Slain preacher's body was in staged position, Anadarko investigator said

ANADARKO — Investigators found the body of the Rev. Carol Daniels in what appeared to be a staged position, The Oklahoman learned Wednesday from a source close to the investigation.

Details of Sunday's homicide have been closely guarded by authorities who are working to catch the killer or killers while trying to calm the fears of local residents.

Investigators said they are haunted by the methodical nature of the killing of the woman inside the Christ Holy Sanctified Church, once an old grocery store that sits on the edge of a predominantly black neighborhood.

A source who visited the crime scene described it as "bone-chilling" and "spooky," noting that the killing happened between 10 a.m. and noon Sunday a half block from the Anadarko Police Department. Investigators have retrieved video surveillance of the area covering that time period and the images have been sent to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation lab for enhancement, the source said.

Investigators removed a back door from the church, which fronts a brick-paved alley choked partly by weeds. A large, square piece of black-painted plywood now covers the entryway.

Visitors have started a makeshift memorial of flowers and stuffed animals in front of the tiny church. Daniels, 61, drove from her home in Oklahoma City every Sunday to preach at the church. She was preparing for her morning sermon at the time of the attack. Daniels died from "multiple sharp-force injuries," according to the state Medical Examiner's office.