NEW: LA Church Killing over Graffiti

From: Seattle PI

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The service was in full swing at the storefront church near downtown when a parishioner spotted a woman spraying graffiti on the building. He told her to stop, and she shoved him to the ground. Two other congregants rushed to his aid.

One of them met his death when a gunman stepped out of a waiting car and opened fire, killing the 25-year-old church deacon and wounding another worshipper.

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Texas Pastor Beaten to Death with Electric Guitar

From: EMS1.com

FOREST HILL, Texas — A pastor in suburban Fort Worth was killed Monday by an attacker who rammed a car into a church wall, chased the pastor and beat him with an electric guitar, police said.

Forest Hill police did not say why the unidentified suspect attacked the Rev. Danny Kirk Sr., the founding pastor of Greater Sweethome Missionary Baptist Church.

The suspect, who police subdued by using a Taser, died a short time after being taken into custody.

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Texas Man Killed Pastor At NorthPointe Baptist Church

From: Huffington Post

FORT WORTH, Texas — A man convicted of killing a North Texas pastor caused various problems while jailed after his arrest for the crime – including assaulting jailers – and had been committing offenses since he was a teenager, according to testimony Monday during the punishment phase of his trial.

Steven Lawayne Nelson, 25, is facing the death penalty or life in prison without parole for the suffocation death of the Rev. Clint Dobson at Arlington's NorthPointe Baptist Church in March 2011. Nelson also beat the church secretary before stealing her car and other items.

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Body Found Under Car at Tampa Church

From: Bradenton Herold

TAMPA, Fla. — Police are investigating after a body was found beneath a car in the parking lot of Christ the King Catholic Church in Tampa.The body was discovered early Thursday. The vehicle was parked directly in front of the church, which is on South Dale Mabry Highway.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/08/16/4160791/body-found-under-car-in-front.html#storylink=cpy

Note: The Republican National Convention will be taking place in Tampa this week.

Slaying of a Pastor at his Texas Church

"A convicted felon was arrested Saturday and faces a capital murder charge in the slaying of a pastor at his Texas church in an apparent robbery, police said.

Steven Lawayne Nelson, 24, was arrested at an apartment complex following a brief standoff with Arlington police, department spokeswoman Tiara Ellis Richard said. Nelson apparently had been staying in an apartment a few blocks away from the NorthPointe Baptist Church, where the Rev. Clint Dobson was found dead and his assistant was severely beaten Thursday."

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Pastor Found Murdered - Sunday

"A Chattanooga man and a teenager used a stick, vase and knife to torture to death a local pastor who would not reveal the PIN to his debit card, police said Monday.

They beat, stabbed and strangled the Rev. David Strong, pastor at St. Paul AME Church, and then hit him over the head with a vase and cut his throat, police said."

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Woman Beaten to Death inside of Church

"An 80-year-old woman was found dead inside Central United Methodist Church in Wynne, Ark...Wilson was at the church Sunday to pick up disaster relief buckets to take to another church, said church members. A person or persons came in, beat her to death and took her car, a silver Grand Marquis. "

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Man Convicted of Killing Toddler at Church

WHEATON, Minn. (AP) ―"A 50-year-old man was found guilty Wednesday of killing a toddler while swinging a baseball bat at her stepfather inside a church – a fight that prosecutors said stemmed from an argument over a $20 debt and home appliances...Collins confronted Hankins at the back of the church while Hankins was trying to seat his daughter and began swinging the bat over Hankins' head, the charges state. Hankins grabbed a metal chair and managed to stave off several blows, but one hit his daughter in the head above her right ear, the according to the complaint. "

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Update: David Collins, of Wheaton, Minn. waived his right to a jury trial and was convicted of unintentional second-degree felony murder and second-degree assault. He was acquitted of intentional second-degree murder. His sentencing is scheduled for June 21. - AP