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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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Pastor Charged With Killing Disabled Man

Police say preacher paid hitman with $50K in church funds

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(Newser) – Baltimore police say a pastor has admitted to killing a mentally disabled and blind man to collect on his life insurance money, the Baltimore Sun reports. Charged yesterday, Kevin Pushia, 32, confessed to hiring a hit man with $50,000 in church funds to kill Lemuel Wallace—one of several mentally challenged people who have listed Pushia as an insurance beneficiary.

Police found Wallace dead in a park bathroom. Following a tip, they searched Pushia's townhouse and saw a note on a calendar: “L.W. project completed.” They also uncovered six insurance policies in Wallace's name worth $1 million. Police are seeking other possible victims in Pushia's alleged scheme. “We’re all kind of in shock,” said a former co-worker.

A Baltimore pastor who worked with developmentally disabled people was charged with trying to kill a blind and mentally challenged man.
A Baltimore pastor who worked with developmentally disabled people was charged with trying to kill a blind and mentally challenged man.   (Shutter Stock)
A Baltimore pastor who worked with developmentally disabled people was charged with trying to kill a blind and mentally challenged man.
A Baltimore pastor who worked with developmentally disabled people was charged with trying to kill a blind and mentally challenged man.   (Shutterstock)
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We're shocked. You'd never think he'd be capable of something like that. Everybody respected him as Pastor Pushia.
- Donna Jones,
neighbor of Kevin Pushia

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12 comments
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DarkFrancis
Apr 25, 09 4:52 PM CDT
A shining example of the religious family...just one of the many reasons I'm an atheist. Reply
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dontlikeyou
Oct 5, 09 4:22 PM CDT
You have your faith, I have mine.
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 25, 09 5:17 PM CDT
Actually, these are exactly the kinds of people Jesus ran out of the temple courtyard... the scene of greedy and malicious people like this in His Father's house, filled Jesus with righteous indignation; and still does so today. Reply
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shonangreg
Apr 25, 09 7:04 PM CDT
dark_francis's point is, if I may, the loud calls theists continually make saying that religion makes you a better person and is actually the basis for moral behavior are contradicted when the so many religious leaders are doing such bad things. From my experience, atheists are generally more ethical than theists.
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DarkFrancis
Apr 26, 09 4:10 PM CDT
Got no beef with Jebus or the idea of Jebus. It's a large cross-section of his followers that continually freak me out.
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