Retrial is goal in church fire caseBy Schuyler Kropf (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, July 18, 2008
Patricia Hunter 
Harold Hunter SUMMERVILLE — It's been 21 months since the pastor of the Bethel AME Church was put on trial, charged with trying to burn his church to the ground. The jury deadlocked on whether he did it, and a mistrial was declared. It doesn't look as if he'll face a new trial anytime soon. First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe said this week that he doesn't see the case being called in the immediate future, but he still wants to put former pastor Harold E. Hunter and his wife on trial for the blaze at the South Main Street church. "Sooner rather than later," he said. Hunter, 59, and his wife, Patricia Hunter, 57, were charged with second-degree arson in the case after they were arrested in May 2005, four days after the church went up in flames. The arrests followed a series of unexplained fires and vandalism attacks over a 10-day period. If convicted, each faces up to 25 years in prison. A motive for the blaze was not disclosed during Hunter's October 2006 trial, but prosecutors have speculated that he wanted to build a new church, and also was looking to avoid being transferred to another AME church in rural Dorchester County. Since the mistrial, various events have worked against scheduling the case again. Some of the lawyers have had other trial conflicts. Also, two officials in the church who were witnesses are no longer available. One died and another suffered a lengthy illness and left the area, a church official said. Another factor contributing to the delay is that a new public defender was recently installed in Dorchester County who said the office has assumed control of Harold Hunter's case, meaning his former lawyer has handed over the file. Bethel AME went up in a nighttime blaze on April 28, 2005. The congregation has since rebuilt it and reopened it. During Hunter's trial, more than 25 prosecution witnesses were called to testify in a case that was largely circumstantial and scientific. One part of the case focused on personal items found in the Hunters' parsonage house, including clothes found in a kitchen sink that were soaked in bleach. Lab tests later detected flammable liquid residue on them, thought to be gas or kerosene. Hunter's defense attorney focused on the fact that the church and its associated building were never secure, potentially allowing anyone with a grudge to get inside and do damage. Pascoe said arson cases are among the toughest to prove because they rarely involve witnesses. The Hunters remain free on bond while the court battle waits, the Solicitor's Office said. As a strategy move, Pascoe said he'd like to put the pair on trial together in a retrial. Only Harold Hunter faced the jury in the earlier trial. Patricia Hunter was to be tried separately. While the case is pending, a ranking church member said Thursday that the fire has become a distant memory for most. Many Bethel church members don't want to see the case opened again, he said, because the congregation has nearly healed from the tragedy. "We don't discuss that anymore," said church trustee Harry Blake Jr. "We don't have any interest in pursuing it. We'd be satisfied to let it die." Interest in the church has pushed its membership higher since the fire, Blake said.
Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551 or skropf@ postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 24 comment(s)
Posted by RW on July 18, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A Pastor burns sets fire to his church and gets away with it. Well things will definetly be hot where he is headed!
Posted by Tammie on July 18, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He's catching "hell" right now RW!
Posted by theronce on July 18, 2008 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Rest assured, whoever did it has not gotten away with it.
Posted by jeff61 on July 18, 2008 at 7:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does he also own 4 stolen cars?
Posted by Tammie on July 18, 2008 at 7:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Lmao @ Jeff That might be his cousin.
Posted by ColdBeer on July 18, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow... talk about some photogenic people in the paper this morning...
Which one is the husband and which one is the wife?
Posted by BigSargeofSC on July 18, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A hung jury got him a mistrial the first time. Lets do the math: Black Jurors + Black Pastor= No Conviction. Imagine that.
Posted by Tammie on July 18, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well that's unfair Big Sarge. If he's shown to be guilty by a proponderence (sp) of the evidence, then I'd find him guilty. Would it have been better for you in your world if it were a white pastor with an all white jury?
Posted by Charleston_21 on July 18, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Least they have more members since the fire :)
Posted by Siri on July 18, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I could be wrong, but I believe they did it.
Posted by jeff61 on July 18, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Is that Flip Wilson and Johnny Cochran?
Posted by ysillyme on July 18, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like the church members are content to take a felon for a pastor and a felon for the pastor's partner in crime.
Posted by wjrichardson9 on July 18, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
BigSarge, why do you assume the jury was black, or all black? Are you implying that it would be easy for non-black jurors to find these people guilty based on the evidence at hand? Generally in arson cases, there are no witnesses, and if the prosecution did not do its job with the (admittedly strong) circumstantial evidence they had, perhaps even non-black jurors would find it difficult to convict.
Ysilly, your name is so a propos. Nowhere in the article does it say that he is still the pastor of the church, and in point of fact, he is not the pastor. He was relieved of pastoral duties more than 2 years ago. Moreover, AME congregations do not choose their pastors, they are appointed by the bishop. Your implication that these folk don't have sense enough to choose someone of high moral standing to be their leader is further illustration of why there is such rampant contention and belligerant ignorance concerning these matters.
Posted by BigSargeofSC on July 18, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Did I say they were all black? Might have come across that way, but not intended. It only takes one juror to hang a jury. Please, don't even attempt to insult my intellegence and tell me that a black juror would not ensure that a black pastor didn't go to jail by hanging the jury. Just the way I see it.
Posted by Tammie on July 18, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Black Jurors + Black Pastor= No Conviction
Your words, not mine. If that's the way you see it, I suggest you get your eyes checked. You think if I was on the jury for the DC Sniper, I would cause the jury to hang or I wouldn't have sent his sorry azz to jail? No problem on my part, the evidence was there. There are some of us that utilize common sense, all you are doing is lumping us all into one category. Therefore, I didn't insult your intelligence, you did a bang up job on your own. Have a pleasant day.
Posted by eyfigueroa on July 18, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
bigsargeofsc: "Might have come across that way, but not intended."
uhhhh. You said and I quote "Lets do the math: Black Jurors + Black Pastor= No Conviction."
How else were we to see that comment? I read over the article twice just to be sure that there was no mention of the racial makeup of the jury. And there wasn't. Yet you made a statement about Blacks in general.
"Please, don't even attempt to insult my intelligence and tell me that a black juror would not ensure that a black pastor didn't go to jail by hanging the jury. Just the way I see it."
I appreciate sir that you are blatantly open and honest of your contempt of Black people. It makes it easier for me & others to extrapolate the true purpose/meaning of your comments. Your obvious dislike of Blacks as a whole, (because otherwise you wouldn’t make such a blanket statement) will also assist me with my responses to you.
Por ejemplo …
“don't even attempt to insult my intelligence…”
Sir, with all do respect to you, I wouldn’t deign insult you for something so obviously lack.
Posted by ColdBeer on July 18, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"We don't discuss that anymore," said church trustee Harry Blake Jr. "We don't have any interest in pursuing it. We'd be satisfied to let it die."
Regardless of who set the fire, how could you not want the people that burned down your church brought to justice? That just doesn't make sense. Unless you're protecting someone.
Was the church rebuilt with insurance money? Are these two still active in the church?
Posted by jeff61 on July 18, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by ColdBeer on July 18, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Are these two still active in the church?
They are just not as active. There work was done.
Posted by eyfigueroa on July 18, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's such a shame. I certainly hope that the prosecutor is able to retry these two. On the surface the evidence seemed solid, but without a transcript I cannot make the assumption.
Whatever the case I hope these people or whoever the culprit may be gets what they deserve!
Posted by Lovely_One on July 18, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bigsarge,
All black people think that OJ is innocent too, did you know that? Yep, we all try to make sure our crimnals don't go to jailwhich is why we make sure there is a hung jury at every black person's trial. That is why there are so little blacks in jail right now. If we weren't on their juries the jails would be overflowing with blacks, but since we NEVER sit on the juries of accused blacks there are no blacks in prison. All thanks to our scheme to keep our black people from being convicted ever!
Posted by preachlove on July 18, 2008 at 6:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Tammie, Eyfigueroa and Lovely_One - Thanks for your intelligent posts to bigsarge. As long as South Carolina has people that think they way, we will never move past the 17th Century.
What I have found with a lot of pastors, black and white, is that they are in it for the monetary gain. Now, if I were a pastor and truly called by God, I would have a very hard time burning down my own church. I would be very afraid of the wrath that God would bring down on me.
What we really don't know is what was presented to the jury. Circumstantial evidence is just that, circumstantial.
Posted by mkhaynes on July 18, 2008 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember being so sad when I heard that Bethel had caught fire, and so angry when I heard that it might've been the pastor. I completely understand the trustee quoted in the article not wanting to think about this anymore. As the first few posts pointed out, the guilty party won't get away with this. Takes a lot of faith to see that when it's your church that burned down, and I respect that attitude. If there isn't enough evidence to convict them, then they shouldn't be convicted. I also totally agree with preachlove - thank you Tammie, Eyfigueroa, wjrichardson and Lovely_one for bringing some intelligence.
Posted by just1reader on July 18, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The case was webcast live on Court TV. Don't know if it is still available in the archives.
Posted by walleyedwoman1215 on July 19, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I covered this fire and its aftermath. It brought whites and blacks together under one God. Church funds, worship space and volunteers were provided to AME. I saw whites and blacks hugging and crying among the ruins. (Sounds melodramatic, but it happened :-)
From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday is often called the most segregrated hour of the week, but we're all given the same mandate: Love thy neighbor as thyself.