Murder Suspect Prays at Salvation Army Shelter Before Being Arrested

The Salvation Army Harbor Light Shelter in downtown Minneapolis is known for demonstrating Christ’s forgiveness to drug dealers, prostitutes, gang members and other criminals.

Now the list has expanded to include an alleged murderer-on-the-loose.

On Sunday, Aug. 3, Harbor Light administrator Envoy Bill Miller was leading morning worship services when he saw a peculiar sight: Jon Fitzgerald Posey was kneeling at the alter.

Something was off. Miller knew Posey, but had never seen him come forward during church. On top of that, Posey was sobbing uncontrollably.

Then Miller discovered something very alarming.

“(Posey) had fresh blood on his hands,” Miller said. “I asked him what it was about but he just kept crying and crying.”

Miller embraced Posey and prayed with him. Miller is widely known among Minneapolis’ homeless population for the charismatic and uplifting worship services he leads. He’s known for embracing and praying with men and women who have terrible sins to confess. But this time, Miller was praying with a man whose sin – if not for Jesus Christ – was unforgivable.

“(Posery) said to me, “Envoy, I have never asked you for anything. I know you are a good man, please just tell me I am forgiven,’” Miller said. “I prayed the prayer of forgiveness with him.”

Miller soon found out that Posey had allegedly murdered a man just before coming to Harbor Light. Posey, 43, was taken into custody after police followed a blood trail to Harbor Light, Miller said.

According to the Star Tribune, when police found Posey he said “he was going to make their job easier” and confessed to killing a 47-year-old homeless man.

What, you might ask, is the point of telling a disturbing story like this?

“It goes to show who The Salvation Army is serving,” Miller said. “We are a stabilizing force in the most unstable of environments. We will stop at nothing to show God’s love to everybody, no matter how dreadful their sins. We will fight to save every person we possibly can."

“Never, ever give up on anybody,” Miller added.