An Iowa man was convicted on Tuesday of first-degree murder and robbery after killing a pastor outside his church in October 2019.
According to police, 37-year-old Joshua Pendleton attacked his pastor, Rev. Allen Henderson, outside the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The attack happened after the 64-year-old pastor attempted to stop Pendleton from entering the church. Pendleton claimed that he heard a girl screaming inside the church and believed that Henderson was assaulting her.
© Provided by New York Daily NewsThis undated booking photo provided by the Webster County Jail in Fort Dodge, Iowa shows Joshua Pendleton.
This undated booking photo provided by the Webster County Jail in Fort Dodge, Iowa shows Joshua Pendleton.
Shortly after the attack, Henderson was found to be unresponsive outside the entrance of the church.
In February 2020, Pendleton was supposed to stand trial but he was found to not be competent enough to do so. His family and investigators have already revealed that he is schizophrenic.
Just a few months after in June, a psychiatrist at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville said Pendleton was "restored to competency" and was allowed to stand trial.
The sentencing in this case is set to take place on June 18. Pendleton faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
With Wire News Services