Free rent in exchange for oral sex and possible clients as a male escort. That was the offer made by closeted anti-gay Bishop Robert Reaves to his roommate Steven Randolph. The former North Carolina Central University basketball player testifies he rejected Reaves' advances and prosecutors says Reaves stalked and brutally killed the man's girlfriend in revenge.
Hours after Randolph had his first sexual encounter with Latrese Curtis, Reaves asked him about his sexual habits and preferences and raised the possibility of his working for an escort service, according to testimony. "He asked me if I was a freak, as far as sexually," Randolph testified Thursday.
Randolph testified that in the fall of 2007 he did not immediately recognize the pastor's proposals as sexual advances toward him. But Randolph said once he realized Reaves' intentions, he told the pastor he was not homosexual or bisexual. Randolph told of an unusual string of events in the ensuing months: His girlfriend received phone calls from unidentified young men, threatening to end Randolph's aspirations of becoming a professional basketball player; his tires were slashed; and weeks later his girlfriend's tires were slashed outside her home. Prosecutors contend that Reaves slashed the tires, again in a jealous rage.
Investigators have additional evidence that Reaves, the former minister at the fundamentalist Cedar International Fellowship in Durham, made "unsuccessful advances toward other male friends and [also] took revenge on their girlfriends." Reaves has twice been charged with sexual misconduct with young boys.
Reaves is charged with first-degree murder. Other testimony reveals investigators found the murder weapon in Reaves' car and his DNA was found on the victim's steering wheel. The News & Observer adds: "Although defense lawyers did not lay out their case in opening statements, in their questioning they seem to be trying to piece together an argument that law officers got the wrong suspect."
You keep telling yourself that, "bishop".
The Reaves Trial on Rod 2.0:
Closeted Anti Gay Bishop on Trial for Revenge Murder
Opening Arguments in Trial of Closeted Anti-Gay Minister
It seems like homophobia left this guy thinking the only way to live his life was as some sort of Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde. The expectations he was raised with left him a twisted person.
Posted by: Larry-bob | 03 October 2009 at 22:07
This story becomes messier and messier. Such a tragedy and this man didn't deserve to be called a pastor.
Yeah and all the Bible thumpers and so called Christians who run to the Tonex posts stay away from thos.
Posted by: Face and Waist | 03 October 2009 at 22:14
this is really something. i mean, there are so many different angles to this story. my first question is how they met and became roommates. this is just too much. this is also the type of press that hurts our community b/c u know the haters will take a story like this and say see, this is how THEY do....i feel sorry for both of them, but if he killed that woman, he needs to pay for it.
Posted by: DbARR | 03 October 2009 at 22:36
it seems unlikely that these events happened before and no one knew.. I wonder if these are a a bunch of DL relationships gone wrong. We have all run into our share of psychos this one just happened to be a pastor..
Posted by: Darkdaone | 03 October 2009 at 22:59
This is some really crazy news. These phony hypocrites make me sick.
Posted by: Mel Smith | 03 October 2009 at 23:04
@ Dbarr: "this is also the type of press that hurts our community b/c u know the haters will take a story like this and say see, this is how THEY do"'
No they are not saying that at all. This man was closeted and leading a double life, an antigay pastor by day and freak by night. He had no contact with our community. This isn't what gay people do. This is what evil, closeted, confused angry men do. This is what the closet does.
Notice you NEVER hear stories like this in progressive denominations. The churches that are inclusive, welcome and accepting very rarely have these closeted weirdos. Only in the repressive churches like COGIC, Pentecostal, Baptist, Adventists, the evangelical denominations. And of course the Catholic Church.
I cannot tell you how many cases like this I have sen in COGIC. smh
Posted by: Former COGIC | 03 October 2009 at 23:37
@Darkdaone:
I think you are right. Others in his churches were covering up for him all these years. Church queens and other closeted pastors. Just an awful story.
Posted by: Rasheed | 04 October 2009 at 01:39
@ Larry-bob Roberts
Really good comment. I very much agree to a point.
At some point he did know he was leading a double life. And preferred his church status over being honest. It's hard be openly gay, but it's even harder to live a double life and live in the closet.
He did not have to be a minister in an antigay church. He did not have to condemn gay people and say we were going to hell and then get his freak on. And even if he were closeted, that does not mean you have to stalk and take revenge on men who reject you and their GFs. He could have always pastored a more progressive church and been more open with himself. Oh and Durham is like the most gay friendly city in North Carolina.
One more thing...this shows you how hypcritical these church people are. The bishop is a antigay and closted. The dead woman who attended his church (God rest her soul) was married and sleeping with the basketball trade who lived with the bishop. And the basketball trade had another GF. And straights talk about gays sleeping around?
Posted by: Danny Rivera | 04 October 2009 at 03:19
"If I can't have him, nobody can."
At least that's what appears to be Miss Reaves attitude about the whole thing.
This story is just sick.
Posted by: Chitown Kev | 04 October 2009 at 12:48
sometimes you become so enamoured with someone that you act stupid. When that happens you need to just remove yourself. The dude is hot so if you could not control yourself. remove yourself from the situation
We have all been there. He just went out of control
Posted by: Rik | 04 October 2009 at 12:53
This is a mess. And, I am sure we are going to learn more when the defense has it turn. I am willing to bet the police department failed to dig deep enough. Something tells me the basketball player and a few others are not as innocent as they pretend.
Posted by: Mitch | 04 October 2009 at 15:44
...how come the trade continued to live with the closeted pastor? ...I'll tell you why, because even though he claims he didn't realize the pastor was making sexual advances toward him, (and I can't say 100% he's outright lying here), I DON'T believe him when he says this...I not only think he realized what was going on, but that also he could use it to his advantage without ever having to have sex with the pastor..this has been known to happen when a gay person decides to "room" with a straight person they have a sexual crush on, no?
Posted by: sonofabutch | 04 October 2009 at 15:47
Corruption always goes along with religion, regardless of the races or sexual orientations of the people involved. When will people learn to just say no to religion?
Posted by: libhomo | 04 October 2009 at 16:36
Ugh, what a creep, I wonder what he would have "offered" for something other than oral sex? these creeps are despicable, sit in that pulpit and twist the gospel and then turn out to be the biggest freak on the side and I don't mean sexually either.
Jail him for life this heinous crime, which is all on him and not anything else.
And, if he was fooling around with young boys as stated in the article, he is NOT a homosexual, he is a sick pedophile.
Posted by: Luther | 04 October 2009 at 17:06
@ RIK:
"We have all been there. He just went out of control"
Threatening phone calls, slashing tires, stalking a straight man's girlfriend and stabbing her to death because she "was in the way" is .. out of control?
That's psychotic and those are very serious crimes. Maybe you've been there. I haven't though. smh
Posted by: Danny Rivera | 04 October 2009 at 17:27
This is all so sad.
But I guess Juanity Bynum said it best "NO MORE SHEETS" and obviously as the church rage against us Gays the sheets are coming off in the church!
We haven't seen anything yet.
Posted by: MRCHOCOLATE615 | 04 October 2009 at 19:43
Steven Anderson is HOT!
There! I said it!
PS: And I'm sure he knew what was up and might have broken off the pastor a lil somethin...
Posted by: Faison | 04 October 2009 at 21:56
This story is so crazy that I don't have much more to add than the previous posters. You're all pretty much all on target. The only victim here is the young lady who brutally lost her life. This "Minister" chose to stay in a hateful church, preach hate and act in the most hateful way possible.
This is definitely a future episode of "Law and Order:SVU".
Posted by: mjolnir202 | 05 October 2009 at 02:17
ammm... I have never been there RIK. If the feeling is not mutual then Im stepping. No love = no roomimg, no car, no money, no nothing. At this stage in my life I am also not down with the closeted metro, bi, gay for pay or Buy sexuals... so although I admit thjat this playa is PHOINE I aint interested if he aint playing the game my way!
Posted by: nahtans | 05 October 2009 at 03:32
I know this is awful, but I'm going to say it anyway:
What a great screenplay for Mechad Brooks and Tyler Perry.
"No, Miss Perry, you can't play the basketball player."
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | 05 October 2009 at 08:59
Something here is very off. I don't believe Mr. Randolph's allegedly rejection of Reaves sexual advances. It sounds like something sexual did occur between him and Reaves, but he won't admit in court because everybody will know...
Posted by: kayman | 05 October 2009 at 11:34
Sorry not buying it. They were messing off with each other. Even if it was just oral. There was soemthing going on...
Posted by: justsoukno | 05 October 2009 at 11:57
I honestly can't understand the logic behind Randolph getting a gun for his protection. Why not just MOVE OUT OF THE HOUSE? If you (and at this point, at least the Cousin that gave him the gun knew) knew that your old ass perverted roomie was trying to get at you, why not move out?
Why is MURDER the best solution? Didn't he have any friends who would let him crash on the couch, considering the EXTREME circumstances (having a male roomie trying to get at you)? I don't buy this for one minute. Most straight men I know would be like "hell naw, I'm getting outta this faggot's house." The reality is that this is just how homophobic brothers pretend to be. Most black men don't want other people to even SUSPECT that they hang out with a gay man, yet alone knowingly LIVE with a guy who has hit on you. Randolph stayed and got a gun instead? Not logical. He couldn't have been THAT POOR and without ANY FRIENDS who would let him crash on the sofa for a minute while he got a new place to stay. I am not buying it; Sell that bridge to someone else.
Posted by: Trashelle Knowles | 06 October 2009 at 08:29