By: David Rice Re: Priest dbl murder/suicid MOUNTAIN LAKES, N.J., (ITN) A minister bought

By: David Rice
Re: Priest dbl murder/suicid

MOUNTAIN LAKES, N.J., (ITN) * A minister bought a 10-cent
bookmark inscribed with the Lord's Prayer, then smashed his
car into a concrete barrier, killing himself on the day he
was to be questioned about a double murder, police said
Wednesday.

The Rev. James S. Castria, 45, pastor of the Faithful Gospel
Church in Clifton, N.J., died Tuesday when his car rammed
into a bridge abutment at 80 mph, said Sgt. Rick Antero.

"The evidence ... would suggest that it was a suicide,"
Antero said.

Castria was due to meet with authorities in connection with
the slaying of Lowell Engel, 68, and his wife, Susan, 50,
whose bludgeoned bodies were found March 23 in the woods of
the Poconos mountains, near Stroudsburg, Pa. Authorities
believe they had been killed several weeks earlier.

The Engels disappeared from their home in the New York City
borough of Staten Island in January after receiving an
$85,000 inheritance. Engel had shared a bank account with
Castria.

Castria admitted to Pennsylvania state police that he stole
$40,000 from the Engels, the Staten Island Advance reported
Wednesday, citing unidentified police sources.

The minister was to meet with Pennsylvania State Police on
Tuesday, but skipped the appointment, The New York Times
reported.

Hours later, he stopped at the Faithful Source Bookstore in
Mountain Lakes, about 15 miles from his home in Clifton, and
asked for a bookmark with the Lord's Prayer on it, Antero
said.

"The clerk said 'Will the 23rd Psalm do?' And he said,
'That'll do just fine,"' Antero said.

Castria walked out of the store with the bookmark reading
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ...," got into his
car and drove about 700 feet down the road, switching from
lane to lane until he crashed into the abutment at 80 mph,
Antero said.

Castria performed the Engels' marriage ceremony, and he
delivered their eulogy, the newspapers said.


... "Cleansing a chosen group ... that is sin?" -- Phil Morrison