Member of Aryan Brotherhood Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime in Connection with Church Arson

[rug]

WASHINGTON—Steven Scott Cantrell, of Crane, Texas, pleaded guilty today to hate crime charges stemming from a series of racially motivated arsons in December 2010, including the arson of a historic African-American church as part of an effort to murder a disabled African-American man, the Justice Department announced today.

Cantrell, 25, pleaded guilty to damaging religious property and interfering with housing rights in violation of federal hate crime laws before United States District Judge Robert A Junell in federal court in Midland, Texas.

During the plea hearing, Cantrell admitted that on December 28, 2010, he set fire to Faith in Christ Church, a predominantly African-American church, as part of an effort to murder a disabled African-American man who he saw passing by the church in his wheelchair. Before starting the fire, Cantrell admitted that he intentionally attempted to kill the disabled African-American man whom he believed lived at a shelter within the church, and was present when he set the fire. The man was not hurt. Cantrell ransacked the church, wrote a series of threatening and racist messages in large letters across the wall of the church next to the pastor’s office, and “tagged” the church with references to the Aryan Brotherhood.

The arson of Faith in Christ Church was part of a series of racially motivated arsons that Cantrell perpetrated that day in his attempt to gain status with the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

http://7thspace.com/headlines/393256/member_of_aryan_brotherhood_pleads_guilty_to_hate_crime_in_connection_with_church_arson_and_attempted_murder_of_disabled_african_american_in_texas.html

[ZombieHorde]

1. Well that should make his conviction a lot easier. Bye bye, dumb ass. nt

[laconicsax]

2. Is this another "atheist" arsonist?

:shrug:

[rug]

3. The article doesn't say if he does or does not believe in a god.

If he doesn't, that would meet your definition of atheist, wouldn't it?

[laconicsax]

4. IIRC, Aryan Brotherhood is a Christian organization

[rug]

5. The question was, is he?

[laconicsax]

6. Stands to reason that he likely is. n/t

[trotsky]

8. Well he clearly isn't a Christian...

since Christians don't do bad things. Ergo, he's an atheist.

[laconicsax]

9. Only True Atheists anyway.

[NMMNG]

7. Many of them are part of the "Christian Identity" movement

Real nice dudes there.