WAFF 48 News Investigators
Natashay Ward:
Paying for prayers?
May 5, 2005, 8:32 AM
Three young children starved to death. Their mother is charged with their deaths. But now a new twist.
The WAFF 48 News Investigators uncovered information about what Natashay Ward was doing in the weeks leading up to the deaths of her children.
The WAFF 48 News Investigators received a tip that Natashay Ward had contact with several valley churches and at least two national religious broadcasts prior to her children's deaths. And the information reveals she may have even sent them money. Money that could have been used to buy her children food.
Natashay Ward. A religious woman? That's how some closest to her describe the mother accused of starving her three children to death.
In the month prior to police finding her three children dead in their Patton Road Apartment, Ward received pamphlets from Lincoln Church of Christ in the mail.
Minister Ron Williams, "I'm very sure that's likely how she ended up getting the information."
Williams says Ward then read and completed the Bible study questionaires found on the last page from each of the eight lessons. Then she returned them as stated to the church where they were "graded."
"I believe she did quite well in regards to the study of the Bible that she had." Williams says Ward then asked for and completed another Bible study provided by a couple belonging to the church.
"We had a husband and wife that corresponded with her in regard to the mailings and such things. And then I believe at the completion of either one of the courses or both of the courses, they sent something, they took something to her and her family in her home," says Williams.
That was just weeks before police found Shaneika, Latrica and Christopher Ward dead in their apartment. Williams confirms, "The last correspondence was sometime in January 2005."
We're told that wasn't the only religious interaction Natashay Ward had around the time her children died. She received more than $500 from the government each month. Plus some $400 in food stamps.
Sources tell the WAFF 48 News Investigators Ward sent hundreds of dollars to television evangelist Joyce Meyers.
And that's not all. We're also told ward sponsored a child monetarily through the TBN Network.
We contacted both shows. They couldn't comment.
However it is clear neither show had any knowledge what was going on in the Ward home.
Pastor T.C. Johnson has seen similar situations. "I've counseled many folk on the fact that you can't buy God. You know God expects you to take care of yourself."
"I've had a lot of cases where people felt like in order to serve god and be pleasing in god's sight, they had to do literal things," Johnson added, "They can go to an extreme."
An "extreme" leaving the question: Could natashay Ward really be religious?
"With the filling out of both courses of study, it would certainly suggest, here was a lady seeking to know what God wanted her to know and what the word of God says." Williams says Natashay Ward asked for yet another study. That last time the couple from his church talked to her. She never received it.
We contacted Ward's lead defense attorney Mark McDaniel about this story. He could not comment at this time.
Tuesday night, we'll take a look at who failed the Ward children and how Natashay Ward herself was failed.
http://www.waff.com/global/story.asp?s=3290256&ClientType=Printable
A WORLD GONE MAD
Natashay Ward:
Paying for prayers?
May 5, 2005, 8:32 AM
Three young children starved to death. Their mother is charged with their deaths. But now a new twist.
The WAFF 48 News Investigators uncovered information about what Natashay Ward was doing in the weeks leading up to the deaths of her children.
The WAFF 48 News Investigators received a tip that Natashay Ward had contact with several valley churches and at least two national religious broadcasts prior to her children's deaths. And the information reveals she may have even sent them money. Money that could have been used to buy her children food.
Natashay Ward. A religious woman? That's how some closest to her describe the mother accused of starving her three children to death.
In the month prior to police finding her three children dead in their Patton Road Apartment, Ward received pamphlets from Lincoln Church of Christ in the mail.
Minister Ron Williams, "I'm very sure that's likely how she ended up getting the information."
Williams says Ward then read and completed the Bible study questionaires found on the last page from each of the eight lessons. Then she returned them as stated to the church where they were "graded."
"I believe she did quite well in regards to the study of the Bible that she had." Williams says Ward then asked for and completed another Bible study provided by a couple belonging to the church.
"We had a husband and wife that corresponded with her in regard to the mailings and such things. And then I believe at the completion of either one of the courses or both of the courses, they sent something, they took something to her and her family in her home," says Williams.
That was just weeks before police found Shaneika, Latrica and Christopher Ward dead in their apartment. Williams confirms, "The last correspondence was sometime in January 2005."
We're told that wasn't the only religious interaction Natashay Ward had around the time her children died. She received more than $500 from the government each month. Plus some $400 in food stamps.
Sources tell the WAFF 48 News Investigators Ward sent hundreds of dollars to television evangelist Joyce Meyers.
And that's not all. We're also told ward sponsored a child monetarily through the TBN Network.
We contacted both shows. They couldn't comment.
However it is clear neither show had any knowledge what was going on in the Ward home.
Pastor T.C. Johnson has seen similar situations. "I've counseled many folk on the fact that you can't buy God. You know God expects you to take care of yourself."
"I've had a lot of cases where people felt like in order to serve god and be pleasing in god's sight, they had to do literal things," Johnson added, "They can go to an extreme."
An "extreme" leaving the question: Could natashay Ward really be religious?
"With the filling out of both courses of study, it would certainly suggest, here was a lady seeking to know what God wanted her to know and what the word of God says." Williams says Natashay Ward asked for yet another study. That last time the couple from his church talked to her. She never received it.
We contacted Ward's lead defense attorney Mark McDaniel about this story. He could not comment at this time.
Tuesday night, we'll take a look at who failed the Ward children and how Natashay Ward herself was failed.
http://www.waff.com/global/story.asp?s=3290256&ClientType=Printable
A WORLD GONE MAD
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 11:10 PM
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