Pastor’s Pregnant Wife Killed in Home Invasion (Indianapolis)

[DomWackTroll]

He was “at the gym” and apparently there is security camera proof. I find it strange that a pastor-- no matter how fundie lite-- would fail to even mention in his statement that their unborn child was taken, too. 

It's impossible to communicate all the emotions my heart has been forced to process. My wife was such a beautiful, gracious, loving woman of God. I have not only lost my ministry partner and support but also my very best friend. There is no way to prepare yourself for circumstances like these. As deeply as I am hurting I am hopeful and confident that good things will come of this. I rest in the truth of Romans 8:28 that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. Thank you for understanding my desire to take these next few days to continue to grieve for Amanda Grace. My focus right now is to let The Lord minister to my heart as I continue to shepherd little Weston's. I'll be taking this time to focus on being a great follower of Jesus, dad, family member, and pastor to our growing church. Amanda made it her life's calling to love and serve everyone she knew. Even more, she has made it her life's mission to see as many people as possible come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. I know that in her death and legacy even more people will come to a saving faith in Christ. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt her desire for me would be to continue what we've started here in Indy. I hold firm to the belief that God is still good, that He takes our tragedy and turns it into triumph, and that the best truly is yet to come.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3316583/I-lost-best-friend-Pastor-husband-shares-tribute-pregnant-wife-28-shot-dead-home-intruder-police-clear-family-involvement.html

 

[redsmomma29]

I have been following this too.  I expect this story to show up on the ID channel sooner or later. He must have a hand in this.....

[jerkit]

I have been following this too.  I expect this story to show up on the ID channel sooner or later. He must have a hand in this.....

Can you please explain why you think this? Is there any evidence at all to support this?

[2xx1xy1JD]

Such a sad and horrible story.

Police have said that the family was not involved, and it's always one of the first things that they investigate. 

Not sure why this is snark-worthy.  I'm certainly not going to criticize a bereaved husband who suddenly lost his wife in such a sudden, violent way for focusing primarily on her and mentioning their toddler, instead of checking off boxes and being sure to insert "and our 12 week fetus too".

[apandaaries]

Can you please explain why you think this? Is there any evidence at all to support this?

The reason they're already stating that he's not a suspect is because most murders are committed by people who know the victim intimately.  He sounds like a controlling guy, too, extolling the virtues of her saved first kiss at the altar.  They'd been in counseling (ETA: not necessarily a bad thing, but it could indicate some issues, along with the fact that they apparently did not know one another well when they wed). Home invasions are pretty rare; murder being involved is even more unusual.  It's weird all around, but the oftentimes, person who has killed a pregnant woman is the man who impregnated her (hard to find stats, but here's one article: http://www.salon.com/2003/02/27/pregnancy_death/).  I'm also weirded out by her first and middle names, which we share. 

[VelociRapture]

I find this story unworthy of snark in pretty much every shape, way, and form.

This man lost his wife. The family has already been cleared by Police and no one knows how they will react publicly when something this horrific occurs. I honestly don't see anything suspicious in this man being at the gym or failing to mention their fetus - he is grieving. I say we leave this guy alone.

[Sobeknofret]

I find this story unworthy of snark in pretty much every shape, way, and form.

This man lost his wife. The family has already been cleared by Police and no one knows how they will react publicly when something this horrific occurs. I honestly don't see anything suspicious in this man being at the gym or failing to mention their fetus - he is grieving. I say we leave this guy alone.

Thank you. I was horrified that people thought this was worthy of snark in the first place.

[VelociRapture]

Thank you. I was horrified that people thought this was worthy of snark in the first place.

I'm not sure if the original post meant to snark or just wanted to discuss the topic. If they just wanted to get other views on it, that seems ok to me. If it was to snark, that's really out of line and unfair in my opinion.

If the Police do eventually find that the husband had a hand in this, then that's a different story. But for now he has been cleared and I think he deserves to be shown a bit of compassion. He lost his wife and their son lost his mother.

[Whoosh]

Just to make sure I am reading this right...

A woman was shot and killed in her home.  As with any sudden and unexpected death, he husband was likely considered a prime suspect of the investigation and authorities have come out and said that he was NOT involved in this tragedy.  

I hope everyone will join me in offering sincere condolences and hope for strength and comfort to this man and his child as they face what is one of the most devastating and overwhelming losses us humans ever face.  

[Sobeknofret]

I'm not sure if the original post meant to snark or just wanted to discuss the topic. If they just wanted to get other views on it, that seems ok to me. If it was to snark, that's really out of line and unfair in my opinion.

True. And I've never known DomWackTroll to do something like that.

[hoipolloi]

A shocking & sad event. Can't imagine what her parents & family are going through.

The husband's account of their life together is an interesting mix of hardcore fundie & fundie-lite: they met on a blind date but she took a purity pledge & saved her first kiss for him at the altar.

Not snarking but I will say that this story gave a hinky vibe when I first read it. Guess we'll find out what actually happened once the police work is done.

[2xx1xy1JD]

The reason they're already stating that he's not a suspect is because most murders are committed by people who know the victim intimately.  He sounds like a controlling guy, too, extolling the virtues of her saved first kiss at the altar.  They'd been in counseling (ETA: not necessarily a bad thing, but it could indicate some issues, along with the fact that they apparently did not know one another well when they wed). Home invasions are pretty rare; murder being involved is even more unusual.  It's weird all around, but the oftentimes, person who has killed a pregnant woman is the man who impregnated her (hard to find stats, but here's one article: http://www.salon.com/2003/02/27/pregnancy_death/).  I'm also weirded out by her first and middle names, which we share. 

Domestic violence often starts or increases during pregnancy.  That's a horror fact, and it is also part of the reason that I am staunchly pro-choice, oppose any "spousal consent" requirement and support domestic violence screening by anyone dealing with women's health.

In this case, though, I refuse to engage in speculation.  This is an ongoing police investigation, police have already issued a statement that the husband is not a suspect, and nobody deserves idle speculation that they've committed a horrible crime while they are grieving, without a shred of evidence to support it.  Just because partner violence is common doesn't mean that the partner is always the killer.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Baltovich (I remember that case well.  "It must be the boyfriend" seemed to be an obvious assumption at the original trial, when there was no other obvious suspect.  By the time he was released, Paul Bernardo was well-known as a notorious serial killer who had been in the same area as the victim.)

[kpmom]

A shocking & sad event. Can't imagine what her parents & family are going through.

The husband's account of their life together is an interesting mix of hardcore fundie & fundie-lite: they met on a blind date but she took a purity pledge & saved her first kiss for him at the altar.

Not snarking but I will say that this story gave a hinky vibe when I first read it. Guess we'll find out what actually happened once the police work is done.

I felt the same way.  Agree it's not snark worthy, but I guess I've become cynical in my old age, because I wondered about the husband as well.  Glad for their son that the husband has been cleared.

[hoipolloi]

And the assailant is said to be a black male: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3317356/Indianapolis-Police-reveal-suspect-killed-pastor-s-28-year-old-pregnant-wife-black-male-slight-build-short-five-foot-four.html

 

[sparkles]

It's not so much that a thread was started, but the "at the gym" (in quotes) kind of raised an eyebrow for me and made me question the intent. It's sad but true that so many of these cases involve a spouse or a partner but it may be even sadder and say something about our (general our) rush to judgment each time we heard about something like this. 

What I heard on the news this morning was that the husband had been cleared and that there were reports of another break-in in the neighborhood. In any event, it's a horribly sad story and regardless of their beliefs, my heart goes out to the family and especially the poor little toddler who was thankfully spared.

[apandaaries]

Domestic violence often starts or increases during pregnancy.  That's a horror fact, and it is also part of the reason that I am staunchly pro-choice, oppose any "spousal consent" requirement and support domestic violence screening by anyone dealing with women's health.

In this case, though, I refuse to engage in speculation.  This is an ongoing police investigation, police have already issued a statement that the husband is not a suspect, and nobody deserves idle speculation that they've committed a horrible crime while they are grieving, without a shred of evidence to support it.  Just because partner violence is common doesn't mean that the partner is always the killer.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Baltovich (I remember that case well.  "It must be the boyfriend" seemed to be an obvious assumption at the original trial, when there was no other obvious suspect.  By the time he was released, Paul Bernardo was well-known as a notorious serial killer who had been in the same area as the victim.)

You make good points, and I should admit that I have a bias against men in staunchly patriarchal cultures, as they appear to have been (hence the saving of the kiss for marriage). Actually, I don't  trust any overly controlling man, even if he's not ensconced in religion which encourages such control.  Even in the secular world, seemingly good men can start to abuse women; it's happened with some of my friends (who've successfully gotten out) and colored my perception of the world.  

 I also don't completely trust police officers, especially the American ones.  Some are fantastic, but some do less than thorough jobs and some have their own biases, like favoring clergy.  The police giving their stamp of approval to the guy doesn't make the incredibly odd circumstances any less odd. Apparently there is a slight possibility that a serial killer is in Indianapolis (http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/forensic-pathologist-consider-possibility-of-serial-killer-in-indianapolis) but this doesn't appear to be the style of that killer.  I'm not here to snark, and I've already speculated enough.  I do hope that there is resolution in the case and feel terribly for the family.

[Cats B4 Quivers]

My condolences to the victim's family. That is heart breaking and hopefully the police investigators find the awful person/people who murdered her.

I guess the police have to check those closest to the victim first since statistically pregnant woman are more likely to be abused by the partner. In my own family, my grandmother spent each of her 8 pregnancies black and blue from bruises by my grandfather. My mom recalls watching her father throwing her mother down a set of stone steps as a young girl. 

More recently in Toronto, I believe last winter or spring, a pastor was convicted of murdering his wife (she may have been pregnant, I don't recall). Unfortunately, domestic abuse is also perpetrated by those who are supposed to guide "Jesus' lambs".  

[jqlgoblue]

I'd prefer to talk about how white, Christian, mothers are exalted in the media. The other people who die, that is ok, even deserved... it is because she is America's ideal (Proverbs 31) woman, that it is a newsworthy tragedy. And I don't intend to diminish her death either, though I'm sure it sounds that way in text on the internet.

I hadn't even suspected it could be the pastor.

[Whoosh]

I'd prefer to talk about how white, Christian, mothers are exalted in the media. The other people who die, that is ok, even deserved... it is because she is America's ideal woman, that it is a newsworthy tragedy. And I don't intend to diminish her death either, though I'm sure it sounds that way in text on the internet.

I hadn't even suspected it could be the pastor.

I totally get and agree with what you are saying here.  You aren't diminishing her death at all in my opinion.  

[ADoyle90815]

It's not so much that a thread was started, but the "at the gym" (in quotes) kind of raised an eyebrow for me and made me question the intent. It's sad but true that so many of these cases involve a spouse or a partner but it may be even sadder and say something about our (general our) rush to judgment each time we heard about something like this. 

What I heard on the news this morning was that the husband had been cleared and that there were reports of another break-in in the neighborhood. In any event, it's a horribly sad story and regardless of their beliefs, my heart goes out to the family and especially the poor little toddler who was thankfully spared.

I think the "at the gym" quote implying that people think the husband is in on it is probably because we've heard of so many cases where a hitman made it look like a home invasion. In this case, the husband has been cleared, and another report mentioned that there had been other break-ins in the neighborhood. My thoughts are with the victim's family at this time, especially the husband who lost his wife and unborn child.

[polecat]

Well, I got a hinky vibe from it, too. An acquaintance from way-back-in-my-college-days was shot in the head during a home invasion. Her husband was NOT a suspect and was cleared right away, according to law enforcement.

Except ... he was the one who did it. He wanted to give his 20-something girlfriend a special present for Valentine's Day. 

So yeah, I definitely got hinky vibes. But maybe that's just in my own head.

 

ETA: They do seem to have a suspect on camera. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/indianapolis-police-suspect-in-killing-of-pastors-wife-amanda-blackburn-seen-on-surveillance/

[DomWackTroll]

Nothing in my OP was meant to be "snark." The title reports it as a home invasion, not a "home invasion." I used quote marks to quote the husband because I was quoting the husband. I also said that security cameras at the gym support his story. 

Do I think it's odd that he didn't refer to the fetus? Yeah, I do. Doesn't mean he had anything to with it; I just think it's odd for a evangelical Christian. 

[SolomonFundy]

Nothing in my OP was meant to be "snark." The title reports it as a home invasion, not a "home invasion." I used quote marks to quote the husband because I was quoting the husband. I also said that security cameras at the gym support his story. 

Do I think it's odd that he didn't refer to the fetus? Yeah, I do. Doesn't mean he had anything to with it; I just think it's odd for a evangelical Christian. 

I didn't read anything you wrote as snark, and I would hope that no person on FJ who's been here for more than 5 minutes would think that either. Inflection is hard to determine in text (as we've all encountered at some point), and I think that people are just wary about any "snark" being made against any of the people involved in this tragic situation. 

[SilverBeach]

And the assailant is said to be a black male: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3317356/Indianapolis-Police-reveal-suspect-killed-pastor-s-28-year-old-pregnant-wife-black-male-slight-build-short-five-foot-four.html

 

Oldest cliche in the book. So offensive.The woman who drowned her kids in the car, and that guy in Boston who murdered his almost ready to give birth wife both blamed it on a black man. Hope the police are just not so eager to close the case that they trump up a case against an innocent person.

[Howl]

In January, 2015, in my city, a much loved music teacher who taught mostly home-schooled students was found stabbed to death in her home.  IIRC, turned out to be a guy whose friend had done yard work for her was robbing the house and she woke up; the other guy was standing lookout. About 3 weeks prior, these two had murdered an elderly couple (aged 83 and 85) in their home, with probably a similar scenario.  The crimes were about 6 miles apart.  

Pleasant middle class neighborhoods, just an almost random kind of event.  I don't know how they targeted the elderly couple. 

Local TV station report: kxan.com/2015/01/23/arrest-made-in-homicide-of-elderly-austin-couple

Just saying that these types of events can happen out of the blue, but yes, like many of you, I've spent too much time watching Dateline and ID channel.  Wouldn't be the first time that someone got a Pentecostal divorce.  

That said, condolences to the husband, family and most especially, her young child. 

I was also recalling an old episode of 48 hours.  This case was not solved for many, many years, until it was reopened as a cold case.  The murdered man, his wife and his best friend were all Church of the Nazarene.  Turns out the wife and his best friend, who had fallen in love, murdered him.

But police and prosecutors say there were no signs of intruders. Instead, all the evidence seemed to point to those closest to David - Melinda and Mark. What's more, investigators believed they knew the motive. 

"No one was talking on the record. Everyone in the community was talking about it off the record," recalls Hoffman, who has covered this case for more than two decades.

What were they saying?

"It's the Nazarene divorce," says Hoffman.

cbsnews.com/news/a-knock-on-the-door/2