UNITED STATES NEWS

Cops: Oklahoma ministry head dies amid abuse probe

Apr 23, 2012, 10:47 PM

Associated Press

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Oklahoma authorities are investigating whether the executive director of an international Christian ministry killed himself amid allegations he’d molested a 10-year-old girl, police said Monday.

Tom White had been reported missing last Tuesday, the same day police in Bartlesville received a report about the alleged molestation, said Bartlesville Police Capt. Jay Hastings. White was the executive director for The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit headquartered in in the city 50 miles north of Tulsa that says it provides medical supplies, food and clothing to persecuted Christians worldwide.

Police found the 64-year-old’s body at the organization’s Bartlesville headquarters Wednesday. Employees discovered a letter in White’s vehicle indicating he was “suicidal or possibly fleeing to avoid investigation” and turned it over to police, Hastings said.

“You can take it either way,” Hastings said. “It was kind of a goodbye letter. You don’t know if he was talking about himself.”

Hastings said police are awaiting an autopsy report by the state Medical Examiner’s Office. A message seeking comment was left with the office Monday.

In a document filed last week in Washington County District Court, police had asked a judge to order White’s cellphone carrier to provide them with “real time GPS pinging” of the phone to determine where he was. To support the request, officers stated in the document that White “had been reported to have molested a 10-year-old juvenile female” and that he disappeared when police began to investigate.

Hastings could not say Monday if the child was believed to be involved in the ministry or how White is believed to have come in contact with her.

In a statement posted on its website, the ministry where White had served as executive director for more than 20 years said its board of directors did not know about the accusations at the time of White’s death. It went on to say that “rather than face those allegations, and all of the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry and himself, Tom appears to have chosen to take his own life.”

“There is no doubt that Tom cared about his wife, his children and his grandchildren. And there’s no doubt that he cared about VOM,” the statement said. “We are deeply saddened by these events. Our hearts are broken.”

Ministry spokesman Todd Nettleton said he could not comment beyond the statement.

No telephone listing for White’s family could be found Monday.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

United States News

The OnlyFans logo is seen on a computer monitor in this posed photo, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in St....

Associated Press

Teachers have been outed for moonlighting in adult content. Do they have legal recourse?

At a small rural Missouri high school, two English teachers shared a secret: Both were posting adult content on OnlyFans, the subscription-based website known for sexually explicit content. The site and others like it provide an opportunity for those willing to dabble in pornography to earn extra money — sometimes lots of it. The money […]

2 hours ago

A gray wolf is seen in a trail camera image on the Sherman Creek Ranch, March 26, 2023, near Walden...

Associated Press

Embattled wolves gain a new frontier in Democratic Colorado. The move is stoking political tensions

DENVER, Colo. (AP) — Wildlife officials plan to release gray wolves in Colorado in coming weeks, at the behest of urban voters and to the dismay of rural residents who don’t want the predators but have waning influence in the Democratic-led state. The most ambitious wolf reintroduction effort in the U.S. in almost three decades […]

2 hours ago

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks about investment in rail projects, including high-speed electric ...

Associated Press

Biden heads to Philadelphia for firefighters and fundraising

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will join Philadelphia firefighters on Monday to announce federal funding that will reopen three fire companies, according to the White House. The companies — Engine 6, Ladder 1 and Ladder 11 — were decommissioned during the Great Recession. Union leaders have said the cutbacks hampered the city’s response to […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Stock market today: Asian shares mostly higher after Wall Street hits 2023 peak

Asian shares mostly gained on Monday after Wall Street reached a 20-month high ahead of a week that includes essential U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s final rate decision of the year. U.S. futures were higher and oil prices rose to recover some of their sharp losses in recent weeks. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng […]

3 hours ago

FILE - Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., speaks to media about Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, on Cap...

Associated Press

New US aid for Ukraine by year-end seems increasingly out of reach as GOP ties it to border security

A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President Joe Biden.

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Downpours, high winds prompt weather warnings in Northeast

NEW YORK (AP) — Parts of the northeast were bracing for a stormy night Sunday, with high winds and heavy rains bringing threats of flooding and power outages through the Monday morning commute. Flood watches were in effect in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and southern New England through Monday. The National Weather Service said […]

9 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

Valley residents should be mindful of plumbing ahead of holidays

With Halloween in the rear-view and more holidays coming up, Day & Night recommends that Valley residents prepare accordingly.

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) wants to help Valley residents address back, neck issues through awake spine surgery

As the weather begins to change, those with back issues can no longer rely on the dry heat to aid their backs. That's where DISC comes in.

Cops: Oklahoma ministry head dies amid abuse probe