Murder of two elderly LDS/Mormon Sister Missionaries
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
On the evening of December 15, 1979, a security guard for the Northwoods Mall discovered the dead bodies of two elderly sister missionaries from the LDS church in a vehicle in the Mall's parking lot. The two missionaries had been shot, dumped into the vehicle and left in the parking lot.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Elizabeth W. King (66) from Kaysville,
Utah and Jane Ruth Cannell Teuscher (65) from Fish Haven, Idaho were elderly,
or senior, missionaries assigned to the South Carolina Columbia Mission and
were at the time laboring in the North Charleston area. On the night of
December 15, 1979, it appeared, according to police involved in the case, that
the sister missionaries were ambushed, kidnapped and then shot down by James
Arthur Brown. He then dumped their bodies into a car (not sure if was the car
assigned to the missionaries or a stolen vehicle) and left it in the
Northwoods Mall parking lot, where it was later discovered by a mall security
guard.
James Arthur Brown, 24, had recently been
released on $5,000 bail in connection to an attack on a local woman in October
of that year. He was arrested at his parents house in connection to the murders
of the LDS missionaries.
The bodies were returned to their respective
homes and these two sister missionaries are considered martyrs of the LDS
church being that they were killed while in the service of the church in
proselyting purposes.
Any further information needed that relate to
the investigation and possible conviction of James Arthur Brown are sorely
needed. Any authentic photos of the sister missionaries, the crime scene and/or
James Arthur Brown should also be added to this entry.