Man arrested in killing of volunteer inside Baltimore church

By Greg Ng

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Baltimore police announced an arrest in the killing of a volunteer found dead last month inside Southern Baptist Church.

Evelyn Player, 69, got to church early on Nov. 16 to let some contractors in and get started on her duties there. Soon after, a maintenance worker found her body inside a bathroom, police said. Investigators told the 11 News I-Team Player had trauma to her body.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said Thursday that investigators on Wednesday arrested Manzie Smith Jr., 62, on first-degree murder charges. Harrison said DNA evidence led investigators to arrest the suspect.

“While we are all affected by all murders, the fact that this one occurred in a house of worship made it more shocking to the conscience,” Harrison said.

“What we know in a city with over 300 homicides a year is that every life lost to violence is an unspeakable tragedy — the tragic killing of a senior in a church, quite candidly, shocked the conscience of our community,” Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said.

Harrison said the suspect has been convicted crimes in the past for which he served time. Harrison said Smith was on supervised parole, but it was unknown as to whether he was being monitored.

The 11 News I-Team reported Smith was previously on the sex offender registry and was most recently convicted of robbery in a 2012 case. He was found incompetent to stand trial at one point in the case.

The commissioner said it appears Player did not know the suspect.

“There’s no information right now to support that there was a relationship between the victim and the perpetrator,” Harrison said.

The day after her killing, Bishop Donte Hickman told 11 News that Player was always helping the community.

“She helped to feed this community, she helped to vaccinate this community, test them when they were sick, to provide flu shots, helping with Hopkins and others who came to the church. She was a willing worker,” Hickman said.

“Ms. Player is what we call in Baltimore a foot soldier. She loved her community, she loved her church and she served her community with passion. And as some church folks would say, Evelyn loved like Mary and served like Martha,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Thursday. “Yet, because of the heinous act of violence, east Baltimore lost this kind soul.”

A vigil and crime walk were held outside the church on Nov. 18. People gathered to sing hymns, say prayers and lovingly honor Player.

The state offered a $100,000 reward for information in the case. Harrison thanked the community for the many tips that investigators received, but he said no tips directly led to the arrest.

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