Investigators have offered a $10,000 reward in the killing of a pastor at an Oklahoma church, a crime the local prosecutor described as "horrific."
The reward comes as police try to unravel the mystery of who killed Carol Daniels, a 61-year-old pastor from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She traveled many Sundays to Anadarko, Oklahoma, about 50 miles southwest of her home, to Christ Holy Sanctified Church “in case people came in to worship,” her son, Alvin Daniels, told CNN. Investigators found her body inside the church around noon Sunday. District Attorney Bret Burns called the crime scene the worst he’d ever seen in 17 years as a prosecutor, but he would not say why. He has described a “horrific” scene inside the church but declined to elaborate. He also declined to comment when asked about a possible motive. Jessica Brown, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, said the body was “staged” after the killing but declined to say more. She said investigators have some promising leads, but a bureau statement said police have no suspects. The bureau has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible person. The pastor’s son described her as a loving mother. Watch son’s interview on HLN’s “Nancy Grace” ยป “She was always joking with us and always taking care of us, even giving her last dollar even if she didn’t have it,” he said. He said she took precautions at the church. “She was very cautious for the most part, and she would usually leave the door open in case people came to worship,” he said.
The death has unnerved religious leaders in Anadarko, said Ted Mercer, pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship, which is about three blocks from the church were Daniel’s body was found. Burns, the district attorney, met with religious leaders this week. He urged them to be observant and have a security plan in place at their churches, Mercer said.
