Here is the thing I was wondering about the Pastor somehow being the perp (just something that was theorized earlier by others)...
He's elderly. He's at least 67 or some sources say he's 77. Now I know that we can't rule someone out because of their age, but if this man was so inclined to be attracted to young girls, then certainly he would have had some kind of smoke from that fire...say at least other run-ins with the law. Considering he's been in Tracy since the 80's.
Another thing, I think I've read somewhere that as men of that inclination age, they tend not to offend as often.
He's not a likeable character but for some reason I'm having a hard time reconciling the murder of a child, stuffing that child into a suitcase and dumping her in a retention pond to a 77 yr old man.
I just don't know. Slater is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.