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Man Arrested In Slaying Of Beloved Preacher Father And Wounding Of Mother

Shannon Xavier Pearson faces multiple in the death of Rev. Tim Pearson.

The son of a beloved Alabama preacher has reportedly been arrested in the fatal shooting of his father and the injuring of his mother earlier this year.

According to Choctaw County Sheriff Scott Lolley, 25-year-old Shannon Xavier Pearson faces charges of murder and conspiracy to murder. He was taken into custody on Monday (March 8) by U.S. Marshals in Plano, Texas, AL.com reports.

On January 8, sheriff’s deputies received a call at 12:01 a.m. about a shooting at the family’s home in Melvin, Ala. When they arrived, they discovered Rev. Tim Pearson, 57, dead, and his wife, Melony Pearson, 55, wounded. She was hospitalized in serious condition.

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Lolley said that later that day 18-year-old Melissa Breauna Hill surrendered to the sheriff’s office. She is charged with murder and attempted murder with a cash bond of more than $1 million.

Authorities have not released any more details about the case and a motive has yet to be revealed. It’s also not clear what Hill’s relation is to Pearson.

AL.com reports that Rev. Pearson was a former U.S. Marine and retired U.S. Postmaster. He was a preacher for 27 years and served as pastor of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Melvin for nearly 15 years. He had been married for 34 years.

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