Murder suspect says he was doing God's work

[webmdave]

Cypress man is being held in the June death of flight attendant

A Cypress man charged in the death of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant said Saturday that he was doing God's work when he went to a Montrose-area bar last month, hunting for a gay man to kill.

"I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet," said 26-year-old Terry Mark Mangum, charged with murder June 11. " ... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing."

Interviewed in the Brazoria County Jail Saturday morning, Mangum said he feels no remorse for killing 46-year-old Kenneth Cummings Jr., whom relatives described as a "loving" son who never forgot a holiday and a devoted uncle who had set up college funds for his niece and nephew. He worked at Southwest for 24 years.

Mangum, who described himself as "definitely not a homosexual," said God called on him to "carry out a code of retribution" by killing a gay man because "sexual perversion" is the "worst sin."

Mangum believed Cummings to be gay.

"I planned on sending him to hell," he said.

Cummings disappeared June 4. His charred remains were found June 16, buried on a 50-acre ranch near San Antonio owned by Mangum's 90-year-old grandfather.

Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne would not comment on the case, citing a gag order issued by a judge Saturday afternoon.

The Chronicle was unable to reach Mangum's attorney, Perry Stevens.

Mangum — who claimed he has studied the Bible for "thousands and thousands and thousands of hours" — said God first commanded him to kill during a "visitation," or dream, while he was in prison in 2001. He said his victim must be a man because men "carry the harvest of the sinner."

After six months' planning, Mangum said, he went to E.J.'s, a Montrose-area club, where he met Cummings. After they drank a couple of beers, he said, the two went to Cummings' home in Pearland.

Mangum said he stabbed Cummings with a "6-inch blade."

"It's not that I'm a bad dude," he said, expressing concern that people might view him as "strange." Pausing briefly, he said, "I love God."

When police searched Cummings' home, they found traces of blood that someone had tried to clean up, as well as evidence that a struggle had taken place, according to court documents.

Mangum became a suspect not long after Cummings disappeared, for reasons officials have declined to disclose.

Tim Miller, executive director of Texas Equusearch, which found Cummings' remains, said last month that Mangum had used Cummings' credit cards to buy lighter fluid, a flashlight and hydrogen peroxide while he was en route to dispose of the body outside San Antonio.

When credit card records showed that the cards had been used near San Antonio, investigators ran a property-records search that led them to the ranch owned by a Robert Mangum, Miller said.

Store video also showed that the person using the cards appeared to be Terry Mangum, investigators have said.

Cummings' remains were soon found in a shallow grave.

The Facts, the daily newspaper in Brazoria County, has reported that Mangum told investigators he did not kill Cummings. Mangum first said he killed Cummings, during a jailhouse interview Friday with that paper.

He is being held on $500,000 bail.

 

http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2007/07...doing-gods.html

[08 hawk]

Cypress man is being held in the June death of flight attendant

A Cypress man charged in the death of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant said Saturday that he was doing God's work when he went to a Montrose-area bar last month, hunting for a gay man to kill.

"I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet," said 26-year-old Terry Mark Mangum, charged with murder June 11. " ... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing."

Interviewed in the Brazoria County Jail Saturday morning, Mangum said he feels no remorse for killing 46-year-old Kenneth Cummings Jr., whom relatives described as a "loving" son who never forgot a holiday and a devoted uncle who had set up college funds for his niece and nephew. He worked at Southwest for 24 years.

Mangum, who described himself as "definitely not a homosexual," said God called on him to "carry out a code of retribution" by killing a gay man because "sexual perversion" is the "worst sin."

Mangum believed Cummings to be gay.

"I planned on sending him to hell," he said.

Cummings disappeared June 4. His charred remains were found June 16, buried on a 50-acre ranch near San Antonio owned by Mangum's 90-year-old grandfather.

Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne would not comment on the case, citing a gag order issued by a judge Saturday afternoon.

The Chronicle was unable to reach Mangum's attorney, Perry Stevens.

Mangum — who claimed he has studied the Bible for "thousands and thousands and thousands of hours" — said God first commanded him to kill during a "visitation," or dream, while he was in prison in 2001. He said his victim must be a man because men "carry the harvest of the sinner."

After six months' planning, Mangum said, he went to E.J.'s, a Montrose-area club, where he met Cummings. After they drank a couple of beers, he said, the two went to Cummings' home in Pearland.

Mangum said he stabbed Cummings with a "6-inch blade."

"It's not that I'm a bad dude," he said, expressing concern that people might view him as "strange." Pausing briefly, he said, "I love God."

When police searched Cummings' home, they found traces of blood that someone had tried to clean up, as well as evidence that a struggle had taken place, according to court documents.

Mangum became a suspect not long after Cummings disappeared, for reasons officials have declined to disclose.

Tim Miller, executive director of Texas Equusearch, which found Cummings' remains, said last month that Mangum had used Cummings' credit cards to buy lighter fluid, a flashlight and hydrogen peroxide while he was en route to dispose of the body outside San Antonio.

When credit card records showed that the cards had been used near San Antonio, investigators ran a property-records search that led them to the ranch owned by a Robert Mangum, Miller said.

Store video also showed that the person using the cards appeared to be Terry Mangum, investigators have said.

Cummings' remains were soon found in a shallow grave.

The Facts, the daily newspaper in Brazoria County, has reported that Mangum told investigators he did not kill Cummings. Mangum first said he killed Cummings, during a jailhouse interview Friday with that paper.

He is being held on $500,000 bail.

 

http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2007/07...doing-gods.html

 

This story makes me so sad and furious. To think that people believe it's alright to take away a life like that. And to think that he will go to heaven when HE did the killing and that poor Kenneth did nothing wrong.

[Kirangel]

That's terrible.

[Luke Wolf]

I think that fuck should be held on a blood bail.

I'm gonna do my civic duty and rid society of assholes like that.

[doomguarder]

Oh goodie, another nutcase blaming gawd for their own misdeeds. Committed due to self loathing most likely.

[Nude Disintegrating Parachutist]

...Mangum, who described himself as "definitely not a homosexual," said God called on him to "carry out a code of retribution" by killing a gay man because "sexual perversion" is the "worst sin."

 

 

Another mind boggler of religious dogma! How can homosexuality possibly be a greater sin than to murder another human being?...for any reason? One is consensual love of 2 people of the same gender the other is the selfish, hateful removal of life...throw in the justification from an invisable being that only speaks to the murderer and the mind simple wants to explode at the stupidity!!! Weighed on the scale of rationality, consensual homosexuality can simply not be considered a crime, and even if it is considered a crime how can even the most rudimentarily rational mind believe it can outweigh MURDER as the "worst sin"?!?!? Yes, just boggles the mind!!!!!!!

[Grandpa Harley]

The wanted to kill someone, and wanted to get away with it. Using the guy's credit cards for smokes ain't the will of god, it's just plain theft.

 

 

Thus, it's not a hate crime it's just murder.

 

 

The Matthew Shepard killing WAS a hate crime since the level of torture doled out was just because he was Gay. There was clearly an emotional element to that. Like those guys who killed James Byrd Jr. It's more than murder, it's the way it's carried out. BTW, if there's the death penalty on the table, then Hate crime isn't an issue, why muddy the water. If it's just imprisonment, then the Hate crime element should be taken in to account... I remember reading of the Church pushing Shepard's father to appeal for cemency for the thugs hug tortured and killed his son. He did, but he stated that it was in line with what he knew of his son's views, since the pressure had all but made him ask for the Death Penalty.

 

This is just a robbery murder by a sociopath. He may claim God, but to react as people are reacting here, like he beleives that crap, is to ratify his claim. The man is just a simple footpad with an innovative defence.

[Grandpa Harley]

I wonder if Westboro are taking a collection for him

[08 hawk]

Religion SHOULD NOT justify murder. The lady who drowned her five kids should not get away with it just becuase she believes 'the devil made me do it'.

[Grandpa Harley]

Got the details of that case? I've not seen a good 'the devil made me do it' defence in years...

[Ouroboros]

"It's not that I'm a bad dude," he said, expressing concern that people might view him as "strange." Pausing briefly, he said, "I love God."

Yeah, right. But he hates people. What happened to all that "hate the sin, but not the sinner"? Has it been changed? Is it "hate the sin, and kill the sinner" now? The Good Ol' Testament times are back.

 

The "greatest sins" according to the Bible are the 10 commandments and not homosexuality. And doesn't the Bible say that you should do to others what you want them do to you?