A North Carolina woman who showed up at a church bloodied and in distress told a pastor she “thought she had hurt someone” before leading police to her friend’s dead body, according to authorities.
Samantha Haines, 31, arrived at the Mt Carmel Church of God of Prophecy near Autryville as pastor Bryan Strickland was closing on Sunday night and asked for help, according to a statement posted to the church’s Facebook page.
“I asked her what was going on and she said that she thought she had hurt someone,” Mr Strickland told WRAL.
“She thought she had tried to kill someone.”
Mr Strickland said he called 911, and Sampson County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to find Ms Haines “in distress” in a red Ford Mustang in the church’s parking lot.
“Ms Haines reiterated her belief that she may have been responsible for a person’s death, but due to her unfamiliarity with Sampson County, she could not provide specific details about the location of the incident,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Authorities learned the vehicle was registered to Daniel Faircloth, 32, and found his dead body outside his home less than a mile away.
Faircloth had been stabbed to death, authorities say.
Ms Haines was charged with murder and made a first appearance in court on Monday. She has been booked into the Sampson County Detention Centre without bond.
Faircloth’s grieving family told WRAL they thought Ms Haines may have been homeless and staying with him at the time of the alleged murder.
His stepmother Lauriel Renee told the news station Faircloth was a “respectful and sweet” person who would light up a room when he entered.
Mr Strickland called on parishioners to pray for the Faircloth family as they dealt with their loss.
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