A Mississippi man shocked authorities when he walked into a police station last Tuesday and admitted, of his own volition, to killing a person three years ago.
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Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook, a more than 20-year police veteran, told WCBI-TV he hasn’t seen anything like 37-year-old James Eric Crisp’s confession.
“James Eric Crisp walked into my office, of his own free will, and confessed to having killed [Roger Loyd] Taylor,” Cook told the outlet.
Taylor, 48, was reportedly killed on March 10, 2019, and Crisp’s purported admission could help finally close the longstanding cold case.
One of the most notable and difficult facts in the case is that Crisp, who once struggled with drugs and past legal issues, reportedly became a Christian after his life of crime.
He now teaches and preaches at a recovery program called God’s House of Hope to help others facing similar struggles.
Crisp was allegedly an addict at the time of the killing, according to The Christian Post.
“By his own testimony, he got saved three years ago, was in a recovery center, we sent him there,” Crook said. “He is now a teacher and preacher in that program.”
Despite his life change, Crisp reportedly couldn’t live with his secret. According to the sheriff’s office, he sought to regain “spiritual freedom” by telling the truth he had long concealed.
“He made the decision to risk his physical freedom in order to regain his spiritual freedom and hopefully help bring closure to this case for the sake of himself and the Taylor family,” Crook’s office said in a statement, according to The Daily Beast. “We are glad for Mr. Crisp to get this off his chest so that he might be able to continue to do ministry wherever the Lord has planned for him, but this does not close the case for us.”
Authorities plan to look at the evidence to determine if there should be other charges or any other suspects.
Amy Coyle of God’s House of Hope and others appeared at a bond hearing to speak about Crisp and his dramatic life change while also addressing the importance of him taking responsibility.
“We know that God is a just God. He forgives,” she told WCBI-TV. “But we also have to take action for our responsibilities.”
Crisp has been charged with manslaughter and is being held on a $150,000 bond.
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