Satanic Marks On Burned Church -- N.C. Fire Suspect Is `A Very Troubled 13-Year-Old' Girl
Federal investigators, looking for evidence of a conspiracy in a wave of fires at Southern black churches, say satanic markings were seen on a North Carolina sanctuary before it was burned.
They say the 13-year-old suspect may have used the blaze as an anti-religious statement.
Mark Logan, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), said investigators were pursuing both angles, but he noted there is no evidence that the girl, who is white, is linked to any other church fires.
Meanwhile in Texas, three men were questioned yesterday about suspicious fires at two black churches. One of those fires was ruled arson today.
Cooperative suspect
In the North Carolina case, NBC News, quoting federal officials it did not identify, said the girl was suspected of being part of a devil-worshiping cult.
Logan said investigators were pursuing possible links between the fire and satanic markings seen at the church and nearby. He said the suspect may have been making an anti-religious statement with the fire.
But ATF spokesman Earl Woodham cautioned today against drawing from Logan's comments any conclusions that investigators had actually found evidence of satanic activities.
"We are going to look into it to see if there is any substance to it, but we will not confirm that there was any posting of satanic or other known graffiti on the church," Woodham said.
Logan was en route to Washington and could not be reached for additional comment.
While police refused to comment on the report, they acknowledged that investigators who specialize in racial and cult activity were questioning the girl.
"If there's any possibility that it's cult-related, they've got a very cooperative suspect who I am sure will tell them about it," said Capt. D.L. Skipper of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, who arrested the girl Sunday.
Added Deputy Chief Larry Snider: "This is a very troubled 13-year-old."
The fire destroyed a 93-year-old wooden sanctuary at Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday night. The old sanctuary was used to store old pews; the congregation worshiped at a newer building nearby.
Texas fire ruled arson
The ATF has been investigating 30 church fires since January 1995 and has declared five of those cases closed with arrests. Two weekend fires in Texas would bring the total to 32.
In Greenville, Texas, about 40 miles northeast of Dallas, the New Light House of Prayer was heavily damaged late Sunday night. Another fire moderately damaged the Church of the Living God a mile away.
The New Light House of Prayer fire was ruled arson, ATF agent Steven Steele said today. Samples were sent to a laboratory for tests, but it will take a couple of weeks to determine what accelerant was used, he said.
Two white men and a Hispanic man, charged with alcohol-related crimes, were questioned about both fires, although the second blaze was reported three hours after their arrest. Fire Chief Robert Wood called the fires "acts of local vandalism."
Authorities would not say whether they thought the fires were racially motivated. But Greenville officials said "KKK" was spray-painted on a wall at a car wash early Sunday and carved into greens at a golf course, and the men would be questioned about those incidents as well.
In Washington, the White House said President Clinton will go to Greeleyville, S.C., tomorrow to visit the site of the Mount Zion AME Church, which burned in June 1995.
And Rep. Jim Lightfoot, R-Iowa, chairman of a House appropriations subcommittee, said today he will try to get ATF a supplemental appropriation of $12 million to investigate the fires. He said the legislation would be introduced next week and brought to the floor next month.
Money to rebuild
Also, the National Council of Churches announced a $2 million fund-raising campaign to help rebuild burned churches, many of which were underinsured or uninsured.
The organization's general secretary, Joan Brown Campbell, complained that the government has not acted fast enough to investigate possible racist motives or involvement by white supremacist groups.
Federal investigators said no conspiracy has been found, but nothing has been ruled out.
"We would be nuts not to be looking at a larger conspiracy as one of the possible explanations of what's going on," said James Johnson, assistant treasury secretary for enforcement.
"There's clearly a very troubling pattern, and we are clearly determined to get to the bottom of it."