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Pastor arrested for killing 55-year-old father in fight while on ministry trip in Las Vegas
mail online ^ | Joshua Gardner

Posted on 06/08/2014 8:26:26 AM PDT by Morgana

A California youth pastor has been charged with murder after a fight with a Las Vegas man last year ultimately led to his death.

Robert Cox of Manteca, California was just passing through Sin City last June when he stopped for a late dinner with his church group en route to Texas.

There he encountered 55-year-old Link Ellingson. A scuffle broke out in which Cox pushed Ellingson over, causing him to hit his head.

After a six-month coma, Ellingson died from brain hemorrhaging. Now, police are holding the beloved pastor responsible for his death even as members of his family and congregation maintain he was acting in self defense.

Cox, a pastor at The Place of Refuge church, was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on Tuesday on murder and fugitive from justice charges.

He's awaiting extradition to Nevada. An autopsy report said blunt head trauma from the fight was a significant contributing factor.

Cox was on a ministry trip to Texas with his wife and some church interns when they stopped at the Four Kegs pub on June 13, 2013. Group members said they were in the parking lot when Ellingson approached, threatened them and assaulted them.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Religion
KEYWORDS: crime; homosexualagenda; nevada; pastor
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1 posted on 06/08/2014 8:26:27 AM PDT by Morgana
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To: Morgana

Incredibly misleading headline. Sounds like he killed his own father.


2 posted on 06/08/2014 8:37:44 AM PDT by Right Brother
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To: Right Brother

The whole thing is incredibly misleading till you watch the video.


3 posted on 06/08/2014 8:38:43 AM PDT by Morgana ( Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
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To: Morgana

He was 55 and a father? Wow. So descriptive.


4 posted on 06/08/2014 8:41:30 AM PDT by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: Morgana

This MIGHT be manslaughter, at most. And it seems like he may be able to make a good case for self-defense. He’s got a ton of witnesses on his side.

I’m thinking the dead guy must have been dead drunk. Why would you start messing with a whole group of people like that? A church group!

Well, he got dead for his troubles, so let that be a lesson.


5 posted on 06/08/2014 8:42:25 AM PDT by jocon307
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To: Morgana
So, a vacationing church group stops at a roadside place and this huge, probably drunk bastard approaches them and tells them he is going to "f" their women, and then assaults several people. He is asked repeatedly to stop, but he tells them he is still going to "F" with them all, and continues to assault members of the group.

Finally, after five are assaulted, the youth pastor grabs him around the waist and they both fall to the ground where the big brute hits his head. He stumbles away and goes unconscious.

Months later, he dies and they are charging the youth pastor with murder?

There are plenty of witnesses...but the moment of their falling to the ground is not on the surveillance video.

I hope this pastor prevails and sues the living daylights out of the prosecutors, the town, etc., etc.

From the reading, and the testimony of the people who were there...this is a travesty.

6 posted on 06/08/2014 8:43:34 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Jeff Head

I think what jeffhead thinks.


7 posted on 06/08/2014 9:03:05 AM PDT by exPBRrat
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To: Jeff Head

I agree with Jeff Head.


8 posted on 06/08/2014 9:05:26 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Jeff Head

Hard to believe any jury will convict, but why is the jerk DA putting the pastor through this grief?


9 posted on 06/08/2014 9:13:23 AM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Pearls Before Swine

Prolly not much difference between the drunk’s sentiments and the DA’s.


10 posted on 06/08/2014 9:16:12 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Morgana

M4L


11 posted on 06/08/2014 9:17:11 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob (You can count my felonies by looking at my FR replies.)
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To: Pearls Before Swine
Looking at Link's obituary, he was involved with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations. I'm guessing he had powerful friends who could exert influence on his behalf.
12 posted on 06/08/2014 9:23:06 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: PapaBear3625

The obit doesn’t say if he was a mean and crazy drunk.

Maybe he had a brain tumor. But, regardless, if the facts of the matter are as they appear to be, he was an unprovoked aggressor—and bore the consequences.


13 posted on 06/08/2014 9:25:27 AM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Morgana
Group members said they were in the parking lot when Ellingson approached, threatened them and assaulted them.

If this is true it may well not be a crime at all.The defense should be checking the dead guy's entire background.Presumably a toxicology screen was done on the dead guy and possibly the accused as well.Background (of both) and toxicology (of both) would be of great interest to me.Depending on what credible evidence the defense might present I think that I,as a juror,could go with "justifiable self defense".

14 posted on 06/08/2014 10:21:30 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Rat Party Policy:Lie,Deny,Refuse To Comply)
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To: Morgana

Although I certainly could be wrong the first thing that came to mind when I saw his photo was “steroids”.Anyone else?


15 posted on 06/08/2014 10:25:02 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Rat Party Policy:Lie,Deny,Refuse To Comply)
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To: PapaBear3625; All
Yes indeed here is the pull quote from the obit:

‘Link was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was Senior Marketing Director. He was employed for several years with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and On Demand Sedan.’

This was a connected guy and you don't mess with connected guys.

16 posted on 06/08/2014 10:29:20 AM PDT by robowombat
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To: Gay State Conservative

Who do you think was taking steroids?

My thought is booze and anger at God which led him to threaten the group.


17 posted on 06/08/2014 10:36:13 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Morgana

Why does the phrase “Ministry trip in Las Vegas” sound as if the guy was trying to sell air conditioners in h*ll?


18 posted on 06/08/2014 10:46:11 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Jeff Head

I think you’ve nailed it. Even if he did punch the guy, which isn’t believable, it was still self defense. I hope he owns Manteca when all is said and done.


19 posted on 06/08/2014 11:11:02 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" means something different to 0bama.)
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To: Morgana

I find it hard to have a charitable opinion of the DA’s motives.


20 posted on 06/08/2014 11:17:20 AM PDT by AndyTheBear
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