Rod 2.0:Beta #gay #news #lgbt #gaynews

VIDEO: Separate Trials for "Gay for Pay" Suspects in TN Pastor Slaying?

There are new developments in the murder of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga pastor who was brutally tortured and killed in October 2010. Last May, a Chattanooga jury indicted 17-year-old Brendan Barnes and his 26-year-old cousin Antonio Henry for first degree murder. Henry initially claimed the pastor made unwanted sexual advances. Henry later claimed that the pastor previously paid him for sex.

A judge ruled last February that Barnes will be charged as an adult. The two defendants blame each other for the murder and defense attorneys want separate trials. Hearings for seprate trials began last week.

Watch Newschannel 9's report AFTER THE JUMP ....

"District Attorney Bill Cox said Antonio Henry, 26, and his teenage cousin, Brendan Barnes, 'did the crime together' and should be tried together," reports The Republic, "Defense attorneys told Criminal Court Judge Don Poole that one trial would not be fair or practical because of conflicting statements the co-defendants have given investigators."

In October, Henry said  in jailhouse interviews that he and Barnes stabbed Strong after the pastor made unwanted sexual advances. Police detectives later contradicted that story in court, saying Henry told police that Strong sometimes paid him to perform sex acts.

Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children, was not gay. Alcohol and marijuana were found in the pastor's system during an autopsy. The two suspects claim the pastor offered them drinks and marijuana on the night he was killed.

Rev. David Strong pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions, most gay rights initiatives and marriage equality.

Watch Newschannel 9's report AFTER THE JUMP ....

Defendants Want Separate Trials in Slaying of Chattanooga Pastor

New developments in the murder of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga pastor who was brutally tortured and killed in October 2010. Last May, a Chattanooga jury indicted 17-year-old Brendan Barnes and his 26-year-old cousin Antonio Henry, who initially claimed the pastor made unwanted sexual advances.

The two defendants blame each other for the murder and defense attorneys want separate trials, reports the Times Free Press.

The cousins have told police and the Times Free Press that they beat Pastor David Strong, but each blames the other for the 29 stab wounds that a medical examiner says killed the 55-year-old man in his Glenwood Drive home. Police found Strong's body Oct. 10, 2010, but think he was killed days earlier. The pair left the Glenwood Drive home in Strong's vehicle and then withdrew about $600 from the pastor's bank account after his death, police said.

[The judge] ordered ... the next scheduled hearing on Oct. 31. He told both sides to be open to set a trial date for some time in February or March.

A judge ruled last February that Barnes will be charged as an adult.

In October, Henry said  in jailhouse interviews that he and Barnes stabbed Strong after the pastor made unwanted sexual advances. Police detectives later contradicted that story in court, saying Henry told police that Strong sometimes paid him to perform sex acts.

Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children, was not gay. Alcohol and marijuana were found in the pastor's system during an autopsy. The two suspects claim the pastor offered them drinks and marijuana on the night he was killed.

Rev. David Strong pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions, most gay rights initiatives and marriage equality.

You May Have Missed ...
Indictments in TN Pastor's Death
16 Year Old Charged as Adult in Pastor's Slaying
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay
Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demanded Sex Act
Mother of Suspect Denies Son is "Gay"

TN: Delay in Trial for Pastor Slaying, Suspects Claim Sex-for-Pay Angle

New developments in the murder of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga pastor who was brutally tortured and killed in October 2010. A Chattanooga jury has indicted 16-year-old Brendan Barnes and his 26-year-old cousin Antonio Henry, who initially claimed the pastor made unwanted sexual advances. 

A status hearing has been delayed until June 22, reports AP.

A judge rescheduled the Wednesday hearing without bringing Henry and Barnes into court. The teen is also being prosecuted as an adult on charges of first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery in the slaying of the Rev. David Strong.

The 55-year-old Strong was pastor at St. Paul AME Church in Chattanooga when police found his battered and slashed body Oct. 10 at his home. An investigator has said Barnes told police that the pastor was asking God to forgive his attackers.

Police detectives have contradicted Henry's initial story in court, saying Henry told police that Strong sometimes paid him to perform sex acts.

Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children, was not gay. Alcohol and marijuana were found in the pastor's system during an autopsy. The two suspects claim the pastor offered them drinks and marijuana on the night he was killed.

Rev. David Strong pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions, most gay rights initiatives and marriage equality.

You May Have Missed ...
Indictments in TN Pastor's Death
16 Year Old Charged as Adult in Pastor's Slaying
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay
Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demanded Sex Act
Mother of Suspect Denies Son is "Gay"

Indictments in TN Pastor's Death, Suspects Claim Sex-for-Pay Angle

New developments in the murder of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga pastor who was brutally tortured and killed in October 2010. A Chattanooga jury has indicted 16-year-old Brendan Barnes and his 26-year-old cousin Antonio Henry, who initially claimed the pastor made unwanted sexual advances.

Henry and Barnes were indicted on charges of first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery in the Oct. 10 slaying of the Rev. David Strong. The 55-year-old pastor of St. Paul AME Church was beaten in the face and stabbed 29 times, according to autopsy reports.

Barnes will be tried as an adult. His attorney, Jonathan Turner, could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. Henry’s attorney, Daniel Ripper, said his client will plead not guilty. "We’re still in the earliest stages of gathering information, figuring out what we can do and what we can present," Ripper said.

Because Barnes and Henry have given conflicting reports of who was responsible for Strong’s death, Ripper said he and Turner will most likely seek to have the two tried separately.

Barnes and Henry were arrested days after Strong’s death when they were stopped while riding in Strong’s car. In court testimony, Chattanooga police Detective Michael Wenger has said Barnes told him the pair went to Strong’s home to “rob and possibly kill” the pastor.

In October, Henry said  in jailhouse interviews that he and Barnes stabbed Strong after the pastor made unwanted sexual advances. Police detectives later contradicted that story in court, saying Henry told police that Strong sometimes paid him to perform sex acts.

Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children,  was not gay. Alcohol and marijuana's were found in the pastor's system during an autopsy.

Rev. David Strong had pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions, most gay rights initiatives and marriage equality.

You May Have Missed ...
16 Year Old Charged as Adult in Pastor's Slaying
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay
Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demanded Sex Act
Mother of Suspect Denies Son is "Gay"

Chattanooga: 16 Year Old Charged as Adult in Pastor's Slaying

Your first look at Brendan Barnes, the 16-year-old accused in the murder of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga African Methodist Episcopal pastor who was brutally tortured and killed on October 4. Barnes will be charged as an adult, reports WRCB.

Barnes and his 26-year-old cousin Antonio Henry face first degree murder charges. In October, Henry said  in jailhouse interviews that he and Barnes stabbed Strong after the pastor made unwanted sexual advances. Police detectives later contradicted that story in court, saying Henry told police that Strong sometimes paid him to perform sex acts.

Barnes appeared in court yesterday and his bond hearing was delayed until March 21, reports the Times Free Press.

Barnes and Henry "blamed each other during police interviews" taken hours after the pastor's body was found last October, according to court documents revealed at Barnes' transfer hearing.

"The child admitted he struck ... [the Rev.] David Strong multiple times during an attack in which Mr. Strong was also stabbed multiple times by Antonio Henry," according to a Hamilton County Juvenile Court affidavit written by Chattanooga police Detective Michael Wenger. But Henry, 25, "claims Mr. Barnes actually stabbed Mr. Strong," the affidavit states.

During the transfer hearing to determine whether Barnes was competent to stand trial in adult court, his attorney painted his client as an unwilling accomplice to his older cousin's mayhem. ... According to [police] testimony, Barnes told the detective that Henry held a knife to Barnes' throat until the teen began hitting an already-beaten Strong "some more times" with a blunt object to "prove myself." ... The issue of sex did not surface during Barnes' transfer hearing last week.

Henry and  Barnes face charges of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery  and aggravated assault charges for stabbing the prominent pastor up to 29 times, taking ATM card and stealing his car. Both are being held without bond.

Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children,  was not gay. Alcohol and marijuana's were found in the pastor's system during an autopsy.

Rev. David Strong had pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions, most gay rights initiatives and marriage equality.

You May Have Missed ...
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay
Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demanded Sex Act
Mother of Suspect Denies Son is "Gay"

Court Date for 16 Year Old Accused in Chattanooga Pastor's Slaying

There are new developments in the case of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga African Methodist Episcopal pastor who was brutally tortured and killed on October 4. Police have arrested Antonio Henry, a 25-year-old man with a history of mental problems, as well as his 16-year-old cousin Brendan Barnes. Henry initially told detectives that he "snapped" after Strong repeatedly pressed him to masturbate for $100. Henry later changed his story and now admits that he specifically went over to Rev. Strong's house to j/o and "make money."

A status hearing has been set for the juvenile, reports Chattanooga's Newschannel 9. "The preliminary transfer hearing for Brendan Barnes, accused of killing Pastor David Strong of St. Paul A.ME., is set for Dec. 9.  The hearing will determine if Barnes will be tried as a juvenile or an adult in the case. 25-year-old Antonio Henry, the other defendant involved, appeared in court [last week]. The judge sent his case to a grand jury."

Henry and his 16-year-old cousin Brendan Barnes face charges of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery charges. and aggravated assault charges for stabbing the prominent pastor up to 29 times, taking ATM card and stealing his car. Both are being held without bond.

Henry told authorities he went to Strong's house to "make money" masturbating in front of the pastor. Police haven't explained why a supposedly consensual visit among Strong, Henry and Barnes turned deadly. Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children, say he was not gay.

Rev. David Strong had pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions, many gay rights initiatives and marriage equality.

You May Have Missed ...
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay
Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demanded Sex Act
Mother of Suspect Denies Son is "Gay"

Attorney: Suspect's Confession in TN Pastor's Slaying was Coerced

New developments in the case of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga African Methodist Episcopal pastor who was brutally tortured and killed on October 4. Police have arrested Antonio Henry, a 25-year-old man with a history of mental problems, as well as his 16-year-old cousin Brendan Barnes. Henry initially told detectives that he "snapped" after Strong repeatedly pressed him to masturbate for $100. Henry later changed his story and now admits that he specifically went over to Rev. Strong's house to j/o and "make money."

Henry's defense attorney now claims the alleged confessions may have been coerced, reports the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

The attorney for a man charged with killing a local pastor said his client's "alleged confessions may not have been voluntary" after a police detective testified that the accused spent 17 hours in police custody before he was interviewed. "It could potentially raise questions about the admissibility of his statement to police," attorney Cris Helton said Tuesday. Helton said he requested a copy of Antonio Henry's statement to police, but authorities never provided one. He also said his client was not given the opportunity to make a phone call before the interview. Hamilton County District Attorney Bill Cox did not return a call seeking comment.

In jailhouse interviews, Henry, a 25-year-old repeat offender, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that he and Barnes smoked a "blunt" -- a marijuana-stuffed cigar -- with Strong at the pastor's house on Oct. 4. He said the pastor then made unwanted sexual advances toward Henry, causing the suspects to "snap." But during a preliminary hearing last week, a police detective said Henry told authorities he went to Strong's house to "make money" masturbating in front of the pastor. Henry told police he stole a "dime bag of marijuana" from the pastor's house, among other items. Police haven't offered an explanation on why a supposedly consensual visit among Strong, Henry and Barnes turned deadly. There were no signs of forced entry to Strong's house, police said.

Henry and his 16-year-old cousin Brendan Barnes face charges of criminal impersonation, felony murder and aggravated assault charges for stabbing the prominent pastor up to 29 times, taking ATM card and stealing his car. Both are being held without bond.

An autopsy has confirmed the presence of elevated levels of alcohol and marijuana in the pastor's blood stream. The toxicology report describes a THC finding of 4.2 nanograms per milliliter, described as "an impossible amount" to generate from secondhand marijuana smoke. Strong smoked marijuana "anywhere from one-half hour up to about 2 1/2 hours" before death, police say, which could have slowed his responses or impaired his judgment before he was viciously beaten and killed.

Lt. Kirk Eidson, head of the Chattanooga Police Department’s major crimes division, has said they are exploring whether Strong’s sexual preference was a "motivating factor" in the crime. Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children, was not gay. Antonio Henry's mother has told reporters that her son is not gay and the slain pastor probably "tried to do something to those boys."

Rev. David Strong had pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions, many gay rights initiatives and marriage equality.

You May Have Missed ...
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay
Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demanded Sex Act
Mother of Suspect Denies Son is "Gay"

Mother of Suspect Charged in TN Pastor's Death Denies Son is "Gay"

There are new developments in the case of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga African Methodist Episcopal pastor who was brutally tortured and killed on October 4. Police have arrested Antonio Henry, a 25-year-old man with a history of mental problems, as well as his 16-year-old cousin Brendan Barnes. Detectives believe Strong was tortured because he refused to reveal the PIN for his debit card during a robbery. Henry initially told detectives that he "snapped" after Strong repeatedly pressed him to masturbate for $100.

At a bond hearing last week, Henry changed his story and now admits that he specifically went over to Rev. Strong's house to perform the sex act and "get money," reports CBS 12. "Henry told police he went to Strong's home in Glenwood to get money. He says the pastor would pay him to perform a sex act. Instead, after the assault, the two took his ATM card."

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Antonio Henry's mother Anita Burgess told reporters her son is "not gay," reports Newschannel 9.

"Burgess says she doesn't know exactly what happened on Oct. 4, the day police say men confessed to killing Strong. Lead Detective Michael Wenger testified that Henry admitted to taking Strong's debit card and asking for his pin number. But Henry's mother says she doesn't believe her son told police he went to Strong's house to get money for sex acts. 'Antonio Henry is not gay.' she says. 'I noticed when [the detective] said that, my son shook his head, 'no.''

"But, when it comes down to it, Burgess and the detective agree the reason the men were at his home isn't important. 'A man lost his life,' Wenger says. 'It doesn't matter what his sexual preference is and they have not made any allegation of rape or anything like that.'"

Henry and his 16-year-old cousin Brendan Barnes face charges of criminal impersonation, felony murder and aggravated assault charges for stabbing the prominent pastor up to 29 times, taking ATM card and stealing his car. Both are being held without bond.

Interesting that the mother has no comment on her son being accused of a brutal murder, but wants everyone to know that he is "not gay." Apparently to some people, it's better to be accused of murder than being gay ... or gay for pay.

You May Have Missed ...
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay
Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demanded Sex Act

Suspect Claims TN Pastor's Demands for Sex Act Lead to Killing

There is a disgusting and totally expected update to the case of the Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga African Methodist Episcopal pastor who was tortured and killed on October 5. Police have arrested Antonio Henry, a 25-year-old man with a history of mental problems, as well as his 16-year-old cousin Brendan Barnes. Detectives believe Strong was tortured because he refused to reveal the PIN for his debit card during a robbery.   And in a jailhouse interview over the weekend, Antonio Henry laid the groundwork for a "gay defense", admitting that he attacked the local pastor but only "snapped" after he claims Strong repeatedly pressed him to masturbate for $100.

Speaking to the Chattanooga Free Press, Henry claimed Strong invited him and Barnes to hang out on October 5. Henry said he'd met Strong twice before and "suspected" the pastor was gay but went anyway.

He said Strong, dressed in a robe and briefs, showed them into the bedroom and offered Henry the remote control, telling him to find a scary movie on television. He claimed the pastor also provided pizza and marijuana. Sitting on the pastor's bed, after all three smoked a "blunt" -- a marijuana cigar that Henry said he rolled -- the pastor wanted Henry to expose himself and masturbate, Henry claimed. "I do not get down like that," Henry said he told Strong. The pastor changed the subject before offering $100 for the same sex act three more times, Henry said. "That's when I snapped."

Henry said he picked up a walking stick resting near the side of the bed and struck Strong's head and leg as his cousin ran to the kitchen to get a knife. "I ain't gonna lie that I hit him with the stick, man, because me and my cousin's life was in danger," Henry said.

Henry said the house had deadbolt locks that could be opened from the inside only with a key. Strong wasn't offering a key "until he got what he wanted," Henry said, so "in case that man reached for a gun or anything," he tied the pastor's wrists with part of a shirt they found in the house. During the struggle, Henry said Strong offered his debit card PIN and "anything we wanted, but it wasn't about money. We did not demand nothing," Henry said. But he admitted they stole the pastor's car, saying it was too far for them to walk from the pastor's Glenwood house to Brainerd, where they were staying.

The autopsy tells a different story. Strong’s killers stabbed him 18 times and slashed his head four times, according to the medical examiner’s report. Strong now claims  he did not kill Strong and the pastor was still alive.

Lt. Kirk Eidson, head of the Chattanooga Police Department’s major crimes division, has said they are exploring whether Strong’s sexual preference was a "motivating factor" in the crime. Relatives of the slain pastor say Strong, who was single and had no children, was not gay.

Rev. David Strong had pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions and marriage equality.

Meanwhile: In a Monday hearing, a judge revoked Henry's $350,000 bond and ordered a November 3 preliminary hearing. Hamilton County Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon also advised Henry not to discuss the case with the media. As for the other suspect in the case, 16 year old Brendan Barnes, he is due in juvenile court on November 4th. At that time, a judge will decide if Barnes will be tried as an adult.

You May Have Missed ...
Autopsy Reports Slain AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times
Prominent Pastor Killed; Police Suggest He Was Gay

Autopsy Reports Slain Chattanooga AME Pastor Stabbed 18 Times

More on the tragic story of Rev. David Strong, the prominent Chattanooga pastor who was tortured and killed last week. Police have arrested a 25-year-old man with a history of mental problems and his 16-year-old cousin. Detectives believe Strong refused to reveal the PIN for his debit card during a routine robbery. Chattanooga Police Department detectives also tell the media the reverend was possibly "gay" and there could have been "motivating factors."

An autopsy report has been released that shows the pastor's death was extremely violent, reports The Chattanoogan and The Times Free Press.

The Rev. David Strong’s killer stabbed his torso 18 times and lacerated his head four times during a violent homicide last week, according to a medical examiner’s report released Wednesday. ... Diagrams show his neck was punctured seven times. Police say Antonio Henry, 25, and his 16-year-old cousin, Brendan Barnes, used a vase, a stick and a knife to beat Strong’s head and stab his throat. Lt. Kirk Eidson, head of the Chattanooga Police Department’s major crimes division, said dozens of superficial stab wounds indicate a long struggle.

Two days ago, Lt. Kirk Eidson told reporters, "The possibility existed that Rev. Strong was gay. We’re exploring that. We are currently investigating as to any type of motivating factor of that nature. ... Even if that would be the case, they planned a robbery, and they still killed him."

Police have not released any more details on Strong's sexuality or the "motivating factors" ...

Antonio Henry was an "acquainatance" of the slain pastor and Strong was "mentoring" him, members of St. Paul AME Church tell The Chattanoogan. Henry and Barnes each are charged with felony murder and aggravated robbery. Henry remains behind bars on $350,000 bond. Authorities soon will determine whether to try Barnes as an adult.

Rev. David Strong had pastored the St. Paul AME Church for a decade and had a long history in Tennessee and Kentucky with the AME Church. The 2.5 million-member African Methodist Episcopal Church is the world's oldest and largest predominately Black denomination. The AME Church has opposed openly gay clergy, same sex unions and marriage equality.