Rev. Strick Strickland refutes inappropriate relationship allegations in police report
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Rev. Strick Strickland is responding to allegations made by Donnovan Lewis, the man police say confessed to killing Aniya Mack.
In a 79-page police report, Lewis told police while leading them to her body in June that Mack's alleged relationship with the pastor pushed him over the edge, but Strickland says all allegations are ministry related.
The former Kalamazoo Valley Community College basketball player accused Strickland, pastor of Second Baptist Church, of paying Mack's car loan. Police records show Strickland tried to claim the car from police, a month after Mack died.
Strickland said in a text message that the Second Baptist Church has helped more than 30 families with transportation barriers and Mack was no different.
Lewis also accused Strickland of paying Mack’s rent. Strickland counters that claim by saying in a text, “We have shared thousands of dollars of resources to help members with rent, utilities, food”
As for the claim that Strickland threatened Mack during an all-expenses paid trip to Mississippi, Strickland said in a text, “The all-expenses paid trip was a choir trip with 50 other people. This trip was also all expenses paid for all college studentsMy family (and) wife were with us.”
Strickland points out that Lewis has already confessed and intends to plead insanity.
Strickland also serves as president of the Metropolitan Kalamazoo chapter of the NAACP and says this is an attempt to discredit the church, the NAACP and a black leader.
While the pastor is clearing up controversy, questions remain about the video Lewis made after he killed Mack. The now-deleted video shows a sexually-explicit text message sent from Strickland to Mack.
The police report also reveals Lewis has a history of assaulting Mack. He remains behind bars at the Kalamazoo County Jail.
The following is the full statement released by Strickland:
All of the things that I am being Accused of are ministry related!
1. Second Baptist under my leadership has helped more than 30 families with transportation barriers Aniya's situation was no different.
2. We have shared thousands of dollars of resources to help members with rent, utilities, food...
3. The All Expenses Paid trip was a choir trip with 50 other people. This trip was also all expenses paid for all College Students of which there was 6-8 more! Who all shared rooms together. My family wife and kids where with us...
lastly, this is an attempt to discredit the church, the NAACP, and the black leader. However, I'm not running from this story. I am rather trying to be sensitive to the source of your information (A young man I don't know at all. Who has killed his ex-girlfriend and is declaring himself insane!) his family deserves peace and my response to the propaganda will only disrupt their peace!
Ultimately and finally, I have no control over people's dreams and feel that it is extremely unfair that I be held accountable for was a person thinks or imagines is happening!
In this particular case we have a young man who has confessed to murder and I'm sure that had I been a white leader here in Kalamazoo that would be no story especially based solely upon the word of a confessed killer and self-proclaimed insane suspect.
Aniya Mack's memory deserves to be left in tack! Here is a young lady that has already lost her life and future and now she is being denigrated to nothing more than her pastor's mistress! That's the biggest injustice of all!
