By GARRY MITCHELL
Associated Press Writer
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Police believe a body found in a small-time evangelist’s home freezer is his wife and a mother of eight, and arrested him on a murder charge as he preached at a south Alabama church. Anthony Hopkins, 37, was being held in the Mobile County jail Wednesday awaiting a bond hearing and appointment of an attorney.
Police said no one reported 36-year-old Arletha Hopkins missing, even though she hadn’t been heard from in three years. The body was discovered covered in a freezer in a utility room during a police search of the home in Mobile after a relative of the preacher contacted police.
Mobile Police Chief Phillip Garrett said Hopkins was arrested Monday night at at a revival in Jackson, a town in rural Clarke County where he has roots. The pastor of Inspirational Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, Beverly Jackson, told reporters that Hopkins told her he was a single parent because his wife had died in childbirth.
Police awaited results of forensic tests to determine the cause of death, but Garrett said authorities believe it is Hopkins’ wife. The freezer was moved to a forensics lab.
Garrett said Anthony Hopkins, the father of six of the eight children, has been charged with rape and sodomy in a separate case involving the female relative and could face more charges related to another relative.
Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. said the children who lived with Hopkins – who ranged in age from 3 to 19 – have been taken into protective custody by the Department of Human Resources.
Garrett said the Hopkins children were home-schooled. He said Hopkins “kept to himself,” and apparently moved from place to place. Neighbors called him “Rev.” because he attended church so often, loading the children into a van.
Police said he preached at various churches and did not appear to be affiliated with a particular denomination.
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July 31st, 2008 at 12:47 am
I’d like to see how this fine gentleman explains this one.
Must’ve been too busy preaching the gospel, to get rid of the body.
The eye for an eye days are past, but can feel your sentiment, feel the same way concerning pedaphiles and those that would harm old folks.
IndependentConservative reply on July 31st, 2008 at 10:14 am :
Yes the eye for an eye days are past, but this is not a case of the church exercising judgement. This is a matter of government dealing with a violator of the laws of man. A violation of the laws of men and the fitting judgement for that. Romans 13 notes government has the sword to use again evil doers. If found guilty, Anthony Hopkins being sentenced to death would be 100% biblical.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:53 am
Cases such as these truly make me angry to the point of wanting to kill the perpetrator myself (yes, I know murder is wrong…). I saw this story a few days ago on cnn.com, and one aspect that immediatedly jumped at me was the line “Police said no one reported 36-year-old Arletha Hopkins missing, even though she hadn’t been heard from in three years.” This tells me that her “husband” was likely an abuser; evidentially keeping her from all manner of meaningful contact with the outside world, and keeping her literally barefoot and pregnant the entire time she was with him.
Another piece this article does not mention was whether she had any family of her own (parents, siblings, extended relatives) and whether any of them were interviewed or had any inkling of what happened in that three year interim. Even as I am estranged from some people in my family, at least I still have contact with their respective next-of-kin to know if that person has “disappeared” or died.
If Alabama has a death penalty, it’s likely he will be found guilty of first-degree murder and other offenses and will be sentenced accordingly. Otherwise, this “person” will catch his ultimate penalty at the end of his life here.
IndependentConservative reply on July 31st, 2008 at 10:21 am :
Alabama carries out the death penalty via lethal injection, unless the person being executed request electrocution.
July 31st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Be sure to see the update to this post.