Authorities in Jamaica have arrested a preacher and 41 of his congregants after they allegedly killed two people during a human sacrifice ritual ceremony. According to Mirror, the self-acclaimed prophet, Kevin O Smith, 39, had told his congregation there was going to be a “great flood” prior to Sunday’s gruesome killings.
Smith and the other suspects allegedly slit the throats of the deceased victims. The first victim was a 39-year-old woman identified as Tanecka Gardner. The deceased office worker’s friends told Jamaica Observer Gardner had been packing up “essentials” the weeks prior to her killing after Smith informed his congregants there was going to be a flood and they’ll be boarding an ark.
Three people who were also “sacrificed” sustained life-threatening injuries, while another person who fired at police officers when they responded to the scene was also shot. Upon entry, officers found naked men and animals, and they had been reportedly lined up for the sacrifice.
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Authorities also said they’re looking into abuse allegations reportedly committed against some of the 14 children they found in the church. The boys were frequently seen with Smith. “There is information about molestation. It is a part of the investigation,” Jamaica’s Assistant Police Commissioner Clifford Chambers said.
The accused prophet allegedly informed his congregation a “bloodline pollution caused by witchcraft” was the cause of evil sex dreams, Mirror reported. As a result, Smith instructed his congregation to come to his Montego Bay church dressed in white. He also told them to leave their phones behind and wrap them with tin foil.
Prior to the killings, Smith shared a Facebook post, writing, “The Ark is loading now! Leave immediately dressed in white.” Smith also told his congregants they’ll be embarking on a salvation journey on “Noah’s Ark.” And in another Facebook post, the accused prophet wrote, “It is a Roman Catholic sacrifice — it will have no survivors.”
Smith claimed there was going to be an apocalypse where “999 planes bearing the number 6 will fall from my heavens across Jamaica and the Whole World on December 2, 2021”.
A woman who sustained an injury after she was attacked for going against the orders of the church informed police about the sacrifices. The police said there would have been more casualties if they hadn’t intervened.
“We were very concerned some form of ritualized killing was going to take place,” Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said.
The gruesome sacrifices were reportedly orchestrated by Smith and an off-duty police officer. “There is huge concern that influential people — including other local police officials — were involved and that this may have happened before and gone unreported,” a source told The Sun.
“The entire congregation had been called to the church and around 50 had arrived wearing white when the killing started. Scores could have died.
“They had done two days of fasting on Friday and Saturday and the ritual began on Sunday, with people lining up to board ‘the Ark’ after Smith warned a great flood was coming. Two were sacrificed before police moved in and another was shot by police after opening fire on them.
“Three more people are in hospital, one in a life-threatening condition, and more were stabbed.”
Smith funded his luxurious lifestyle with donations he received from his congregation, Mirror reported. He received over $9,000 in weekly donations.
