Student Held in Murder of Principal

A Tennessee student is in custody after his principal was found dead in a pool of blood in a classroom of their church school. The body of popular 49-year-old school head Suzette York was discovered by a teacher at the Seventh-Day Adventist Memphis Junior Academy. A 17-year-old student was still on the scene and was arrested when police arrived, according to authorities. York was described by a colleague as a "caring" educator who "had a natural concern for the children being obedient and doing the things that they're supposed to be doing."

"You don't expect these kinds of things to happen, especially in a Christian school," said a church spokesman. Police did not discuss a motive for the apparent stabbing, which occurred just three days after school began again after summer break. The school has been temporarily closed, and administrators are arranging for counselors to meet with students when classes resume, reports Reuters. (More Suzette York stories.)