Pastor charged with killing fiancee's daughter

[doggie]

This is pretty horrible in it's self so warn you about reading it. It is a true example how people think that faith makes you a good person. only after he confessed would people believe he did it Even though he has killed and almost killed before. We see this over and over again how if someone is christian they have to be good even though evidence shows otherwise. This poor woman paid the price for this attitude.

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_289563/conten ... d=gaG3aBrC

BROOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - As police frantically worked to figure out how his fiancée's 24-year-old daughter had vanished, a Michigan pastor who had turned to God to shed his violent past went to his flock with a request: pray for her.

But all along, authorities say, he knew the sordid truth about where the young mother was.

The pastor, ex-convict John D. White, later confessed to killing Rebekah Gay to fulfill a fantasy of necrophilia, police said Friday. White drank four or five beers before going to the woman's mobile home and repeatedly striking her head with a mallet and strangling her with a zip tie, according to court documents.

Police said White stripped her dead body but does not remember if he carried out his sexual fantasy. After dumping the body early Wednesday, he returned to Gay's home and dressed her 3-year-old son in his Halloween costume, then later dropped him off with the boy's father.

"He kept saying he's a bad person, he's a pastor, he felt bad for the people in his church. ... I don't recall him bring real remorseful at all with regard to the victim or anything else," Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski told The Associated Press.

"He just basically said he was attracted to her, thought she was a very cute girl. It's a crazy, tragic situation," the sheriff added.

The case shocked the pastor's roughly 14-member congregation and raised questions about how a man who had found religion after a criminal past could return to his dark past.

White was in jail without bond Friday, a day after he was charged with first-degree murder in Gay's death in a rural area in Isabella County, 85 miles northwest of Lansing. The 55-year-old has asked for a court-appointed attorney.

White was engaged to Gay's mother and regularly watched her young son while she worked, said Donna Houghton, a church elder who had a role in hiring White three years ago to be pastor at Christ Community Fellowship. Church members, she said, were "absolutely floored" by the allegations.

"I protested his innocence until I had the absolute news that he confessed. Then he had no leg to stand on," she told the AP.

Before his arrest Thursday, White called Houghton to ask that she contact other church members and start a prayer chain for Gay, who still was missing at the time.

"He was pretty shook up. He said the police were giving him a hard time," Houghton said.

White confessed that day after being told the woman's body was likely to deteriorate in the cold, wet weather, Mioduszewski said. He said his fantasy had been fueled by pornographic videos.

Houghton said the congregation was aware of White's criminal past when he joined the church. He was released from prison in 2007, after serving nearly 12 years for manslaughter in the death of a 26-year-old woman in Kalamazoo County, according to the Michigan Corrections Department.

He had previously been sentenced to probation for choking and stabbing a 17-year-old Battle Creek girl in 1981.

"He was absolutely contrite," said Houghton, 76. "All kinds of people turn around and meet the Lord and they are a different person. He was doing a lot of good in the community. ... He was doing a lot of good and Satan did not want him doing good and Satan got to him."

She said White got on her roof and cleaned her neglected gutters last week, a chore that inspired his Sunday talk. She recalled him saying during that sermon that "we need to check closely the seeds we sprout in ourselves. Nothing can be hidden from God."

At the trailer park on Friday, pictures of pumpkins and other Halloween decorations were still on Gay's home. Park resident Matt Brown said White regularly cut through his yard to visit Gay's trailer that was one street away.

Brown, 21, said White seemed to have scratches on his face when he told residents Wednesday that Gay was missing and that her car had been found outside a bar.

"It looked like he was in a struggle," Brown recalled.

Charles Kenworthy, another resident of the park about 11 miles west of Mount Pleasant, said the killing so close was "just scary."

"I would think they'd want to look into different people and their background before they let somebody live here," the 53-year-old said.

___

[RosyDaisy]

One word: DISGUSTING!!

[linnea27]

"Satan didn't want him doing good, Satan got to him"? Jeebus, these people see persecution everywhere.

Eta: I am really liking the new mobile site. I can actually edit posts now.

[snarktastic]

That's so sad. The poor mother. She'll be going though all the "if only's" right now. :cry:

[BoomerLynn]

He was absolutely contrite," said Houghton, 76. "All kinds of people turn around and meet the Lord and they are a different person. He was doing a lot of good in the community. ... He was doing a lot of good and Satan did not want him doing good and Satan got to him

I really wish people would stop with the whole "It was Satan" crap. This sick fuck killed an innocent woman and took away a 3-year-old's mother. Put the blame where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of the man who committed the crime.

[doggie]

I really wish people would stop with the whole "It was Satan" crap. This sick fuck killed an innocent woman and took away a 3-year-old's mother. Put the blame where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of the man who committed the crime.

He has killed twice and almost once. he is past a sick fuck. even after he admits it it is not his fault Satan did it. the old debil made me do it is so overused.

[doggie]

That's so sad. The poor mother. She'll be going though all the "if only's" right now. :cry:

well it is sad but she was also a fool. he killed before and almost killed again. Anyone that would trust him around their children really has some gullibility going on. I do feel bad for her But she did put herself and her family in his control.

[takers401]

That's if she knew he was a murderer. I don't recall the article stating that she would have known.

[BravaAmica]

well it is sad but she was also a fool. he killed before and almost killed again. Anyone that would trust him around their children really has some gullibility going on. I do feel bad for her But she did put herself and her family in his control.

Really, dude?

If he hadn't murdered this young woman, he would have murdered another. (Hell, he ALREADY has killed, twice that we know of.) This man is a sick fuck who groomed an entire congregation into thinking he was oh so wonderful. Sorry they weren't as smart as you, doggie. I will now check with you before making any decisions about my life, right after you tell me how perfect YOU are. :angry-screaming:

[doggie]

[control.

Really, dude?

If he hadn't murdered this young woman, he would have murdered another. (Hell, he ALREADY has killed, twice that we know of.) This man is a sick fuck who groomed an entire congregation into thinking he was oh so wonderful. Sorry they weren't as smart as you, doggie. I will now check with you before making any decisions about my life, right after you tell me how perfect YOU are. :angry-screaming:

[BravaAmica]

Really, dude?

If he hadn't murdered this young woman, he would have murdered another. (Hell, he ALREADY has killed, twice that we know of.) This man is a sick fuck who groomed an entire congregation into thinking he was oh so wonderful. Sorry they weren't as smart as you, doggie. I will now check with you before making any decisions about my life, right after you tell me how perfect YOU are. :angry-screaming:

What are you talking about? I am talking about Christians trusting Christians over common sense. Are you saying you would trust him around your daughter? I am not being all knowing to know not to trust someone who had killed and almost killed woman just because he turned into a Christian.

[AnnieC 305]

The whole "God forgives anything if you sincerely beg forgiveness" thing tends to shortcut true remorse and treatment because most people are foolish enough to believe that that ends the matter. All punishment should cease, all treatment is no longer necessary, all trust should be restored.

As I see it there are two options.

1) There is no God and so the whole forgiveness thing is a lie. The criminal element knows it will work because of all of the publicity from the church and so uses that lie to manipulate the gullible.

2) There is an evil God who enjoys human suffering and so wants these bastards as pastors and especially youth pastors to cause the maximum pain and misery. Not only will they ruin the life of the victim this way but also the family and the greater congregation. Then he literally blinds people to the truth so he can do it again and again and again....

The only option that doesn't work for me is the idea of the benevolent god. Why would any benevolent deity with that much power allow such crimes to happen in his name over and over and over again? You would think that he would have at least sent down some idea for reforming the system by now.

[Beb]

This criminal was "pastor" of a "church"? A 14 member" church"? I get so sick of these misfits starting their own" churches" simply because of some power trip, which is often the case.....and the simpletons who follow along are blind and stupid.

[carson]

He only served 12 years for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter? Seriously?? I know it's slightly off-topic to marvel at the failings of the US prison system, but really? That's terrifying that he only got such a short sentence and then was able to become a pastor with a congregation.

Even more terrifying that people actually believe and trust people who say they've turned to god and changed after having murdered.

[Effie]

He only served 12 years for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter? Seriously?? I know it's slightly off-topic to marvel at the failings of the US prison system, but really? That's terrifying that he only got such a short sentence and then was able to become a pastor with a congregation.

Even more terrifying that people actually believe and trust people who say they've turned to god and changed after having murdered.

Strange, that's like what he would get here in Sweden... and usually U.S.'s terms of imprisonment are like 3 times more than ours.

[doggie]

He only served 12 years for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter? Seriously?? I know it's slightly off-topic to marvel at the failings of the US prison system, but really? That's terrifying that he only got such a short sentence and then was able to become a pastor with a congregation.

Even more terrifying that people actually believe and trust people who say they've turned to god and changed after having murdered.

this is what gets me. it was more then manslaughter it was not like he was robbing a bank and shot someone. He planned it out and did it knowing full well it was happening. I mean if he shot someone in rage or killed them with a car that would be one thing. but to go out and kill someone with that in mind twice is a whole other kind of fucked up. People like that don't just change because they believe in Jesus (if he ever really did) Just like pedophiles don't change. This is what pisses me off we see over and over how Christians think people are good because they believe the same way and go and put these fucked up people in charge of the very people they victimized or in this case killed. This is the big reason people like Romney. it is not because of his winning personality now is it? The way Christians only think Christians are trustworthy and moral is the biggest denial of reality besides thinking the world is 6k years old.

[valsa]

The case shocked the pastor's roughly 14-member congregation and raised questions about how a man who had found religion after a criminal past could return to his dark past.

Maybe because buying into a bunch of Bronze-age fairytales does jackshit to turn a sociopath into someone with a conscious.

[Guest Anonymous]

I really wish people would stop with the whole "It was Satan" crap. This sick fuck killed an innocent woman and took away a 3-year-old's mother. Put the blame where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of the man who committed the crime.

This added to my anger too. The pastor did it. He wasn't a good buy forced by Satan. Even if they wanted to say he was tempted by Satan, he would still be the one to choose it. Women are blamed for the Eden apple thing because she didn't say no. But a man murdered, and it's not his fault, it's Satan's.

[Koala]

I got the impression that his "flock" was well aware of his criminal history:

The case shocked the pastor's roughly 14-member congregation and raised questions about how a man who had found religion after a criminal past could return to his dark past.

Houghton said the congregation was aware of White's criminal past when he joined the church.

I'm going to be honest here. If her mother had any clue that this man had murdered a 17 year old girl and she willingly took him into her family then I have a major problem. "Religion" doesn't fix people like that, and to think that it does is ignorant among other things.

I also hate that the members of his church are laying this on "satan's" doorstep. Get the fuck real people, this man is a murder and it's his goddamned fault.

[doggie]

The congregation new and the mother was part of the congregation. The devil made him do it is still saying he is a good person.. He may never have been one even as a kid if he he a social path I mean how many does he have to kill before he is bad? Such people have been preying on Christians for so long because they want to believe so bad.

[Guest Anonymous]

I also hate that the members of his church are laying this on "satan's" doorstep. Get the fuck real people, this man is a murder and it's his goddamned fault.

I want to see these Satan's-doorstep people love gays and atheists instead of saying gays and atheists are making an evil choice.