BALTIMORE — Hundreds of people came together for a prayer vigil at Southern Baptist Church Thursday to honor the life of 69-year-old Evelyn Player.
“The devil hit us where it hurts. He hit one of ours. He hit an elderly woman. A faithful child of God. Evelyn Player is her name. A faithful servant of god. But she still got the victory because she’s walking around God’s heaven,” said Southern Baptist Church Pastor Donte Hickman
Family and friends joined by city leaders mourned the loss of Player who was a beloved member and employee of the church.
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“Ms. Evelyn was our sister. This is our church. This is our home and someone came in and violated our home,” said Wes Moore, a candidate for governor who is also a member of the church. "And in the process of violating our home, they took the mother of this church.”
Baltimore Police said Player was found stabbed to death inside of the church early Tuesday morning. Player’s daughter Alethea Finch said she was there to let contractors in who were renovating the building.
So far, no arrests have been made in the case, but Baltimore Police have identified a person of interest.
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“We can’t put a band aid on this, but we got to prioritize our community so sick minds cannot continue to be developed and hurt our people in heinous ways in places that they ought to be safe,” Hickman said.
Dr. Ted Sutton, who is the founder of People Can Change Ministries and Men Against Murder, said it’s important for people to use this moment moving forward to come together and create change in Baltimore.
“We are at a crossroad right now,” he said. “There has to be some accountability so that people can know that you know what we allowed certain things and it wasn’t right but this right here. This has to be the end.”
