Missing Texas Pastor Found Dead Inside Vehicle, Police Rule Out Foul Play
A Texas pastor who went missing last week on his way to work was found dead inside a pickup truck Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Corpus Christi Police Department, authorities found a company vehicle belonging to Philip Loveday, senior pastor at Faith Christian Center in Freer, Texas, at approximately 2:55 p.m. on Tuesday off county road 2444 in Nueces County. He was 47.
“A body was located inside of the vehicle. At this time, we are waiting on the findings from the medical examiner’s office to complete their investigation. This is still an active investigation,” the CCPD said in a statement posted to Facebook.
As Christian Headlines previously reported, Loveday left his home for his secular job at around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 2 while traveling in the company vehicle. He was reported missing by his family and church, where he was supposed to preach later that day.
Kleberg County deputy David Farias told the news outlet News 3 that he discovered the truck following a search of the brushy area near the South Texas Botanical Gardens during his commute to work, The Christian Post reports.
“We had some basic discussions on looking for him and what we could do starting from the home. I left today headed to work and the first thing I did was check the creek area, Oso Creek,” Farias said. “I was gonna go on to County Road 43 and before I got there, I noticed the barn and it’s all grown over, there’s a lot of brush there so I said, let me take this off my list and clear it. I drove up halfway up the driveway and saw there was a vehicle and with the binoculars, I was able to confirm it was Mr. Loveday’s truck.”
According to reports, Loveday died of a gunshot wound. Police have ruled out foul play.
After calling the CCPP and other authorities, Farias said the body found inside the truck was Loveday.
“Deputies responded to the scene, CCPD, Nueces County, Texas Rangers all responded, found a deceased male in the vehicle, we have determined the deceased male is Mr. Phillip Loveday,” Chief Deputy David Cook with the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Facebook page, titled “Finding Loveday,” issued a statement confirming the news.
“As you have all seen and heard, law enforcement has found Phillip. His family and friends are heartbroken by this news. Please be courteous to the family as they mourn. We appreciate all the prayers, help, and suggestions. The outpouring of love and support of the community has been incredible. Please continue to pray for his family and friends,” the page created by Loveday’s church stated.
Related:
Massive Search Underway for Missing Texas Pastor
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Chalabala
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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