Volunteers Search for Mary Denise Lands

September 28, 2009

Teams of volunteers from several states gathered in south-central Michigan this past Saturday to search for Mary Denise Lands, a 39-year-old woman who went missing in 2004. The weekend search marks the fourth time in recent months that volunteers have searched areas throughout Albion and Marshall, both of which are towns in Calhoun County.

Although community volunteers were sparse, several professional search groups – Track Missing, Destiny Search Services from Erie, Pennsylvania, K-9 ONE Search and Rescue from Michigan, Indiana K9 Search and Recovery and Kent County Search and Rescue – were all on scene assisting in the search. In addition, two members from the Doe Network, Tony Evelina and Joanne Russell, made the 14-hour trip from NY State to join in the effort.

"It was a long trip," Evelina said. "We drove straight here and then went out in the field on zero sleep, but we didn't think twice about it. I can sleep anytime. The possibility of bringing closure to this family is way more important."

Members of the local group Track Missing oversaw the search effort, while teams from both K9 groups spread out in several rural areas. Additionally, members from Kent County SAR conducted thorough grid searches and members of Destiny Search Services used high-resolution underwater cameras to peer into abandoned wells. While nothing of interest was found during the search, it was not for lack of effort.

"The problem with this case is that it is over five years old," Walter Perkowski, a search coordinator with Destiny Search Services, said. "Areas that were easily accessible in 2004 are not necessarily accessible now. We had aerial maps from the time period that, in some instances, showed field clearings and things of that nature from when Mary went missing but they are entirely overgrown now. It was a challenge for all the groups, but they did their best and were able to rule out the majority of the locations that were searched. DSS was specifically asked to rule out some wells, and we were able to do that."

In addition to the community volunteer and professional search groups, Mary's parents, Cliff and Anita Marshall, were also present at the command center to show their support of the search.

"We couldn't not be here," Cliff Marshall said. "These people were good enough to come out here to look for our daughter, so we needed to be here with them."

Despite the fact that no finds were made during the search, Mary's mother said that it did not deter their hope that Mary would someday be found.

"It is in God's hands," Anita Marshall said. "When he wants Mary found, she will be. In the meantime, we won't give up and will continue to search for her."

Interestingly, one of the items found during the search was the remnants of a balloon that was launched two years ago during a vigil for Mary. While the item was not relevant to the case, it did bring a smile to Mary's parents.

No further searches will be conducted for Mary this year; however, plans are being made for future efforts. According to Perkowski, DSS would like to return next year with sonar equipment to check local waterways.

In the meantime, everyone will continue to hope that Mary is found soon.

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Human Skeletal Remains Found in Upstate NY

A fisherman in Cattaraugus County, NY, made a gruesome discovery Saturday afternoon when he stumbled upon human skeletal remains along the edge of the Allegheny Reservoir.

According to a source close to the investigation, a skull and miscellaneous bones were recovered from the scene. No word yet on who they belong to; however investigators have said that they appear to have been there for "quite some time."

No missing persons have been reported in Cattaraugus County, but the remains are located roughly 20 miles from the home of Corrie Anderson, a mother of three from Ashville who went missing in October 2008.

Authorities say it could take several days for an identification to be made. Forensic specialists from Erie, Pennsylvania are expected to assist in that process.

Related Link:
Investigation Discovery: Full Coverage: Corrie Anderson

Photo Credit: Getty

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Verdict Announced in Rekha Kumari-Baker Murder Trial

September 22, 2009

Last week I brought you the story of Rekha Kumari-Baker, a 41-year-old woman from the United Kingdom who recently went on trial for the 2007 murders of her two teenage daughters. The jury finished its deliberations in the case, and a verdict was announced yesterday.

During the two-week trial, prosecutors told the Cambridge Crown Court jury how Kumari-Baker murdered 16-year-old Davina Michelle Baker and 13-year-old Jasmine Baker in cold blood on the morning of June 13, 2007. Prosecutor John Farmer said that Kumari-Baker had launched a "frenzied" attack on the girls while they slept, stabbing them multiple times.

Farmer told the jury that Kumari-Baker killed her daughters because she was unhappy over the custody arrangement she had with her ex-husband. She disliked his new partner, and she resented the close relationship he had with the girls. The murders were, according to Farmer, intended to "wreak havoc in [David Baker's] life."

Kumari-Baker's lawyers did not attempt to deny she had killed her children. Instead, they argued that she suffered from a mental abnormality, which diminished her responsibility. They hoped she would be found guilty of nothing more than manslaughter.

The jury in the case deliberated for just 35 minutes yesterday before announcing that they had unanimously found Kumari-Baker guilty on both counts of murder.

During today's sentencing hearing, Farmer read extracts from a victim impact statement that was written by the girl's father, David Baker. It read in part:

"My words may not be sufficient. Having them taken away from me in such a brutal way and by the woman who was their mother has had an incalculable effect. I am haunted by the horror of the events of that night and probably will remain so for a long time."

Click here to continue reading this story >

David Lohr to Join Search for Mary Denise Lands

David Lohr will be joining several search and recovery groups, including Track Missing and Destiny Search Services, in Marshall, Michigan this coming weekend to help search for Mary Denise Lands.

Mary is a 39-year-old resident of Marshall who mysteriously disappeared on March 12, 2004.

The organized search will be held on Sept. 26, 2009. For more information, please visit: trackmissing.org.

Related Link:
The mysterious disappearance of Mary Denise Lands

Controversial Cadaver Sex Show

September 17, 2009

It could be coming to a neighborhood near you!

Since 1995, German anatomist Gunther von Hagens has managed to generate both curiosity and controversy with his traveling Body Worlds exhibition, which showcases preserved human bodies and body parts. Now von Hagens is attempting to up the ante by posing the corpses in sexual positions, a move that is being protested in some countries.

Born in Skalmierzyce in 1945, von Hagens spent much of his youth in East Germany and later moved to Greiz, where he remained until his late teens. Von Hagens enrolled at the University of Jena in 1965. Following a brush with the law, von Hagens continued his medical studies in Lubeck, and in 1975, he received a doctorate from the University of Heidelberg.

In 1977, von Hagens invented a plastination technique used to preserve specimens for medical study. Von Hagen's Web site, bodyworlds.com, describes the process:

"In order to make a specimen permanent, decomposition must be halted.… By removing water and fats from the tissue and replacing these with polymers, the Plastination process deprives bacteria of what they need to survive. Bodily fluids cannot, however, be replaced directly with polymers, because the two are chemically incompatible.… Water in the tissues (which comprises approximately 70% of the human body) and fatty tissues are replaced with acetone, a solvent that readily evaporates. In the second step, the acetone is replaced with a polymer solution.… A specimen is placed in a vacuum chamber and the pressure is reduced to the point where the solvent boils. The acetone is suctioned out of the tissue at the moment it vaporizes, and the resulting vacuum in the specimen causes the polymer solution to permeate the tissue. This exchange process is allowed to continue until all of the tissue has been completely saturated."

Von Hagens initially used the plastination process to preserve small specimens; however, in the early 1990s, he began to plastinate whole bodies. Later, during the mid-1990s, Von Hagens developed the Body Worlds exhibit. Since that time, his specimens have been displayed at dozens of museums throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The exhibits generally include about 25 whole-body plastinates, both human and animal, in various positions.

"We want to present to the public a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of the various systems of the body," von Hagens is quoted as saying on the bodyworlds.com Web site.

The exhibits have been an obvious success, drawing nearly 30 million visitors to date; however, they have also caused a lot of controversy, resulting in laws being passed in the UK, Czech Republic, France and United States. Most of the laws control the transportation, sale, display and documentation of the human remains.

According to von Hagens, the bodies that he plastinated were donated, with each individual giving an informed consent. Despite these claims, in Jan. 2004, the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that von Hagens had acquired corpses of executed prisoners from China. Von Hagens denied the allegations, and in 2004, he obtained an injunction against the magazine.

"I have never plastinated the bodies of executed persons, for, based on my ethical convictions, I disapprove of using such bodies for anatomical purposes," Dr. von Hagens said in a press release.

In addition to von Hagens' statements, an independent review of his practices that was launched by the California Science Center found that von Hagens was committed to ethical practices.

The center's report stated, "In March – April 2004, Dr. [Hans-Martin] Sass traveled to the Body Worlds' offices in Germany (Institut fuer Plastination [IfP] in Heidelberg) where he had extensive conferences with principal IfP staff, and reviewed body donor consent documentation. In addition he visited the Body Worlds exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. On behalf of the Science Center, Dr. Sass reviewed all deceased body donor consent forms (206), matched the donor forms with death certificates, verified that the body specimens were properly donated for the purpose of public exhibition, and verified that the donor forms met established informed consent standards."

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The Missing – A Weekly Exposé of Lost Souls – Issue #36

September 16, 2009

The mysterious disappearance of Mary Denise Lands

In this edition of "The Missing," we revisit the disappearance of Mary Denise Lands, a 39-year-old resident of Marshall, Michigan, who went missing in 2004.

The mystery into Mary's disappearance began on March 12, 2004. According to her live-in fiancé, Christopher Luke Pratt, he and Mary got into an argument at about 10:30 that night and she left their apartment, located in the vicinity of the 1200 block of Arms Street, to "cool off." Mary left behind her purse, cell phone and car keys and was wearing only her medical scrubs and a brown leather jacket. She has not been seen since.

Residents of California, Mary's family was not immediately aware that she had gone missing. As a result, her disappearance was not reported until March 15.

When questioned by police, Pratt detailed the events of the night Mary went missing and told them that he had not reported her disappearance himself because it was not unusual for her to storm off during an argument. He said he was still expecting her to return.

Looking into Mary's background, police found no indication that she had been planning on leaving the area. In addition, her employers said she was not known to miss work and her bank accounts, which contained a substantial amount of money, had not been touched since the date of her disappearance.

A team of tracking dogs was brought in to retrace Mary's steps and they were able to successfully track her to a nearby hotel; however she had not formally checked in and there was no sign of her inside any of the rooms.

From the start, it was obvious to police that Mary was a victim of foul play. While they have been hesitant to call Pratt a suspect in her disappearance, they have called him a "person of interest." They have also labeled Mary's case a homicide,

"I'm personally very disgusted, I feel that people do have information in this case and it's very frustrating to me that more people are not coming forward with information and I would just like to ask the public if they know anything or if they are not sure if it's involved or related to the case at all that I would really like to know about it." Sgt. Scott McDonald from the Marshall Police Department said in an interview with WZZM 13 News.

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Did Aimee Louise Sword Rape Her Long Lost Son?

September 15, 2009

Police in Waterford Township, Mich., have accused 35-year-old Aimee Louise Sword, aka Aimee Pope, of sexually assaulting her biological teenage son, whom she reportedly put up for adoption over a decade ago. Since the reports first surfaced late last week, the mainstream media has had a field day examining details of the story; however, some of the "facts" in the case could be a bit skewed.

According to the majority of reports in the mainstream media and on the Internet, Sword "tracked down" her son on the Internet and then proceeded to "seduce" and "rape" him. That definitely makes good fodder for a ratings grab, but is it entirely true? According to a source close to the case, Aimee did not track down her son at all but was approached by a social worker and asked to get involved in his life because he was having a lot of problems. Which is true? At this point, who knows?

So what of the alleged rape? Unfortunately, we really don't know much about it. According to police, Child Protective Services contacted them late last year and informed them that an incestuous relationship had occurred between Sword and her son. Authorities have yet to provide any information about when or where the alleged incidents took place.

Sword's attorney told The Oakland Press that his client "maintains her presumption of innocence." Several of her friends are also standing by her, leaving several comments on the Internet. In one, which was quoted in an article by mlive.com, the author claims there is a lot more to the story than has yet to be revealed and that "putting an innocent woman through this is unjust."

An article at unfictional.com suggests that Sword was "coerced" and gave in "due to the feeling of guilt of having him put up for adoption." The same article quotes someone who claims to have known Sword and says she was "not sound of mind" and "somewhat of a smooth talk con person."

Experts are also busy weighing in on the case. In an interview with Myfoxdetroit.com, Gerald Shiener, chief of Consultation and Liaison Psychiatry at Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit, said, "Our first reaction to hearing about something like this is that this is every man's nightmare. It's an abomination. This could be his first sexual experience, and his first sexual experience could be something so conflicted, so unusual, so prohibited that it will stay with him for life."

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Rekha Kumari-Baker on Trial for Murder of Teen Daughters

September 14, 2009

One of the cases I covered for CourtTV in 2007 involved Rekha Kumari-Baker (photo here), a 39-year-old woman from the United Kingdom, who was arrested for allegedly stabbing her two teenage daughters to death as they slept. That case finally went to court earlier this month in Cambridge Crown Court. The jury is still hearing the evidence; however details that have since been released paint a very bleak picture of the events leading up to the girl's deaths.

On the morning of June 13, 2007, Kumari-Baker called a friend, Natalie Boyes-Bartlett - who also happens to be a police constable – and allegedly told her: "I've killed the kids. The children are dead."

Not long after the call, Boyes-Bartlett and a colleague, Sgt Jenny Johnstone, arrived at Kumari-Baker's three-bedroom home in Stretham. When they entered the home they discovered the bodies of 16-year-old Davina Michelle Baker and her sister, 13-year-old Jasmine, in an upstairs bedroom. Both of the girls had been stabbed repeatedly. Following the discovery of the bodies, police arrested Kumari-Baker on suspicion of murder. 

According to a 2007 online report by The Guardian, Detective Superintendent Jeff Hill described the murders as a "terrible, tragic situation," adding, "We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this inquiry."

Kumari-Baker and her husband, David Baker, had divorced in 2003. According to friends, Jasmine lived with her mother and Davina lived with her father.

In the wake of the girl's deaths, it was discovered that they had both created profiles on the social networking Web site Bebo.com. 

Using the screen name "lil-davvi" Davina wrote:

"My family means more than life its self to me, but I don't always show it … everything happens for a reason … Plenty of time to sleep when I die. Never look forward. Never look back. Have respect. Be a dreamer and believe. Jasmine is my number one."

On her own Bebo.com profile, Jasmine went by the screen name "THiis is Thee SHHIIZZLE du-de." She listed some of her likes as, "people, make-up, family, meeting people, being happy, child hood, imagination and life."

On June 10, 2007, Jasmine left the following unedited comment on Davina's Bebo.com profile:

"Missing youu. its soo gay. momz like why do i alwayz have to take you jasmine, why cant yur dad take you and all this bllaa bllaa bllaa. you know how it is. lovee you soo muchh and really want to see you.  Jaziixxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx w//b."

Davina then responded with her own comment to Jasmine's profile:

"u can cum dis weekend if mum will bring u or sumfin … see you soon.  i love you so much more that words can say."

Jasmine had left several other comments for her sister.  Many of them described her sadness regarding their separation—"I miss you soooooooooo muchhhhhh"—and in others she expressed her feelings: "I love you to so unbelivablyy much -- you know that."

She had also created a photo album on her profile, which included 26 photos of the two girls. One of the most touching is a photo of the girls holding hands, which they titled, "Will never let go."

So while it is obvious the girls had a solid relationship, what of their mother and what was the motive behind the murders? Those are two key questions that prosecutors have been addressing since the start of Kumari-Baker's trial.

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Top 10 Conspiracy Theories

Reality, Hoax, Myth?

Some sound far-fetched and crazy, whereas others might raise an eyebrow on even the most logical thinker. Regardless of the attraction, there is certainly no shortage of conspiratorial claims out there.

Click here to view the Top 10 Conspiracy Theories!

Disagree with our ranking? Then cast your vote at the end, and tell us who you think should be No. 1.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Missing Persons Group Celebrates 15 Years of Service

Center for Missing Persons to Hold Public Event with Prizes and Free Fingerprinting

Wilmington, N.C. – While it’s the CUE Center’s birthday, the all-volunteer missing person’s organization is giving a gift at a celebration this Saturday to mark the group’s 15th year of service working on the behalf of missing persons nationwide.

Monica Caison became a tireless advocate for the missing after being exposed to the families of missing persons at least three times before she was 25 years old. In 1994, she singlehandedly started the non-profit Community United Effort (CUE) Center for Missing Persons from a tiny back yard shed and a mere $76.00 dollars in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Now, the non-profit group, which is entirely funded by donations, has hundred’s of volunteers aiding the centers mission and receives calls for help from across the nation. CUE Center is proud of their all-volunteer network made up of more than 8,000 people and professional search groups — all of whom share the same goals: to find the missing, to advocate for their causes, and to support their families through what is often the most confusing and desperate times of their lives.

With direct experience working on the more than 8,700 cases that have passed through CUE organization, Mrs. Caison has become a nationally recognized authority on missing persons and dedicated advocate for the people they leave behind. She has been featured in Reader’s Digest, People magazine, and Larry King Live and has received national awards-in recognition for her work, to include cold cases of the missing.

The public is invited to join CUE’s volunteers for a birthday celebration with free fingerprinting, give-aways and a live drawing for a laptop computer donated by long-time CUE business sponsor Best Rentals of Wilmington.

WHERE:  Best Rentals 37 South Kerr Ave., Wilmington
WHEN:  Saturday, September 19, 2009
TIME:  12 – 4 p.m. (Laptop drawing will be held at 2:30 pm)

Photo Credit: Cue Center

New Bizarre Crime Articles

September 11, 2009

Asuncion Avila-Villa Indicted for Killing Baby to Avoid Underage Sex Detection

Asuncion Avila-Villa, 26, was indicted by a Butler County, Ohio grand jury at the end of last month for allegedly killing her infant son, 5-week-old Israel Eduardo Santos, purportedly to conceal the identity of the baby’s father, her underage lover...

Click here to read the whole story.

It's Not a Good Idea for a Man to Tell His Woman She's Fat

In April 2009, while enjoying a family meal at a restaurant in Barcelona, Spain, a woman's boyfriend told her several times that she was fat and that she should not eat any more food that evening.  He also purportedly told her that because she was fat, she would have to find herself another man.  When the couple returned home at approximately 3 a.m., the woman asked for an explanation of her boyfriend's comments and behavior during dinner.  However, he ignored her and went to bed—a big mistake...

Click here to read the whole story.

Help Texas Police Solve Mystery of the Dead Couple in the Park

Shortly before 8 a.m. today, walkers out for a morning stroll made the unnerving and macabre discovery of two dead bodies lying alongside a trail in Texas City's Bay Street Park.  According to Texas City, Texas police, the bodies were those of a black man and a white woman, and visitors to the park—who police did not identify—found them lying next to a picnic table.  Both victims were fully clothed, but each had been shot at least one time.  They both had also been beaten...

Click here to read the whole story.

Photo Credit: Discovery Communications

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Blog FYI

September 10, 2009

Hello Readers,

I just wanted to give you a quick FYI as to what I am up to and why I have not been posting.

For the last few days I have been working on a new fansite for our upcoming show The Bureau – a new series that matches the intensity, captures the innovation and experiences the human drama and the passion that defines the modern FBI.

So far I have put together a list of the FBI's top 10 cases and a quiz on the history of the FBI. Tomorrow, I will be working on one of the final phases of the project. The site should be up soon. I will provide you with a link once it is finished.

That being said, please check out Gary C. King's latest article on China's new death mobile. Click here to read that story.

I look forward to providing you with the latest happenings in true crime beginning again next week. Until then, have fun and stay safe!

Regards,

David

Photo Credit: Discovery Communications

Kelly Currin Morris – One Year Later

September 03, 2009

One year ago today, Kelly Currin Morris, a 28-year-old mother of two, vanished from her Stem, N.C., home. Despite an ongoing police investigation and multiple large-scale searches, Kelly has yet to be found. The reality of the situation is all too familiar for her friends and family members. Time, in this case, does not heal all wounds. Instead, it eats away at one's very soul, overshadowing all hope and replacing it with a sorrow that, no matter how hard one may try to ignore, simply won't go away.

"It has been a terribly frustrating year," Kelly's step-mother, Juanita Currin, said in an interview with Investigation Discovery. "Not only with Kelly's disappearance, but also in doing what is right for our family and children. I think that, while a lot of our focus has been on the search effort and continuing to keep the story out there, our efforts have also been to make sure her children are ok.  The balance is difficult. I don't think any of us thought when this happened that it would go on this long. Initially, I was thinking no more than a week or two. Never in our wildest dreams did we think it would be a year."

Not only is the passage of time difficult, but, add to that the multitude of promising tips and discoveries that turn out to be nothing – such as the case with a recent discovery of human remains in a nearby county that turned out to be those of another missing person.

"Every time that happens, it all resurfaces – everything we have been through the last year," Juanita said. "We get our hopes up and then we are left disappointed. It's very sad when the best you can hope for is to find her remains. It is very emotionally draining to have close calls or potential finds."

In an effort to make sure the community does not forget Kelly, her family has scheduled a vigil for 7 p.m. tonight in the daycare lot of Creedmoor Baptist Church at 119 South Main St.

"We are going to have music, speakers, the reading of a poem and a dove release," Juanita said. "We are determined to keep the story out there and we are determined to follow up on anything we need to follow up on in our ongoing search. I understand from law enforcement there are still things that they are following up on, so that brings us a relief that the investigation is still fairly active."

Officials with the Granville County Sheriff's Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will not comment on the case, other than to say that it is an "ongoing investigation." The most recent developments occurred last month, when Superior Court Judge Robert H. Hobgood authorized the search of a Road Runner e-mail address that belonged to Kelly. What, if anything, was found in it remains unknown.

In regard to the ongoing search effort, search coordinator Al Mignacci says that, despite having searched every area within a 15 mile radius of Kelly's home, he is not yet ready to give up.

"We continue to revisit areas that have already been searched, while, at the same time, expanding into new, unexplored areas," Mignacci said in an interview with Investigation Discovery. "In addition to wilderness areas, we have also searched lakes and streams, and over 100 wells. We sonar the waterways, whereas, with the wells, we drop a camera down inside and check if there is any loose stuff down in there. We also have a probe we can use if they are not too deep."

Click here to continue reading this story >

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown on the Carol Daniels Murder Case

September 02, 2009

Yesterday, I brought you the story of Carol Daniels, a 61-year-old pastor who was recently found dead inside her Anadarko, Okla., church. According to police, the victim died as a result of "multiple sharp force injuries." It was also discovered that several wounds had been inflicted post-mortem – after she died. Perhaps most shocking of all, police say the killer had posed the victim's body in a "crucifix position." Hearing all these details might lead you to believe that there is much to interpret from the crime. However, according to Pat Brown, a well-known investigative criminal profiler, that may not be the case.

"It looks like [we have] a lot of information, but it actually leaves me with more questions than conclusions," Brown said in an interview with Investigation Discovery. "For example, the police say the body was staged, and if it was, the cross position obviously would correlate to her work as a minister. But, I can't determine if this is something to analyze until I am sure she really was in a cross position and that she didn't end up that way by accident. Sometimes detectives can see things in a way that the perpetrator didn't really have in his mind at all … Let's say we find her body was staged, laid out in the form of a cross. I would still need more details to determine if the guy hated Christians or he just hated this woman and laid her out that way to mock her."

So what about the fact that the victim was nude – does that tell us anything? According to Brown, it actually tells us very little.

"I can't say at this point if the killer had sexually assaulted her, removed her clothes to destroy evidence, or just wanted to own a nice religious frock," she said.

In regard to the victim's post-mortem wounds, Brown says those too are in question.

"These wounds could be post-mortem or they could be ante-mortem [made just before death]. The person who wrote [the report] didn't analyze the wounds properly. They could be perimortem, meaning happening at the time of death and getting us a bit confused. When the wounds occurred does make a difference in determining what kind of character we are dealing with … If the slash wounds are post-mortem, this shows a level of rage, a 'ha-ha, I did you in and I can destroy you even more after death. You can't stop me.' But what does the rage come from? Did she tick the killer off the week before? Or did she just make him mad fighting off a rape or robbery?"

In an effort to catch the killer, Brown says that it is of the utmost importance to look at the victim's lifestyle, personal and business relationships and her daily routine.

"Victimology must be done," Brown said. "Who is this pastor? Who does she know? What is her routine? Who came to her church? Did she carry money? Did she help drug users and homeless men? What kind of people were in the area and who did she serve?"

Click here to continue reading this story >

Slain Oklahoma pastor, Carol Daniels, was posed in 'crucifix position'

September 01, 2009

Police in Anadarko, Okla., have issued shocking new details about the murder of a local pastor. Newly released documents report that the victim, 61-year-old Carol Daniels, was not only brutally attacked and murdered. She also received multiple post-mortem injuries before the perpetrator posed her nude body in an unnatural position.

According to police documents, authorities received a call on the afternoon of Aug. 23, asking them to come to the Christ Holy Sanctified Church. The callers, an elderly couple, said they were concerned because the reverend's vehicle was parked out front, but the doors to the church were locked. Their repeated knocking on the door went unanswered, and they feared that the reverend might have had an accident.

When officers entered the building, they were shocked to discover Daniels' nude and battered body lying behind the church altar, stretched out in a "crucifix position."

 "I've prosecuted over 50 murders, [and] this is the most horrific crime scene I've ever witnessed," District Attorney Bret Burns told the Associated Press.

Video surveillance footage retrieved from a nearby store shows that Daniels arrived at the church at about 10 a.m. Unfortunately, the footage does not show her attacker entering or leaving the church, suggesting that he or she entered through a back door. As a result, authorities have removed the back door from the building in an attempt to recover the perpetrator's fingerprints.

According to an eight-page medical examiner's report, Daniels died as a result of "multiple sharp force injuries." Severe lacerations were found on her back, chest, hands, neck and stomach. Several of the wounds had been inflicted post-mortem – after she died. The depth of the injuries to her throat had nearly decapitated her, whereas the injuries to her hands indicate that she had fought with her attacker. The autopsy report also noted that Daniels' hair was burned.

Daniels' clothes were not found at the crime scene, suggesting her killer took them either as a trophy or in an effort to hide possible evidence. In addition, chemicals found around Daniels' body suggest the killer attempted to destroy DNA evidence, perhaps to hide a sexual assault or to cover up injuries he or she could have sustained during the attack.

Authorities say they do not believe the murder is linked to a cult; however, they also admit that they do not know who is responsible.

"We have no suspects," Capt. Dwaine Miller of the Anadarko Police Department told Newsok.com. "We have no idea who did this."

In an effort to help track down the killer, Miller has requested the assistance of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI. Both agencies have declined to comment on the status of the investigation.

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