Song Su Kim, 30, of Falls Church has been charged by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly murdering a man and seriously wounding the man’s wife at the Anna Prayer Counseling and Retreat Center in Urbana, Md. Authorities charged Kim with first degree murder and attempted first degree murder, along with other offenses, according to court documents.
Police received a report of a stabbing at the church and retreat center early Sunday evening, according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities reported arriving at a “very bloody” and “very gruesome” scene. Kim, who had been staying at the retreat center for about five days when the incident occurred, was taken in for questioning and later charged with murder and attempted murder.
The majority of the people affiliated with the religious center are of South Korean descent, according to authorities. Authorities said that the slain man and his wife were pastors from South Korea, who were visiting the United States as part of a religious trip. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and his wife was flown to a local hospital and is in stable but serious condition.
At a Monday news conference, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said the suspect used a knife from a kitchen at the center in the attack. Officers are still looking for the weapon and determining Kim’s motive in the alleged attack. The investigation is still underway. Kim is being held at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center.
