MS - Sr. Margaret Held & Sr. Paula Merrill, murdered, Durant, 25 Aug 2016 *Arrest*

[fred&edna]

$22,500 reward offered in case of murdered Mississippi nuns

http://wreg.com/2016/08/26/missing-car-of-murdered-mississippi-nuns-found/

 

[Cryptic]

Warren Strain, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, says the blue Toyota Corolla was found abandoned on a secluded street barely a mile from where Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill were found dead Thursday.

To me that says the killers lived in the neighborhood. I am going to guess it was 2 teenage neighborhood men/boys.

Good point. If it was two teenagers, I doubt both can keep secrets. Rather, they will tell somebody sooner than later.

I am also thinking of this possibility:

Not only did the nuns not have any valuables, but they would not have resisted a burglary. They might not even report one, so long as nobody got hurt and the persons left upon being noticed. My guess is that not only did every loser in the neighborhood know that burglarizing the clinic was not worth their time, but actually robbing elderly nuns does not do one's "street creds" any good. This could reduce the chances of it being two young attackers with an economic motive.

Stabbing might suggest a more personal motive. The nuns ran a health clinic and also did counceling. The murderer might have gone to the clinic regularly and hoped that the nuns could help him obtain prescription drugs for his habit. He then flies into a rage when then nuns can't, or won't provide the demanded drugs. Likewise, he could also be a disturbed individual who regularly sought counceling from the nuns, then suddenly attacks them for reasons that only he can understand.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

I suppose, being one of the poorest areas in the state, robbery could have been the motive.

I'm sure both of these women would have given them anything of monetary value

ITA. How deplorable. The world has gone mad!

 

[ALansby]

Sadly, I see robbery and drugs in the past/present of both of the perpetrators...this is beyond tragic.

 

[Willow Knight]

Sadly, I see robbery and drugs in the past/present of both of the perpetrators...this is beyond tragic.

Agree. Drugs. Horrible loss to many people that depended on their help. RIP sisters.

 

[Flatbush]

I am hoping there is a good investigating team there, I am not familiar with the area. I pray they catch those responsible.
So much violence, I just want to shut my door and never leave. Never used to be this way. So very very sad.

Sent from my VS810PP using Tapatalk

 

[kkricket]

There was an arrest!

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/nati...-Slaying-of-2-Mississippi-Nuns-391479251.html

 

[Jax49]

There was an arrest!

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/nati...-Slaying-of-2-Mississippi-Nuns-391479251.html

Thank you for posting this; so glad to see there was an arrest. Another version has a pic of the suspect, but nothing else new.

Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, was charged with two counts of capital murder "after an exhaustive interview" Friday night, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...pital-murder-killing-mississippi-nuns-n638651

 

[Elley Mae]

Authorities have not said how the women were killed, but the Rev. Greg Plata of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Lexington, where the nuns had led Bible study for years, said police told him they were stabbed.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-08-27-04-08-38

 

[Cryptic]

Thank goodness for the arrest. One of the police statements seems to suggest that robbery might not be the motive. One thing that strikes me is how even the most experienced can still fall victim to violence.

The murdered nuns had been doing this work for thirty years. They were not doing this mission on a lark while ignoring dangers. I have worked with a variety of non cloistered nuns and friars in poor areas over the years. Whether they wore habits (religious conservative groups) or they did not wear habits (religious progressive groups), they were all very pragmatic and very good judges of human nature. All of them were very observant regarding people and environments. Their vows of poverty probably help- cant buy a lot of distractions, so they observe and interact with people all the time.

These victims had a very good feel for who was dangerously disturbed, verse who was simply had mental issues, who was a dangerous addict and who was just dazed and confused and who was criminally dangerous verse who is just a small time pilferer / street hustler. Yet, despite this experience, they still fell victim to a horrible crime. It is just awful.

 

[MsArk]

Here is a link with a photo of the suspect.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.nbcn...illing-mississippi-nuns-n638651?client=safari

 

[fred&edna]

From links:

"Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation," Lt. Colonel Jimmy Jordan said in the statement.

AND

"Their stolen car was found abandoned a mile from their home, and there were signs of a break-in, but police haven't disclosed a motive."

Would it seem reasonable to assume he could have been a patient at the clinic where the sisters' worked?

 

[Elley Mae]

From links:

"Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation," Lt. Colonel Jimmy Jordan said in the statement.

AND

"Their stolen car was found abandoned a mile from their home, and there were signs of a break-in, but police haven't disclosed a motive."

Would it seem reasonable to assume he could have been a patient at the clinic where the sisters' worked?

bbm, First I have seen this word used this way. jmo idk

 

[fred&edna]

Anyone know if Sanders has ties to Gulfport, MS??

 

[Elley Mae]

Their stolen car was found abandoned a mile from their home, and there were signs of a break-in, but police haven’t disclosed a motive.

http://wkrn.com/2016/08/27/man-faces-2-capital-murder-charges-in-mississippi-nun-deaths/

The nuns were found by authorities during a welfare check after they didn’t show up for work.

http://nbc4i.com/2016/08/25/2-nuns-stabbed-killed-in-mississippi/

bmm

 

[Cryptic]

Would it seem reasonable to assume he could have been a patient at the clinic where the sisters' worked?

Maybe, but maybe not.

The clinic was in a nearby town. Furthermore, some of the nuns that I have worked with, including Mother Theresa's group, must be fully accessible to the poor. That means, they keep an "open house" and will receive people in the front part of their home during visiting hours. These hours range from the morning to the evenings, and even at night- though not too late.

From what I have seen, such nuns get a number of such drop by visitors seeking a variety of assistance (and probably a few scammers) , prayers, others drop off donations, or are just lonely and wanting to talk to somebody. Thus, the perpetrator could well from the neighborhood who had dropped by their home before.

 

[fred&edna]

During the course of the interview, agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation obtained enough information to charge Sanders.

MBI Director Lt. Col. Jimmy Jordan said Sanders was a person of interest early in the investigation. Authorities have not released information on how he was implicated or what his connection to Merrill and Held might have been.

"Right now there's really still a long way to go," Strain said. "We're holding off on saying anything else tonight. We just wanted everyone to know that he's off the street."



http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...charged-capital-murder-nun-slayings/89467046/

 

[GeeEm]

August 27, 2016
1:31 PM CDT

Authorities said late Friday night that Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, was developed as a suspect after "an exhaustive interview Friday evening."

Sanders is being held in an undisclosed detention center awaiting his initial court appearance.


http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...charged-capital-murder-nun-slayings/89467046/


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to fred&edna's link of the Clarion Ledger

 

[Lmustang89]

Hoping in prison he is very low on the totem pole for what he did

 

[colette]

I wonder if the women were targeted because they were nuns? Makes me think about Rev Carol Daniels.