"A Jamaican cult leader whose followers killed two people in a
Kevin Smith, 39, was killed alongside a police officer when the car taking him from Montego Bay to Kingston crashed on Monday.
Smith was arrested last week over an alleged human sacrifice ritual which left two people dead and three more injured and was waiting to be formally charged.
The cult leader allegedly oversaw congregants slash the throat of a woman, kill another person, and stab at least three more as part of the ritual at Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries on October 17.
Two police officers involved in the crash were left in a critical condition while Smith and a third cop were killed.
Smith was on his way to court in Kingston where he was set to be formally charged over the deaths of two people during an alleged human sacrifice ritual during a three-day convention on October 17.
The preacher had told the congregation there would be a 'great flood' and asked his followers to gather at the church and leave their phones wrapped in tin foil at home. According to Ricketts, Smith would demand his followers to “take a knee,” when addressing him, asking them to refer to him as “Crown Bishop… at all times.”
At the church the attendees dressed in white robes, were allegedly instructed to take part in a bloodletting ritual which involved people getting 'stabbed' and 'slashed', witnesses told local media.
'I was outside waiting to go in... when I saw the lady's throat being slashed,' a woman who did not want to be named told the Jamaica Observer.
'It was very intense. When I saw blood and the young lady fell, I said 'This is it for me,' and I walked away; I could not stay, I couldn't.'
The victim who had her throat slashed was named locally as Tanecka Gardner, though this was not confirmed by police. Then a man was ordered to strip naked and died in the same way to get the 'impure' blood out of his body.
At least 14 minors were found at the scene and taken into custody. There were later allegations of abuse against the boys, police said.
The source added: There is huge concern that influential people - including other local police officials - were involved and that this may have happened before and gone unreported.
The entire congregation had been called to the church and around 50 had arrived wearing white when the killing started. Scores could have died.
They had done two days of fasting on Friday and Saturday and the ritual began on Sunday, with people lining up to board "the Ark" after Smith warned a great flood was coming.
Before the ritual began on Sunday, Smith posted on Facebook: 'The Ark is loading now! Leave immediately dressed in white.
'I am His Excellency Dr Kevin O Smith D.Min, Crown Bishop and
He also told followers he was leading them on a 'Noah's Ark' journey to salvation and that there would be 'no survivors' from the 'Roman Catholic sacrifice'.
Local media reported Smith swindled his congregation out of up to £7,000 a week which he then used to fund his lavish lifestyle - including designer clothes and jewellery, a £5000,000 hillside mansion with a private swimming pool, and a new BMW X6.
Management consultant Dr Henley Morgan has admitted opening doors for Pastor Kevin O. Smith to access the corridors of power locally.
Morgan said during the early days, Smith showed “great charisma and great prophetic powers”.
