Man of Cloth Accused of Murder to Obtain Trust Fund

Check out the following facts as reported in Pastor who gave eulogy accused of murder, CNN.com, Nov. 30, 2006 and Former California Pastor Accused of Killing Man for His Multimillion-Dollar Trust Fund, FOXNews.com, Nov. 29, 2006:

• Frank Craig (a farmer in his 80s) hired Rev. Howard Douglas Porter to help him develop a museum in Hickman, California.
• Frank named Rev. Porter as the trustee of Frank’s estate with an estimated value of $4 million which Frank had inherited from his brother.
• Frank removes his family members as beneficiaries and replaces them with Rev. Porter’s church.
• In 2002, Frank and Rev. Porter had a car accident in which Rev. Porter veered his truck off a rural road and struck an oak tree.  Craig survived the crash but was crippled.
• In 2004, Rev. Porter plunged his pickup truck into an irrigation canal and Frank drowned; Rev. Porter walked away unharmed.
• Rev. Porter eulogized Frank at Frank’s funeral.
• Frank’s family members share their suspicions with police but the police are slow to act because they were focused on the Scott Peterson case.
• Frank’s family sued Rev. Porter for fraud, claiming that Frank’s two sisters were deprived when the trust was changed to benefit Rev. Porter’s church.
• Frank’s family and Rev. Porter settle a wrongful death lawsuit.
• Rev. Porter detained this week at a border checkpoint at San Ysidro while returning to the United States from Mexico.
• Rev. Porter is expected to face charges of murder, attempted murder and embezzlement from an elderly person.

Special thanks to all of you who sent me information about this case.