In a tragic series of events that unfolded in Mobile, Alabama, Pastor Robert Anthony Matthews, a 68-year-old male, was fatally shot on the evening of October 20, 2024. The beloved leader of the Joy Tabernacle Full Gospel Church was at his home when the violence erupted, an event that would also leave his wife of nearly 50 years, Twinetta Matthews, with serious injuries.
The couple's own 36-year-old daughter, Charity Aleis Matthews, was identified as the alleged assailant in the shocking domestic incident.
The events leading up to the fatal shooting suggest a period of escalating violence. The day before the incident at her parents' home, Charity Matthews allegedly engaged in other shootings. Authorities reported that she fired shots at her brother's car, though he was not injured. Later that same day, she is accused of shooting the father of one of her children. Following the shooting of her parents, she reportedly fled the scene with her two young children.
Law enforcement apprehended Charity Matthews the following day, on October 21, at a Marriott Hotel on Airport Boulevard in Mobile. She was subsequently charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of reckless endangerment. In the wake of her arrest, the legal process began to unfold. The Mobile County District Attorney's office indicated that they were seeking to have her charges upgraded to capital murder, which could make her eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Furthermore, officials initiated the process of a mental competency evaluation to determine her fitness to stand trial. Charity Matthews is being held without bond under Aniah's Law, which permits judges to deny bail for individuals charged with violent crimes.
