GUILTY MI - Rebekah Gay, 24, Broomfield Township, 31 Oct 2012

[Artis]

I live in west Michigan and tonight is the first I've heard of this case. I haven't read all of the thread (most of it, though). This young woman's mother who was engaged to this dirtbag - she knew of his past?! And, these church people - um, WHAT THE HELL??? What a bunch of complete and total idiots.

 

[hollyblue]

Video (two) with 1980 victim who speaks out. WARNING: graphic

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kalamazoo_and_battle_creek/White-to-1st-victim-Are-you-dead-yet

Suspect in Rebekah Gay slaying avoided murder charge in Kalamazoo case because woman's body was decomposed

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/11/suspect_in_rebekah_gay_slaying.html

One more:

White served 12 years of his eight- to 15-year sentence.
In August 2009, White became pastor at the 14-member Christ Community Fellowship church in Mount Pleasant.

The church elder there told 24 Hour News 8 she believes White got his credentials to be a pastor while in prison. She also said she thinks he drove a semi-truck when he first got out of prison, but he does not have a commercial driver's license.

The church elder said they met White on a fluke. When they needed a locksmith, the brother of White's most recent victim Rebekah Gay did the job. He asked if they needed a pastor and mentioned that he knew a guy.

So the family knew him from '09 before he became the preacher. If we find out the mother was a pen pal to him when he was in prison..........I'll just SCREAM!!! Make sure you read the comments at the bottom!

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/central_mich/murder-suspect-john-white-criminal-history

 

[LivingJuicy]

bbm...

isnt that the truth! forgiving is Gods business, not mine...sorry, i just cant understand how the father "forgives" this sick b@stard ... i must be missing something. :waitasec:

agreed. Someone kills anyone I care for, I will never forgive. Hope never in that position.

This guy needs thrown to wild pigs ... He would fit right in.

 

[Elainera]

ITA.

Forgiveness was my nemesis for a long time. A did horrific things to me in my past. Forgiveness was a HUGE struggle for me! I did not want to forgive because I didn't want the to think what they did was "ok". Then I learned what forgiveness is and what it is not.

Forgiveness is: for YOURSELF. Like the old saying goes "Anger destroys the vessel carrying it, not the one it is aimed at." or "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies."
Forgiveness is not: contigent on repentance from the person who hurt you. You can stop holding hatred and pain in your heart, even if that person is never sorry.

Forgiveness is to set YOU free. Whether the other person is "free" is up to them (did they repent? have they changed their behavior?). They may never be "free", but you can be.

Forgiveness is not: saying "what you did is ok."
Forgiveness is: saying you have taken too much already. I will not allow what you did to take one more minute of my life or thoughts.

That being said, forgiveness DOES NOT mean you have to allow that person to be in a position to ever hurt you again. If someone hurt you, you can forgive but still keep boundaries to keep you safe. It is possible to forgive and STILL not allow that person in your life. If someone has shown they are a pedophile, you may have forgiven them but it is foolish to put them in a position where they have access to children. If someone has embezzeled, it is foolish to put them in charge of the finances. Someone may be forgiven, but that does not mean there are no further consequences for their action (ie: job restrictions, etc).

ETA: Forgiveness is not usually a "one time deal". It is a process. In my case, I had to forgive over and over and remind myself I was forgiving that person.

bbm

Beautiful post!

I want to add my experience with forgiveness: it doesn't come without a struggle. As MidwestMama says, it's process, it takes time and a lot of strength and courage to forgive. I don't believe for one minute that a human soul is able to forgive a murderer within 2 days of their daughter being murdered - nor should they. It's false.

I am absolutely stunned and horrified that the congregation KNEW his background and allowed him to be their pastor. Yes, Christianity says we should forgive (7x70 times) BUT that does not mean you have to allow that person to be in a position of trust or a position that gives him access to so many who MAY NOT know his past.
Forgive but set appropriate boundaries!
This congregation (or whomever of them were in a position to hire this pastor) really dropped the ball on their responsibilities IMO. Now a young woman is dead, a child is motherless and so many more are devestated.
He has proven OVER AND OVER he cannot control himself! KEEP HIM IN JAIL FOREVER!

As I mentioned earlier the church elder actually laughed and referred to his past murder charges as him having gone wayward, adding "This too shall pass". My feeling is they're trying to downplay the whole thing - probably feeling ashamed?

They should be screaming in anger and outrage, why aren't they?

agreed. Someone kills anyone I care for, I will never forgive. Hope never in that position.

This guy needs thrown to wild pigs ... He would fit right in.

I find that offensive to the wild pigs!

 

[Bravo]

Thanks for the updates everyone. Horrifying. And he found Victim 1 after he got out:what: So what did Whites Wife get. All she did was cover her up and walk away. Oh i know prolly nothing. No charges I'll bet :furious: Disgusting. And Rebekah was to be engaged sigh.....

 

[sadnpod]

Video (two) with 1980 victim who speaks out. WARNING: graphic

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kalamazoo_and_battle_creek/White-to-1st-victim-Are-you-dead-yet

Suspect in Rebekah Gay slaying avoided murder charge in Kalamazoo case because woman's body was decomposed

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/11/suspect_in_rebekah_gay_slaying.html

One more:

White served 12 years of his eight- to 15-year sentence.
In August 2009, White became pastor at the 14-member Christ Community Fellowship church in Mount Pleasant.

The church elder there told 24 Hour News 8 she believes White got his credentials to be a pastor while in prison. She also said she thinks he drove a semi-truck when he first got out of prison, but he does not have a commercial driver's license.

The church elder said they met White on a fluke. When they needed a locksmith, the brother of White's most recent victim Rebekah Gay did the job. He asked if they needed a pastor and mentioned that he knew a guy.

So the family knew him from '09 before he became the preacher. If we find out the mother was a pen pal to him when he was in prison..........I'll just SCREAM!!! Make sure you read the comments at the bottom!

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/central_mich/murder-suspect-john-white-criminal-history

OMG.. the first victim and her testimony should have been enough. His release has kept her terrified her entire life. I wonder how many unsolved cases he is responsible for. This case is just unbelievable.. horrifying and sickening.

 

[Elainera]

OMG.. the first victim and her testimony should have been enough. His release has kept her terrified her entire life. I wonder how many unsolved cases he is responsible for. This case is just unbelievable.. horrifying and sickening.

Wonder what else will be dug up.

Has anyone been successful establishing where he lived prior to this murder? I only found Galestown (sp?) for the previous murder. Where was he between 1983 and 1994, and between his release in Feb 2007 and his arrival in this town in 2009?

 

[Tinsamd]

Thanks for the updates everyone. Horrifying. And he found Victim 1 after he got out:what: So what did Whites Wife get. All she did was cover her up and walk away. Oh i know prolly nothing. No charges I'll bet :furious: Disgusting. And Rebekah was to be engaged sigh.....

Watching Teresa Morris tell her story was so incredibly hard to watch. Hearing that he only served 2 years for that horrid attack, even harder. Knowing that at least 2 more woman died, (of course probably more) including poor Rebekah Gay must haunt her daily because justice was never served. The system failed. That has to be so difficult. Not only surviving an attack of that sort, but knowing others died thereafter.

This sick never should have been let out of jail to begin with. People convicted of drug charges serve longer sentences.

Going out on a limb here, & please feel free to disagree with me, but I am wondering if his wife's actions at the time may have saved Teresa's life. If he thought Teresa was dead, he would not continue to harm her. Just a thought. Wondering if it may have been a friend of the wife's that discovered the situation & called police. Wondering if she invited that friend over to expose him. Possibly she was just as afraid of him?

RIP beautiful Rebekah Gay. This never should have happened to you.

 

[fabvab]

I've wondered a lot if Rebekah's mother knew about his past. I assume she must have known if the church knew. That is something that I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around.

To date someone with a past like White's is bad enough. But to let him around your daughter and grandchild! I also wonder if White's past is new news to her fiance.

Please correct me if I am wrong about her mother knowing his past.

 

[fabvab]

Watching Teresa Morris tell her story was so incredibly hard to watch. Hearing that he only served 2 years for that horrid attack, even harder. Knowing that at least 2 more woman died, (of course probably more) including poor Rebekah Gay must haunt her daily because justice was never served. The system failed. That has to be so difficult. Not only surviving an attack of that sort, but knowing others died thereafter.

This sick never should have been let out of jail to begin with. People convicted of drug charges serve longer sentences.

Going out on a limb here, & please feel free to disagree with me, but I am wondering if his wife's actions at the time may have saved Teresa's life. If he thought Teresa was dead, he would not continue to harm her. Just a thought. Wondering if it may have been a friend of the wife's that discovered the situation & called police. Wondering if she invited that friend over to expose him. Possibly she was just as afraid of him?

RIP beautiful Rebekah Gay. This never should have happened to you.

I certainly hope that White's wife who covered up Teresa after the brutal attack received some prison time. I can't give the wife a free pass for being afraid of White. She could have called the police instead of covering Teresa up with a sheet.

What an injustice to Rebekah, to Teresa and to Vicky...and to all the extended family members.

 

[Bravo]

I do hope these reporters stay on this and keep digging. I think there is much more to White :moo:

 

[sadnpod]

http://www.woodtv.com/generic/news/john-white-rebekah-gay-timeline

 

[sadnpod]

With a generic name like he has, its really hard to sleuth out addresses. UGH. I hope LE is having better success. I have no doubt he is responsible for much more carnage..

 

[swanniee11]

With a generic name like he has, its really hard to sleuth out addresses. UGH. I hope LE is having better success. I have no doubt he is responsible for much more carnage..

I would hope so. Shouldn't he have been on Probation or something as well? After hearing the poor womans TRAGIC ordeal and knowing he continued to do this, HUGE fault with the justice system. I'm still so upset this took place. As for his 12/14 memeber church thing, HINKY METER all the way. IMO:furious:

 

[Bravo]

So many facts surrounding Victim 1 confusing. White indicates he is going to sexually abuse her with his comment about "A nice piece of meat" etc. Yet he doesn't? The Wife covers her up and tells her to Shut up. Was it to save her? Or did she want her to just die? I wonder if the wife came home with the friend and that halted his plan? So many details left out. White was only 22 then. Lot of years he had when out of jail. Where was he?

 

[Tinsamd]

I certainly hope that White's wife who covered up Teresa after the brutal attack received some prison time. I can't give the wife a free pass for being afraid of White. She could have called the police instead of covering Teresa up with a sheet.

What an injustice to Rebekah, to Teresa and to Vicky...and to all the extended family members.

What I meant was if the wife covered Teresa up with a sheet so that he would not see that she was still alive. The police seem to have been called shortly thereafter. Of course no free pass. But it's possible. (Only my opinion). Can you imagine walking in on a situation like that? Who knows the entirety of the circumstances involved.

Horrible injustice to all & to all of the unknown victims as well.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

November 3, 2012 at 1:00 am

Mid-Michigan pastor charged in sex fantasy killing

Suspect accused of killing neighbor had prior convictions

By Associated Press

Broomfield Township — Congregants of a small mid-Michigan church were shocked this week when their 55-year-old pastor was arraigned on charges of beating and strangling a neighbor to fulfill a sexual fantasy.

John D. White was arraigned Thursday in Mount Pleasant on first-degree murder charges and jailed without bond.

The ex-convict told investigators that after killing 24-year-old Rebekah Gay in her trailer in rural Isabella County early Wednesday, he hid her body in nearby woods then returned to the trailer to dress her 3-year-old son in a Halloween costume, ready for the boy's father to pick him up.

White told investigators he repeatedly struck Gay's head with a mallet then strangled her with a zip tie, said the Isabella County Sheriff's Office. He said he stripped her but does not remember if he carried out his fantasy of having sex with Gay's dead body...

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121103/METRO/211030340#ixzz2BAo9drm7

 

[Elainera]

With a generic name like he has, its really hard to sleuth out addresses. UGH. I hope LE is having better success. I have no doubt he is responsible for much more carnage..

On this website: intelius.com they list several John Douglas White in Michigan in the age bracket 50-60. One fits his exact age and his former residence, Galesburg. Another residence for this person is given as Augusta, MI.

There are other locations listed for people with this name but not an exact age fit. There are also several John D White.

Maybe someone likes to have a look, just put his name and Michigan into the search boxes on the page and look at the results. Age, location, education and relatives are public info, for more details one has to pay. Note that the age isn't always accurate, so you can't dismiss an entry just because it says age 57 or 52, it could still be him if other details match.

But he could also have lived in other states ...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Just when I thought that no case could be worse than the case I've been following (NY nanny stabs to death two children),
I stumbled upon this one. Everything about this case is sickening and unforgivable.

God does not forgive everything. No, he doesn't.

~ "God is fair;" Hebrews 6:10

~ "Surely you know that the people who do wrong will not inherit God's kingdom. Do not be fooled." 1 Corinthians 6:9

~ "The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil." Matthew 13:41

I hope it's alright that I posted the above reminders for those, like me, who need them and believe them.

"Forgive the sinner but not the sin."

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

this would be the result of a culture based on a misogynist patriarchy. women and children are not as valuable as (white) men and boys. and their pain just does not register or matter. there is a deep seated fear of women's sexual power at the root of this, and therefore crimes against their sexuality and their ability to bear children (and their actual children) are sort of condoned in the system.

If Rebekah's child had been a girl, is it possible that JW might have murdered her, too?