged for allegedly running his wife over with a car and then hacking at her with a machete. Christian Congregation of The Redeemer, Bronx, New York, NY. Pastor arrested for allegedly killing estranged wife in front of neighbors, grandchildren.
• Keith Smith (lead Christian educator) arrested for murder of his wife; “conspiracy to commit murder, assault, and conspiracy to commit assault, as well as a dangerous weapon charge.” Helping Hands Ministries, Churchville, MD. Husband, stepdaughter charged in woman’s death they blamed on panhandler awaiting extradition from Texas.
• James Eric Crisp (pastor) confessed to police he had killed a man for whom he had helped search. He had become a “believer” after the killing. The pastor had a history of drug offenses. He was charged with manslaughter stating he killed the man during an argument. God’s House of Hope, Monroe County, MS. Mississippi pastor confessed to killing a father – after pretending to help family look for him, daughter says.

2018

• Kenneth Sharpton Glasgow (pastor) arrested for murder. The Ordinary People’s Society, Dothan, AL – Already charged with murder, Dothan pastor arrested again.
• Robert Lee Harris (church elder) arrested for strangling his wife (associate pastor) and disposing of her body in trash bags.  Repairers KC [church], Overland Park, KS. Overland Park minister was strangled by her church elder husband, court docs say.
• Thomas Bruce (pastor) charged with first degree murder and other charges after he shot a woman in the head at a religious supply store. He also is alleged to have sexually assaulted two others. Calvary Chapel of Cape Girardeau (dissolved in 2007), Cape Girardeau, MO. Report: Suspect in murder, sex assaults at religious supplies store was a pastor.
• Albert Weathers (pastor) arrested for shooting Kelly Stough (aka Keanna Mattel), a transgender sex worker. Unidentified church, Metro Detroit area, Detroit, MI. Pastor to be tried for murder of transgender woman.
• Rickey Smith (deacon) charged with killing a victim in a road rage incident. St. Stephen’s Church of God, San Diego, CA. Chula Vista road rage stabbing suspect Rickey Smith charged.
• Marco Antonio Moreno (parishioner) was arrested for killing one and stabbing three others during church services at their pastor’s home. 1 killed in church service stabbing at Corpus Christi home, suspect arrested. Kingdom Acts Ministries International, Corpus Christi, TX. Suspect arrested after stabbing multiple people at religious gathering.

2017

• Matthew Phelps (aspiring pastor) pleaded guilty to stabbing his wife to death. He stabbed or cut her 123 times and had an obsession with serial killers. Studied at Clear Creek Baptist, Bible College, Pineville, KY. Victim was Sunday school teacher for Hope Lutheran Church, Wake Forest, NC. ‘I feel like a monster’: Raleigh man who once blamed cold medicine for making him stab his wife to death pleads guilty.
• Lyndon Jerome Burkett (pastor) arrested for shooting his wife at their home. Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church-Sandtuck , Helena, AR. Police: Pastor kills wife, attempts suicide in Helena-West Helena.
• Gene Autrey Morris, Jr. (associate pastor) was arrested after he shot a man in a park. Charges were later dropped and the death was ruled self-defense. Morris did however plead guilty for “unlawful carrying of a pistol” because he did not have a permit for it. Second Nazareth Baptist Church, Columbia, SC. No murder charge in Finlay Park shooting. 
• Christopher Gattis (youth ministry director) pleaded guilty for killing three family members on Thanksgiving. Grace Lutheran Church, Chester, VA. Ex-Virginia youth pastor gets 58 years in triple slaying.
• Calvin Eugene Clopton (former pastor) arrested for feticide during a domestic assault of his pregnant wife. No current parish. Columbus, GA. Ex-Alabama pastor jailed in Georgia for kidnapping, assault, feticide.

2016

• Timothy Crumitie (former pastor) convicted of shooting his former girlfriend execution-style (she lived), and killing his romantic rival. Charlotte, NC. He was also convicted of “attempted first-degree murder of Cherry, burglary, kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.”  He tried to kill a Charlotte woman. She survived and helped convict him of murder.
• Ted Merchant (pastor) arrested for shooting dead another pastor during an argument over scripture. Chicago, IL. Pastor charged in slaying of retired minister: ‘They always had little arguments going on.’
• Raul Diaz Moreno (pastor) arrested for attempted murder of three victims. Victory Outreach Church, Merced, CA. Ex-Merced pastor guilty of rape, attempted murder of adopted daughters, jury says.
• Daniel Randall (former pastor) shotgunned his daughter before killing himself. First Congregational Church, Bristol, ME. Maine police: former R.I. pastor, daughter dead in murder-suicide.
• Ryan Riggs (pastor) arrested for “killing a fellow church [and choir] member.” North Lake Community Church, Lake Brownwood, TX. Pastor describes Ryan Riggs’ murder confession at Brownwood church.
• Stephen Allwine (church elder) arrested for killing his wife by gunshot in the bedroom. He first is alleged to have tried to hire a hit-man. United Church of God, Cottage Grove, MN. The strange trial of Stephen Allwine, a preacher accused of killing his wife.
• Shaun Harrison (street preacher) arrested for “shooting a high school student execution style,” with security video as evidence. He is alleged to have hidden a gang tattoo underneath his clothing and was in possession of “guns, ammunition and large bags of marijuana” which was discovered upon exercise of search of his home. Boston, MA.  Popular street pastor speaks out from behind bars.

2015

• Tiffanie Irwin (pastor) arrested along with several others for allegedly murdering a church member. Victim was murdered by a mob of church members who beat him for 11 hours in “counseling session” after he wanted to leave the church. His younger brother survived. Word of Life Church, New York, NY. Pastor of a secretive New York sect where a teen was beaten to death and another seriously injured is among seven church members to be charged with murder.
• William Claude Pounds III (pastor) convicted of killing his girlfriend by gunshot. King’s Chapel Memorial CME Church, Perry, GA. Judge calls Macon pastor ‘outright charlatan,’ sentences him to life in lover’s murder. 
• Torace Weaver (former pastor) convicted for killing a 2-year old foster child. “20 separate blunt force injuries to Stanley’s head, face and neck, in conjunction with the disfiguring burns to his arm and buttock, and the fatal injury to the back of his skull.” King of Glory Worship Center,  Dayton, OH. Prison for Dayton pastor, wife in foster son’s death.
• Jeffrey David Brown (former senior pastor) arrested for murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter for helping his girlfriend kill her husband. Sardis Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL. Former pastor sentenced to prison for manslaughter in Morris man’s shooting death.
• Gabriel Omogb (preacher) arrested for attempted murder, armed robbery and assault. He met escort women on Backpage.com and lured them into meeting for sex. Celestial Church of Christ, MD. Preacher accused of beating, robbing, raping escorts at area hotels.
• Aracely Meza (pastor) convicted of starving a toddler to death to “rid him of a demon.” Unidentified evangelical nondenominational church, Dallas, TX. Dallas-area pastor gets 99 years in 2-year-old boy’s starvation death.

2014

• Herbert Schaible (faith-healing pastor) arrested and “pleaded no contest for third degree murder.”  First Century Gospel Church, Philadelphia, PA. Third degree murder. Faith-healing parents get prison for son’s death.
• Lawrence McNeill Dowdy (former pastor) was arrested and charged with murdering his infant daughter. He suffered head injuries and signs of previous abuse. Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Proctorville, Lumberton, SC. Ex-pastor charged with killing Lumberton infant.
• Charles Pittman (youth pastor) arrested for murder of his fiancé, which he staged to look like a suicide. Providence Baptist Church, Alamo, TN. Youth pastor Charles Pittman arrested for murder.

2013

• Richard Lee Shahan (pastor) arrested for killing his wife by stabbing. Email allegedly showed he was “leaving his wife to marry a man in Europe.” First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Birmingham, AL – Pastor arrested in Tennessee for wife’s murder.
• Donald Lafferty (former pastor) convicted of hiring a man to kill his wife and collect insurance money in an arson fire. She lived. Beach Grove (Baptist) Church, Dexter, MO. Ex-pastor gets 50 years in murder-for-hire plot.
• Terry Lee Greer (pastor) was arrested for killing his wife and wounding his daughter, but was ruled “not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.” United Methodist Church, Gardendale, AL. Daughter of Terry Greer, former pastor who killed his wife, sues United Methodists.
• Kenneth Allen Keith (pastor) pleaded guilty to killing three people inside a pawn shop during a robbery. Main Street Baptist Church, Burnside, KY. Burnside pastor pleads guilty.
• Richard Shahan (former pastor) arrested for killing his wife, but not prosecuted due to lack of evidence. First Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL. Homewood minister charged with wife’s murder will not be prosecuted, AG announces.
• Luther Jones (pastor) arrested for shooting his nephew in front of the pastor’s church. Belgrade Baptist Church, Newton County, TX.  Jury to decide murder case against man charged with killing nephew in front of church.
• Michael Elder (pastor) arrested for murder in a domestic dispute with his son-in-law who had just filed for divorce from the pastor’s daughter. The Cross Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, OK. OKC pastor accused in shooting death of son-in-law.
• Everett James Morris (missionary minister) was convicted of killing by cutting teen prostitute (Jorge Olivarez) with a knife. Texas Court of Appeals, Morris V. Texas, Number 12-16-00323-CR.
• Hans Schmidt (priest) was convicted for the murder of Anna Aumüller. “He slashed Anna’s throat while she slept, drank her blood, raped her as she bled to death, dismembered her body, and threw the pieces from a ferry into the Hudson River.^” St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, New York, NY. Michael H. Stone, & Gary Brucato, The New Evil: Understanding the Emergence of Modern Violent Crime (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books), pp. 458-459. ISBN 978-1-63388-532-5.

2012

• John Douglas White (pastor) pleaded guilty to killing woman to have sex with her dead body. Christ Community Fellowship, Deerfield Twp, MI. John Douglas White sentenced up to 85 years for October murder of Rebekah Jane Gay. and Wikipedia.

2011

• Richard J. Beasley (street chaplain) convicted for killing three men and has extensive crime history.  Unaffiliated, Akron, OH. Ohio churches deny Craigslist murder suspect is a chaplain.
• Julio Cesar Perez (pastor) arrested in murder for hire case. Ministerios Manantial de Vida, San Benito, TX. Pastor arrested for hiring hit men to murder his wife – And recruited them from within his own church.
• James Ty Flanders (former pastor) arrested for murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter of a polygamous wife by strangulation, and burying her body in the back yard. Calvary Emerald Coast Church, Fort Walton Beach, FL. Former pastor pleads in murder case involving missing woman.
• Edward Fairley (pastor) arrested for attempted homicide for stabbing another pastor (former mistress) 28 times. Patterson, NY. Koinonia and Christian Ministries. N.J. pastor who tried to murder his ex-mistress loses appeal.
• Derrick Trevor Griffin (associate-minister) convicted of killing his estranged wife’s new boyfriend in a drive-by shooting. True Vine Missionary Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN. Ex-pastor convicted in North High staffer’s slaying.
• David Keith Allen (pastor) pleaded guilty to killing his wife in a first degree arson case. Shortly after the fire, Allen and his new girlfriend started “Final Victory Ministries in a hotel room.” New Life Church of Restoration, Gatesville, TX. Final justice: An in-depth look at the case of David Allen.
• Jeremiah Fogle (former deacon) was arrested for allegedly killing his wife (Theresa Brown Fogle) by shooting her multiple times. He also is charged for attempting to kill a pastor and associate pastor of the church where he once served as a deacon. Greater Faith Christian Center Church, Lakeland, FL. Florida man accused of shooting wife, pastors had killed before. 

2010

• Tracey Bernard Burleson (pastor) convicted of paying his son to shoot his stepmother to collect insurance money. Mount Calvary Baptist Church. Houston, TX. Tracy Burleson, Texas pastor convicted in wife’s murder, sentenced to life in prison.
• Scott Roeder was convicted for killing an abortion provider who was attending church. Reformation Lutheran Church, Wichita, KS. Kansas: Was the shocking murder of a brave abortion provider really the work of a ‘lone wolf’?
• John Fiala (priest) convicted of attempted homicide in murder-for-hire of child who accused him of sexual assault. Dallas County, TX. Update: 60-year sentence for ex-priest who plotted to kill abuse accuser.
• David K. Love (pastor) indicted for murdering a parishioner.  Spartansburg County, SC. David K. Love: Missouri pastor charged with murder, presided over victim’s funeral.
• Billy R. Turner (deacon) arrested for first degree murder. He has a long criminal record. Mt. Olivet No. 1 Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, TN. Man arrested in 2010 murder of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright.
• Sherra Wright-Robinson (minister) arrested for shooting murder and attempted murder (earlier episode) for the killing of her ex-husband. Memphis, TN. Mount Olive, Memphis, TN. Lorenzen Wright’s ex-wife has been charged with murder in his 2010 slaying.

2009

• Raylene Worthington (faith-healer) “convicted last week of second-degree criminal mistreatment” in the death of a toddler. Followers of Christ Church, OR. Worthington gets jail time in faith-healing death.
• Timothy Dane Tillman (former pastor) convicted of murdering his wife.  He was granted a new trial and was convicted a second time in 2012. Vincent Revival Center, Vincent, AL. 1) Former Shelby County pastor loses appeal in shooting death of wife. 2) Handsome Devil.
• Kirk Caldwell (pastor), charged with murder, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for shooting his oldest son to death on Christmas Day in Darby, PA. End Times Harvest Mission, Philadelphia, PA. Pennsylvania pastor headed to prison for killing son.
• Kevin Pushia (former pastor) arrested  and pleaded guilty to contracting the murder of “a mentally disabled man” to collect on insurance. Greater Faith Tabernacle Church of Deliverance, Baltimore, MD. 1) Pastor who conspired to kill for insurance admits targeting others. 2) City pastor charged with having man killed for life insurance.
• Craig Raymond Cosby (retired pastor) convicted of murder in the shooting death of his wife. Marcus, WA. Man gets 31 years for wife’s murder.
• Jonathan Ayers (youth pastor) was shot by police in an undercover narcotics sting. The pastor was shot when tried to escape police thinking he was in the midst of a robbery attempt. He was shot when his vehicle struck an officer and the officer retaliated. The target of the raid alleged the pastor was paying her for sex. Jury awards more than $2 million to family of pastor killed by narcotics task force.
•  Jose Feliciano (custodian) was arrested for allegedly stabbing the priest who fired him. The janitor alleges he was being blackmailed by the priest in exchange for sexual favors after the priest discovered an outstanding arrest warrant against the janitor for crimes including child sexual abuse. St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Chatham, NJ. Church janitor gets life in prison for fatally stabbing Chatham priest.

2008

• Robert Lee Adams Reaves (former pastor) arrested for first degree murder of female college student dumped along the highway. The pastor was alleged to be jealous of her relationship (sexual rival) with a male roommate who had refused his advances. Raleigh, NC. The Glorious Church in Raleigh. NCCU student buried; Murder suspect denied bond.
• Russel Lewis (faith-healing pastor) convicted of negligent homicide for failing to have son’s infection treated by medical personnel. Followers of Christ Church, Creswell, OR. Faith healing couple guilty of murder.
• Arthur Burton Schirmer (pastor) arrested for killing a wife and staging it as a car crash in the mountains. Lebanon, PA. Bethany United Methodist Church. Philandering ex-pastor accused of killing two wives in PA.
• Andrew Neal (deacon) was arrested along with an apparent accomplice for killing a female church member whom he had tried to borrow money from a few days earlier. New Life Tabernacle Church, Wyoming, MI. Wyoming victim’s church gathers to remember Mashonda Griffin, man arrested for her murder.
• Errol Victor Sr. (pastor) was charged with killing his step-son who was eight years old. He was convicted in 2014 along with his wife. His case was vacated by the US Supreme Court in 2019 because he was convicted on a non-unanimous verdict. St. John the Baptist Parish, LA.  Louisiana pastor facing murder charge running for Congress from jail.

2007

• Henry E. Dozier Sr. (deacon) was found not guilty by reason of insanity for killing his wife. The suspect attempted unsuccessfully to die by suicide from ingesting poison. Clinton AME Zion Church, Great Barrington, MA. Murdered Barrington pastor’s husband not guilty by reason of insanity.
• Joseph Kerekes (former youth pastor) was convicted of killing a rival porn producer. Bethel Temple, Hampton, VA. 1) The case of the Cobra Killer. 2) Marine Veteran Joseph Kerekes & Navy Veteran Harlow Cuadra murdered Bryan Kocis in Pennsylvania home; Sentenced to life in prison.

2006

• Matt Dee Baker (pastor) was arrested for murdering his wife. Crossroads Baptist Church, Lorena, TX. The valley of the shadow of death.
• Andrew David White (pastor’s son) was arrested for the murder a woman in the basement of the church parsonage. According to police, drugs may have played a role. Shady Grove Wesleyan Church, Colfax, NC. Minister’s son charged in death.

2005

• Timothy Lavaun Crumitie (pastor) arrested for killing a man he loaned money to, but charges were later dismissed for lack of evidence. Kannapolis, NC. The pastor and the homicide victim were seen together on video just prior to the killing. 1) Anastasia Meader’s body found. Pastor Timothy Crumitie charged. 2) Charges Dismissed In Charlotte Murder Case.
• Eric Brian Golden (youth pastor) confessed to murdering his wife and charged with “felony murder by aggravated battery.” Southside Assembly of God, Savannah, GA. Youth pastor pleads guilty to wife’s murder.
• Joshua Rosa (youth pastor) convicted of murdering by strangulation, a 13-year old boy. Zion Pentecostal Church, Tampa Bay, FL. Youth pastor Joshua Rosa found guilty on murder charges.
• Timothy Dane Tillman (former pastor) arrested for killing his wife with a shotgun. Revival Center, Vincent, AL. Ex-Vincent pastor arrested in slaying Man charged with murdering his wife with shotgun in ’05. Newslibrary.com.

2004

• Howard Douglas Porter (pastor) convicted for killing an elderly man who he was swindling for over $1M. Hickman Community Church, Hickman, CA. Preacher convicted of murder loses support.
• Anthony Hopkins (evangelist) convicted of murdering his wife, burying her, exhuming her and storing her in a freezer. Many other charges were made including incest. Inspirational Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, Jackson, AL. Unidentified church affiliation, Mobile, AL. Jury finds preacher guilty of murdering wife, sexually abusing stepdaughter.
• Amos Hicks (pastor) pleaded guilty to killing his wife by gunshot. Church of the Living God, Pascagoula, MS. Moss Point pastor held in capital murder case.
• Melvin Bynum (pastor) charged with killing his wife by strangulation. The body was placed in a car trunk and the vehicle dumped. Cry Out Loud Ministry, Sanford, NC. Sanford pastor charged with first-degree murder.
• Richard Scott Harper (assistant pastor) arrested for allegedly killing his sexual rival with assistance of the victim’s wife. Hollywood Baptist Church, Rome, GA. Police: Triangle turns deadly Victim’s wife, pastor arrested. Newslibrary.com.

2003

• Dale Neuman (faith-healing pastor) convicted of second degree reckless homicide after failing to seek medical attention for his 11-year old daughter’s treatable diabetes. Neuman studied to be a minister. Weston, WI. Father, Dale Neumann, who trusted faith healing is found guilty in sick daughter’s death.
• Aaron Estes (youth minister) arrested for killing his wife by strangulation, an act to which he has confessed. Foursquare Church, Concord, NC; formerly a minister at North Cove Church of God, West Toledo, OH. Former Toledo minister linked to wife’s murder.
• Richard Logsdon (associate pastor) was convicted of killing a 2-year old child. He was on probation “after serving 13 years in prison” when he propositioned 13-year-old for sex in online sting. Unidentified church, Tampa, FL. Police former pastor propositioned 13-year old sex online.

2002

• Ryan G. Erickson (priest) judged by coroner’s jury to have murdered two in funeral home shooting. Erickson suicided as police closed in on him exercising a search warrant. St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Hurley, WI. Double murder is now 10 years old.
• Michael “Mike” Tabb (minister & Navy chaplain) pleaded guilty to murdering his wife by beating her with a bludgeon. Tabb hung out at gentleman’s club during her funeral. Methodist Church, Troup, TX. Minister gets 55 years in prison for wife’s murder.
• Neil Edgar Sr. (former pastor) was convicted of killing his 9-year old “who died of asphyxiation after being wrapped head to toe in duct tape.” God’s Creation Outreach Ministry, Kansas City, KS. Kansas man loses appeal for new trial in death of 9-year-old son.

2001

• Cases to be added. Please check back.

2000

• Cases to be added. Please check back.

1999

• Arthur Burton Schirmer (retired pastor)” pled no contest to third degree murder” of his first wife. Bethany United Methodist Church, Lebanon, PA. Former Lebanon pastor A.B. Schirmer sentenced in first wife’s death.
• Coley McCraney (bishop) arrested in 2019, based on a DNA match using a genealogy website, for a double homicide of two teen girls found dead in the trunk of a car. Spirit and Truth Lifeline Ministries; Heart of Goal church, Ozark, AL. High profile arrest led Alabama police to genealogy testing.
• Eugene Rick Pulley (associate pastor) is serving life-without-parole for the murder of his wife. River of Life Church, Danville, VA. Book reveals details of murder of Danville woman.
• William B. Guthrie (pastor) was charged with the murder of his wife. He was found unconscious in a bathtub and died the next day. He tried to cover the murder by typing a suicide note which was left in a book nearby. First Presbyterian Church, Wolsey, SD. State of South Dakota v. William Boyd Guthrie, [2001 SD 61]. Former Wolsey pastor sentenced to life dies in prison.
• John Williams (organist) strangled to death in a rape murder a church organist whom he lured to his apartment. Church organist pleads guilty to rape, murder. 

1998

• Unidentified church, Buffalo, NY. Jose G. Figueroa (pastor) charged with first degree murder for shooting his girlfriend. He later confessed.  Buffalo police: Pastor confessed to old homicide.

1997

• Christ Community Church, Bainbridge Island, WA. Nickolas Hacheney (pastor) arrested and convicted for strangling his wife and then setting their home on fire as a cover for the crime. He was convicted in part due to the testimony of his adulteress girlfriend to whom he admitted the murder. Woman pursued by suspect testifies.
• George Crossley (religious broadcaster) arrested and charged with “solicitation to commit murder and arson.” Orlando Sentinel 5/14/97

1996

• Williams Temple of the Apostolic Faith Church; The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ; Brooklyn, NY. Ben Williams (pastor) arrested for murder. This is a longstanding feud between two nearby churches regarding the successfulness of each that has ended in a murderous shooting.  Anger lingers in church-feud shootings. 
• Landmark Church of God, Nitro, WV. Mike Flippo (minister) arrested for murdering his wife. He claimed they were being stalked, but he had recently drawn a $100,000 insurance policy on her.  Minister faces murder charge in wife’s death.
• Unidentified church, Plant City, FL. Samuel L. Smithers (deacon) arrested for killing two female prostitutes. One was apparently beaten with an axe and stabbed. He was convicted and placed on death row. The mysterious Mr. X.
• Great Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Jasper, FL.  John Patton (deacon) arrested for shooting his wife. He wrongly suspected she was cheating on him. 99-year old man blows away cheating wife. Weekly World News, Apr 9, 1.

1995

• John Nelson Canning (pastor) arrested and convicted for beating and strangling two elderly parishioners. Pentecostal Tabernacle, Granby, CT. Former pastor charged in double strangling.
• Ricardo Black (deacon) arrested on charges he killed his infant son. Zoe Ministries, Manhattan, New York, NY. Church deacon, 30, is charged in 1995 death of his infant son.
• William Sylvia (deacon and usher) charged with killing his estranged wife by shooting her with a .357 using hollow-point bullets. Fairhaven Congregational Church, Fairhaven, MA. Why? Why did it have to happen?.

1994

• Strength for Living Church, Jacksonville, FL. Ronnie Lee Hyde (youth pastor) found guilty for murdering and dismembering a 16-year old boy. Remains were found outside of a dumpster.  Counselor, former youth pastor accused of killing teen in 1994.
• Hebert Valmond (pastor) arrested by immigration officials because he is suspected of being a war criminal, participating in the torture and massacre of Haitian peasants. Pastor arrested as war criminal. Newslibrary.com.

1993

• Victory Life Ministries, Pueblo, CO. Darin Carroll (pastor) is a former manslaughter offender. He shot and killed a mother of five while he was addicted to meth and alcohol. 1) Pueblo pastor hopes TV show on his past will help others. 2) Ministry to launch faith-based addiction recovery program.

1992

• Currently at Chapel of Change, Long Beach, CA. Brian Warth (pre-pastor) and gang member, murdered a 16-year old. He pled guilty to 2^nd degree murder.  From murder to ministry, reformed Long Beach pastor preaches redemption.
• Unidentified Baptist church, Bastrop, LA. Freddie Armstrong (pastor) arrested for “killing another minister at a funeral home and cutting off his head.” Minister killed: Pastor arrested in slaying of another in funeral home. Newslibrary.com.

1991

• Evangelical Formosan Church, Torrance, CA. Samuel Fu-Tzan (former pastor) pled guilty to second degree murder for killing a sexual rival with an ax. Former Pastor Sentenced for Killing Dentist With Ax : Crime: Ex-minister at Torrance church gets 15 years to life. He had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder stemming from alleged love triangle.

1990

• Henry Meinholz (deacon) has been charged killing a 13-year old girl who lived nearby and burying her partially nude body in his basement. First Baptist Church, Plymouth, MA. Neighbor pleads innocent in Benoit slaying.
• Joseph Wilfred (pastor) was arrested and charged with shooting and killing a juvenile male regarding a dispute surrounding payment for sex. The victim was identified as Jessie Terrell Sibley (19). When police arrived, the pastor had a second man at gunpoint as well. Unidentified church, New Orleans, LA. Pastor arrested for murder in fight over sex. Abbeville Meridional (Abbeville, LA) 6-Sep-1990, p. 2. Newspapers.com.

1987

• Emmanuel Church of Christ Oneness Pentecostal, Nashville, TN. John David Terry (minister) was convicted of shooting a church handyman, beheaded him, and left the redressed body in a burning church. Terry also had stolen $30,000 from the church’s funds. The minister later died by suicide in prison. Minister sentenced to death.

1986

• Hillcrest Baptist Church, Port Angeles, WA. Grady Young (pastor) arrested for shooting his wife in the church parsonage and then blaming it on a burglary. Congregation mourns wife pastor accused of slaying.
•  Jeremiah Fogle (former deacon) was arrested on charges of killing his wife Diane Fogle with a rifle. Greater Faith Christian Center Church, Lakeland, FL. Florida man accused of shooting wife, pastors had killed before.

1985

• Gethsemane Baptist Church, Washington, DC. Louis B. Sawyer (deacon) arrested on charges of murder. He is alleged to have used a shotgun to kill the financial secretary who suspected him of embezzlement. Church deacon held in D.C. slaying.

1984

• Cases to be added. Please check back.

1983

• Faith Lutheran Church, Emporia, KS. Tom Bird (pastor) convicted of murdering his wife in Kansas. Kansas woman in infamous murder case off parole. 
•  Melvin Jackson Jr. (deacon) was charged with murdering a woman by stabbing her with a kitchen steak knife. The victim was a French national visiting her sister in DC. The suspect was linked to the crime by DNA recently tested. Sonship Church Center, Washington, DC. D.C. Deacon Charged in 1983 Slaying DNA Evidence Links Man to Rape, Killing in NW Burglary.

1982

• First 6th Street Baptist Church, Port Arthur, TX. Donald Ray Abram (pastor, years later) convicted of capital murder for killing young woman in a convenience store robbery. Church selection committees appointed him in several parishes without discovering his crimes.  Texas: Port Arthur pastor under fire; Murder, Kidnapping & Armed Robbery.
• Saddleback Church (prison ministry), Yoba, CA. Danny Duchene (pre-pastor) pled guilty to assisting a contract killer knife two men to death.  Pastor at Saddleback Church turned his life around while serving 25-to-life terms for double murder.

1981

• Macedonia United Brethren Church, Greencastle, PA. Donald Lewis Clark (pastor) suicided in 1983 when police were closing in with “evidence of his crimes” of having killed his first wife.  ‘Shock and horror’ over minister who killed two wives.
• New Life Baptist Fellowship, Quitman, TX. Joseph Lewis Miller, aka Roy Eugene Eubanks (deacon) arrested on charges of murder with a firearm, killing Thomas Waller following an argument in a bar. Fugitive charged with 1981 murder found serving as Texas church deacon.

1980

• Mercy Hospital Chapel, Toledo, OH. Gerald Robinson (priest & chaplain) convicted of killing a nun by strangulation and stabbing, and then later “presided over her funeral mass.” A ritual expert described the stab wounds as in pattern of inverted cross.  1) Murder of Margaret Ann Pahl on Holy Saturday.  2) Father Gerald Robinson: Devil or Priest.
• By Divine Purpose Christian Center; & West Brighton ministry, Staten Island, NY. James D. Burrus (pastor) was arrested in 2020 for the cold case murder of a strangled teenaged female. He was linked to the murder through his DNA found under the girl’s fingernails. Inside the double life of a NYC preacher charged in cold case murder.
• Wade Temple of Faith, Gary, IN. Eugene Wade (pastor) was convicted of murdering his former mother-in-law by beating, stabbing and shooting her. His weapon was a hammer, a pocket-knife, and a handgun. Pastor Killed Mom-in-law. Burlington Times News, May 7, 1982, p. 5A.
• Church of God of the First Born, Leoti, KS. Fidel Rodriguez (former pastor) was arrested and charged with shooting and killing another former pastor, Gustavo Ornelas. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Former Leoti Pastor Convicted in Death. Hutchinson News, May 23 1981, p. 20.

Circa 1980s

• Unidentified church, Burbank, CA. Casey Diaz (pastor) is a former “savage gang-leader” who committed murder in Los Angeles. 1) ‘I Committed Murder’: Violent Gang Member-Turned-Pastor Reveals the Moment That Changed Everything. 2) From A Savage Gang Leader To A Pastor – The Inspiring Testimony Of Casey Diaz.

1979

• Cases to be added. Please check back.

1978

• Sandhills Community Church, Luarinburg, NC. James William Rupard (former pastor) convicted of double homicide of both parents by shooting. North Carolina: Pastor’s 30 year old double-murder conviction shocks many.

1977

• Cases to be added. Please check back.

1976

• Shiloh Full Gospel Church, Bayview, CA. James Mayfield (deacon) convicted of killing a young female artist. The rape murder came to trial in 2013. James Mayfield, Church Deacon, Guilty of 1976 Rape and Murder of Jenny Read.

1975

• Cornerstone Church (megachurch), Madison, TN. Maury Davis (pastor) was convicted of manslaughter for the brutal killing of a Sunday School teacher. The victim was beheaded. Two killings, but just one shot at redemption.
• Trinity Church Chapel Christian Reform Church, Bible Camp, Delaware County, GA. David Zandstra (former pastor) confessed to authorities that he killed an eight-year-old girl who was attending a Bible camp for which the pastor was involved as a host. He was charged with murder, kidnapping, and other charges.  Former Pastor Arrested, 1975 Murder Young Girl Walking To Church.

1974

• Unidentified church, Hilltop, AZ. Johnny Lee Riley (former pastor) pled guilty to second-degree murder in killing of a motel manager during a robbery attempt. Ex-minister gets 10 years for Arizona slaying. Newslibrary.com.
• Christ Lutheran Church, Witchita, KS. Dennis Lynn Rader (president of church council) killed 10 victims. Known as the BTK, he was a serial killer. Dennis Rader, Wikipedia.

1972

• St. Adalbert Catholic Church, Chicago, IL. Richard Lavigne (priest) suicided as he was about to be held accountable for murder with criminal charges for killing a young teen boy, Danny Croteau. The dead victim was found along the riverbank. The priest was a registered sex offender when he died by suicide. Former catholic priest dies same day he was due to be charged with 1972 murder.

1971

• First Black Church of the Messiah, Wilmington, NC. Ben Chavis (pastor) was charged with “conspiracy to murder,” having been accused of participating in a “sniper shooting of Harvey Edward Cumber.” The white victim was found shot in a majority black neighborhood. Militant Black pastor arrested on murder-conspiracy charge. Danville Register and Bee (Danville, VA). 17-Mar-1972, p. 14.

1970

• Harrisonburg Church of Christ, Harrisonburg, VA. William M. Drumheller III (pastor) unknown to his church had a murder conviction beating a child to death in anger years earlier. He also was convicted of a Medicare scam in in about 1989.  ‘We let a wolf in’: He seemed like the perfect preacher — until his flock discovered his murder conviction.
• Unidentified church, West Richland, OR. Edmund Lopes (pastor) 1970 murder of wife was committed by a mafia hit-man (serial killer). Parole violator Edmund Lopes, convicted in ’70s of murdering wife, dies in prison.

1964

• Edgar Killen (preacher) convicted of “arranging the murders of three young civil rights workers outside Philadelphia, Miss., in 1964 during the Freedom Summer drive to register Southern black voters.”   Philadelphia, MS. Edgar Ray Killen, Convicted in ’64 Killings of Rights Workers, Dies at 92.

1960

• Sacred Heart Catholic Church, McAllen, TX. John Bernard Feit (pastor)convicted of beating, suffocating and “raping while unconscious” a “beauty queen” whose confession he just heard on the eve of Easter.  Second degree reckless homicide. Ex-priest found guilty of historic 1960 Texas murder as church cover-up allegations persist.

1959

• New Life Baptist Fellowship, Quitman, TX. Joseph Lewis Miller, aka Roy Eugene Eubanks (deacon) plead guilty to killing John H. Lumpkins with a shotgun. Fugitive charged with 1981 murder found serving as Texas church deacon.

1956

• Union Baptist Church, Des Moines, IA. Seymour J. Gaines (pastor) was charged for the murder of Johnnie Brown. The pastor defended by claiming he shot husband of one of his parishioners who thought the pastor was attempting to get his parishioner to leave the man. Pastor arrested on murder charge. The Terre Haute Tribune, 16-Jan-1956, p. 6. Newspapers.com.

~1944

• St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Burlington, VT. Murder by unidentified nuns. We Saw Nuns Kill Children: The Ghosts of St. Joseph’s Catholic Orphanage.

1939

• First Polish Baptist Church, Camden, NJ. Walter Dworecki, aka “Iron Mike” (preacher) had his daughter killed in a murder-for-hire plot in an effort to collect insurance money. The victim was stabbed and beaten. Murderpedia: Rev. Walter DWORECKI.

1938

• St. Paul’s Lutheran Church; Pick City, ND. Heio Janssen (pastor) is alleged to have murdered his 16-year-old live-in housekeeper by poisoning. He subsequently tried to cover up the killing by setting the parsonage on fire. The pastor later confessed to impregnating the young girl and killing her to try to cover it up. He was convicted. Eighty-three years later, new details emerge in the case of a Lutheran pastor who murdered his 16-year-old maid. 83-Years Later New Details Emerge in the Case of a Lutheran Pastor Who Murdered His 16-Year-Old Maid.

1934

• Unidentified church, Moulton, AL. L. P. Royer (pastor) was charged with murder of Frank Pickens (deacon). The pastor’s son assisted in what was described as an ambush shooting. Pastor arrested on murder charge. The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, OK), 24-Jul-1934, p. 1. Newspapers.com.

1928

• Unidentified church, Youngstown, OH. Alphonse Steel (pastor) was charged with murder that occurred in Fort Valley, GA, but he is also known as Nims Morris. Pastor arrested on murder charge. Daily News (New York, NY), 17-Jul-1928, p. 166. Newspapers.com.

1927

• Unidentified church, Madison, KY. I. M. Perkins (former pastor) was indicted for beating his son Odie Franklin Perkins to death with a leather whip for having disregarded an order not to play “in an ash heap bareheaded.” The victim was a four-year-old negro male. Negro charged with whipping son to death. Madison Daily Messenger (Madison, KY), 29-Sep-1927, p. 1.

1926

• Methodist Church, Tacoma, WA. George A. Seely (pastor) was charged with murder in the killing of Emile Matsumoto. The pastor was part of a raiding party set out to smash a still. Federal prohibition agents claimed the victim had fired first. Pastor arrested on murder charge. Anderson Daily Bulletin (Anderson, IN), 1-Sep-1926, p. 2. Newspapers.com.

1924

•  J. Frank Norris (pastor) shot and killed an unarmed man in his church office. He was acquitted by jury trial. First Baptist, Fort Worth, TX. Lessons from the megachurch pastor who killed a man.

1921

• Unidentified church, Santa Rosa, CA. Richard Spencer (former preacher) was arrested, accused of drowning his wife in a lake late at night. Preacher arrested in wife’s drowning. New York Times, August 22, 1921, p. 3.

1911

• Unidentified church, New Sweden, ME. Charles Emelius (minister) is arrested and accused of murdering August Jacobson. Originally labeled a suicide, the case was reopened by the state’s attorney general. Pastor arrested on murder charge. The Buffalo News, 8-Jun-1912, p. 1.
• Immanuel Baptist Church, Cambridge, MA. Clarence Virgil Thompson Richeson (pastor) was charged with first degree murder for the killing of Avis Linnell (19) who was poisoned with potassium cyanide. The victim was the pastor’s fiancé. Boston pastor arrested for murder. Livingston Enterprise (Livingston, MT), 21-Oct-1911, p. 1. Newspapers.com.

1904

• Unidentified church, Eldora, IA. Toben S. Rlydenburg (deacon) on trial for allegedly killing his third wife by poisoning. Church deacon on trial for murder charged with poisoning his third wife. Los Angeles Herald, Volume XXXI, Number 116, 23 January 1904.

Negligent Homicide

• Faith Tabernacle Church, Berk County, PA.  Jonathan and Grace Ann Foster convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of their daughter Ella Grace Foster, age 2. They “did not believe in seeking medical treatment.” Parents convicted after they wanted God, not doctors, to heal dying 2-year-old daughter. 2016.
• Unidentified church, Bedford-Stuyvesant, NY. Wayne Stokeling (pastor) was arrested for not staying on the scene of a fatal car crash. Bed-Stuy pastor arrested in connection with fatal hit-and-run. 2012.
• First Century Gospel Church, Philadelphia, PA. Herbert Schaible (faith-healing pastor) arrested for failing to seek medical help for dying toddler who died of pneumonia. Charged with negligent homicide (convicted of involuntary manslaughter).  Pa. couple who only prayed for dying tot convicted. 2009.

Attempted Murder

2019 – Do You Believe Outreach Ministry, Memphis, TN. Norman Hudson (pastor) charged with stabbing one of his neighbors in the neck. His criminal history began as early as 1990 with serious criminal charges. Memphis pastor accused of raping, pouring insecticides down neighbor’s throat.

2017 – Union Baptist Church, Chester, SC. Robert Worthy Senior (assistant pastor) arrested on “two counts attempted murder and one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.” Allegedly shot his estranged wife inside a Christian bookstore in Chester, SC. 1) Man charged with attempted murder after shooting in Chester Christian bookstore. 2) Jury finds Chester pastor guilty after wife, mother-in-law shot at Christian store.

2013 – Eddie Mallonee (pastor) arrested for conspiracy to murder his wife. Tennesee: Former Baptist pastor arrested.

2011 – Unity in Prayer Ministry, B.C., Shreveport, LA. Willie Guiden (pastor) killed his wife inside their home. Shreveport pastor, wife dead in apparent murder-suicide.

2009 – Salvation Army Church, Greenwood, IN. Jonathan James Hartman (youth pastor) arrested for child sexual assault of three young girls. The offender is also alleged to have “hatched the plot in a jail cell, and planned to have up to 13 people murdered.” One of the females was impregnated. Prosecutor: Former youth pastor tried to hire hit man to kill witnesses.

2003 – First Presbyterian Church, Auburndale, FL. Bruce Whitney (former pastor) arrested for attempted murder of his wife. It is alleged he struck her with a patio block and then choked her. minister faces attempted murder charges.

1992 – Chapel of Change (current church), Paramount, CA. Brian Warth (pastor) formerly convicted of killing Francisco Luna Jr. “Members of the Carson family also are still angry with Warth, whom they say has used the death of their son, brother, cousin and uncle to profit a ministry.” From murder to ministry, reformed Long Beach pastor preaches redemption.

1987 – Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA. Walker Railey (former minister) was indicted charging him with strangling his wife nearly to death. Pastor arrested for attempted murder. San Angelo Standard-Times, 26-Aug-1992, p. 16.

Murder for Hire

2020 – Unidentified church. Downington, PA. Jacob Matthew Malone (former youth pastor) was charged with trying to hire someone to kill his former pastor where he had served at Calvary Fellowship. This was a failed murder-for-hire incident. Jailed Pennsylvania ex-pastor arrested in alleged murder-for-hire plot.

2019 – Calvary Fellowship, Chester County, PA. Attempted murder-for-hire. Jacob M. Malone (youth pastor) was arrested and charged with attempting to solicit murder of his senior pastor and a and a court judge. Pastor got teen pregnant, then ordered hit on colleague who reported him, police say.

2018 – Harvest Bible Chapel, IL.  James McDonald (pastor) is being investigated for attempting to hire a hit man. Megachurch founder James MacDonald allegedly sought murder for hire, police investigating.

2016 – Unidentified church. Stephen Allwine (preacher) on trial for allegedly hiring a hitman with bitcoin to kill his wife. Preacher who cheated using Ashley Madison, tried hiring hit man on dark web in bid to murder wife, cops say.

2015 – Harvest Bible Chapel, IL.  James McDonald (pastor) is being investigated for attempting to hire someone to kill his former son-in-law. Megachurch founder James MacDonald allegedly sought murder for hire, police investigating.

2012 – Ministerios Manantial de Vida church, near San Benito, TX. Julio Cesar Perez (pastor) pleaded guilty to hiring a hitman from within his church to shoot his wife. 1) Pastor sentenced 45 years in prison for wife’s murder.  2) ‘Someone in the way’: Pastor arrested for hiring hit men to murder his wife – and recruited them from within his own church.

2009 – Arc of Baltimore; Greater Faith Tabernacle Church of Deliverance, Baltimore, MD. Kevin Jerome Pushia (pastor) arrested for paying hitman to kill a homeless man of whom he had taken out insurance on. City pastor charged with having man killed for life insurance.

Serial Killers

• Tom Bird, Lutheran pastor
• Dennis Lynn Rader, deacon
• Samuel L. Smithers, deacon