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Death of Autistic Boy Ruled a Homicide

Aired August 26, 2003 - 15:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well church members called it a healing, but a Milwaukee medical examiner said it was a homicide. An 8-year-old autistic boy went to church on Friday and never came home alive. Now the pastor who led the service is behind bars.
Jeff Flock live from Milwaukee with the latest -- Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. A bit of a church and state collision here in Milwaukee as well.

We've got a picture now of the man we're talking about. This is the mug shot from his book sheet. We have perhaps a better one that we can show you. His name is Ray Hemphill. You have heard perhaps in our reports earlier from his brother David Hemphill who is the leader of the church in question.

But it was Ray Hemphill who took part in this healing service, what has been described by church members as a healing service, a prayer service over this 8-year-old boy. His name was Terrance Cotrell Jr., a boy who had autism who church members thought some sort of an evil spirit and were trying to make that evil spirit come out.

It was during the course of that ceremony or whatever you want to call it, religious service, that Mr. Hemphill, according to sources quoted by "The Milwaukee Journal" at some point climbed on top of the boy. He said there's a scriptural reference to that, there's a scriptural basis for doing that. The boy was being restrained because having autism was kicking and scratching and all that sort of thing.

Mr. Hemphill apparently on several occasions previous to this had also done this. There were other prayer services, we've learned, in which this all took place. But this one ended very badly with a little boy suffocated. Cause of death ruled now a homicide. Mr. Hemphill remains in custody in the buildings that are back there behind me.

This is a small church in Milwaukee, a storefront church. Of course there are, Kyra, storefront churches all across this country. Many of them here in Milwaukee. This is a very small one. The boy's mother became a member of that church about three months ago and began going there in earnest and bringing her son there in hopes that perhaps the church can to do something to help him with his autism.

The way it ended up, he is dead, Mr. Hemphill is in custody. Right now the charge against him is suspicion of child abuse but authorities are considering more serious charges now that this has been ruled, Kyra, a homicide. And we're told by those authorities and Milwaukee County D.A.,there could be a decision on that as early as the next hour or so. So we will watch it and let you know -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jeff, I'm just curious, these storefront chapels. Can anyone rent an area and buy an area and start up this church?

FLOCK: Well, Kyra, this country was founded on freedom of religion. And in fact, churches, as many of them do, very small groups of people and this was extremely small, start up in people's homes or storefronts or abandoned buildings. There are many other ones in Milwaukee as well across the country. There no prohibition on it.

And the question is based on the state law here in Wisconsin whether there is a statute under which they can be charged because there is a latitude in the statutes, I'm told, for things like prayer services, healing services that, you know, parents that choose to go that route rather than more conventional ways to heal their children are protected in some sense by the law.

PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock live from Milwaukee, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 26, 2003 - 15:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well church members called it a healing, but a Milwaukee medical examiner said it was a homicide. An 8-year-old autistic boy went to church on Friday and never came home alive. Now the pastor who led the service is behind bars.
Jeff Flock live from Milwaukee with the latest -- Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. A bit of a church and state collision here in Milwaukee as well.

We've got a picture now of the man we're talking about. This is the mug shot from his book sheet. We have perhaps a better one that we can show you. His name is Ray Hemphill. You have heard perhaps in our reports earlier from his brother David Hemphill who is the leader of the church in question.

But it was Ray Hemphill who took part in this healing service, what has been described by church members as a healing service, a prayer service over this 8-year-old boy. His name was Terrance Cotrell Jr., a boy who had autism who church members thought some sort of an evil spirit and were trying to make that evil spirit come out.

It was during the course of that ceremony or whatever you want to call it, religious service, that Mr. Hemphill, according to sources quoted by "The Milwaukee Journal" at some point climbed on top of the boy. He said there's a scriptural reference to that, there's a scriptural basis for doing that. The boy was being restrained because having autism was kicking and scratching and all that sort of thing.

Mr. Hemphill apparently on several occasions previous to this had also done this. There were other prayer services, we've learned, in which this all took place. But this one ended very badly with a little boy suffocated. Cause of death ruled now a homicide. Mr. Hemphill remains in custody in the buildings that are back there behind me.

This is a small church in Milwaukee, a storefront church. Of course there are, Kyra, storefront churches all across this country. Many of them here in Milwaukee. This is a very small one. The boy's mother became a member of that church about three months ago and began going there in earnest and bringing her son there in hopes that perhaps the church can to do something to help him with his autism.

The way it ended up, he is dead, Mr. Hemphill is in custody. Right now the charge against him is suspicion of child abuse but authorities are considering more serious charges now that this has been ruled, Kyra, a homicide. And we're told by those authorities and Milwaukee County D.A.,there could be a decision on that as early as the next hour or so. So we will watch it and let you know -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jeff, I'm just curious, these storefront chapels. Can anyone rent an area and buy an area and start up this church?

FLOCK: Well, Kyra, this country was founded on freedom of religion. And in fact, churches, as many of them do, very small groups of people and this was extremely small, start up in people's homes or storefronts or abandoned buildings. There are many other ones in Milwaukee as well across the country. There no prohibition on it.

And the question is based on the state law here in Wisconsin whether there is a statute under which they can be charged because there is a latitude in the statutes, I'm told, for things like prayer services, healing services that, you know, parents that choose to go that route rather than more conventional ways to heal their children are protected in some sense by the law.

PHILLIPS: Jeff Flock live from Milwaukee, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com