Louisiana arson suspect expressed disgust with Baptist churches on Facebook
Source: CNN
Louisiana arson suspect expressed disgust with Baptist churches on Facebook
By Paul P. Murphy and Samira Said, CNN
Updated 0016 GMT (0816 HKT) April 13, 2019
(CNN) Four days before his arrest in connection with the three Louisiana Baptist church fires, Holden Matthews expressed disgust with Baptist beliefs on Facebook, CNN has learned.
Responding to a post about "afrikan spirituality," Matthews, posting under the name Noctis Matthews, said he cannot "stand all these baptists around here, bunch of brainwashed people trying to find happiness in a religion that was forced on their ancestors just as it was on mine."
In the posting, Matthews said he wished that, "more blacks (sic) people would look into ancient beliefs of pre Christian Africa."
An acquaintance, Nygyl Bryyn, confirmed to CNN the profile and alias is that of Holden Matthews. He says his friend is not racist and believes the churches were, "victims of circumstances."
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The suspect is the 21-year-old son of a St. Landry Parish sheriff's deputy and may have been influenced by "black metal" music and its "associated history with church burnings," the state fire marshal's office said.
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Read more:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/12/us/louisiana-church-fires-suspect/index.html