Wife pulls gun on pastor in church
Pastor Dale Morgan
Wife pulls gun on pastor in church*
Woman upset over text messages husband
allegedly sent to member of youth group
By Judy Beard
NEWPORT -- A hostage standoff at a Newport church ended without injury
Sunday night when the suspect -- the preacher's wife -- surrendered to
local law enforcement.
Police say Tammy Estes started the standoff at the Pentecostal Church of
God at around 7 p.m. when she pulled a gun on her husband, church
preacher Larry Estes.
According to congregation members, Estes was upset over sexual text
messages that her husband had allegedly been exchanging with a member of
the church's youth group.
The altar service had just begun when Tammy Estes allegedly pulled a gun
and demanded her husband admit his infidelity. Most church members
exited quickly, although several stayed behind in an attempt to talk
Estes into surrendering.
Police arrived with hostages still in the church. Over the next two
hours, the hostages exited the church one by one with instructions that
the police should leave.
At about 9 p.m. Tammy Estes' parents entered the church. Ten minutes
later she released the remaining hostages and surrendered to police.
She was transported to the Jackson County Detention Center and is
expected to be arraigned today.
Larry Estes was hired as the church's minister a little more than a year
ago. He is also the owner of DaBoyz Plumbing.