Former Pastor Kills Himself in Front of Deputy After Resisting Arrest for Alleged Child Sex Charges
A former North Carolina pastor shot himself in the head Saturday moments after authorities appeared at his home with arrest warrants related to alleged child sex offenses.
Michael Reece Mullis, 63, pastored Near Calvary Baptist Church in Concord, North Carolina, for 20 years and was wanted by police on two counts of indecent liberties with a child. Now, police are forced to close the case.
"The case is over. As far as for us, we'll never get to serve the warrants," said Maj. Gary Hatley with the Concord Police Department, reports Charlotte-based WSOC-TV.
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Mullis opened the door of his home to find police standing at his step ready to take him into custody. However, he reportedly excused himself to put on his shoes and was accompanied by an officer when he decided to go into the bathroom inside his bedroom instead.
Mullis attempted to slam the door shut but the officer was able to quickly open it. Mullis then turned a pistol on himself within seconds. Another deputy remained with Mullis' wife in another part of house while the suicide took place.
Mullis' alleged victim, who is now in her 20s, came forward with her story two years ago and is the only person to come forward to accuse him during the investigation. According to her story, Mullis sexually assaulted her for years when she was child, which ended in 2004. He abused her even during the time he was a pastor.
"I'm sure he knew because our investigators had talked to him about this incident," Hatley said. "Or attempted to talk to him anyway. He knows we were investigating."
Mullis resigned just three years ago as pastor, according to the current pastor of the church.
Near Calvary Baptist Church is currently under a new, undisclosed name and the current pastor notes that Mullis had not been affiliated with the new church since 2011.
In a similar case earlier this year, a former youth pastor from California who was under investigation for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old boy in Colorado also committed suicide.
Nicholas Henshaw was charged with sexual assault of a child by one in a position of trust and was expected to appear in court days after he was found dead.
