Man accused of killing beloved Atlanta pastor absent from trial

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The man accused of fatally stabbing an Atlanta pastor who was trying to mentor him told DeKalb County police that he had "other engagements" and could not immediately discuss the murder, jurors heard on Wednesday. 

That detail emerged during the second day of testimony in the trial of Christopher Griggs, who is charged with killing Rev. Marita Harrell, a United Methodist minister, in May 2022. Several police officers, crime scene technicians, and the medical examiner testified before the jury on the second day of the trial, providing evidence that they say links Griggs to Harrell's death. 

Christopher Griggs

Griggs, 29, was absent from the courtroom during the proceedings. His defense attorneys informed the judge that their client had concerns about the presence of the media and the victim's family in the courtroom. The judge stated that the trial would continue without him. 

Testimony began with a carpet cleaner who told jurors he had been contacted by Griggs the day after the murder to clean the carpets at the defendant’s home. According to DeKalb County police, Harrell was stabbed in Griggs' bedroom at a rental house on Panola Road. 

When police questioned Griggs the day after the murder, he initially denied any involvement, telling investigators in a recorded interview played for the jury, "I know nothing. I was at home all day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m." He did acknowledge that Harrell had visited his home that afternoon. "She came to my house around 2:48 p.m. We were friends. We met when I was in the Fulton County Jail," Griggs said, adding that she left at 4 p.m. 

Marita Harrell (Family photo)

Prosecutors presented video evidence from a crime scene technician showing black stains on the carpet, particularly in the master bedroom, where there were no sheets on the bed, and the mattress pad was in the dryer. 

During opening statements, Griggs’ defense attorneys suggested that the landlord, LaKeya Reid, was responsible for Harrell’s death. However, police and prosecutors have dismissed that claim. Detective R.L. Byars testified that Reid, a mother of three, was interviewed and released shortly after the murder. "Ms. Reid was very incredulous. She was nervous and couldn’t believe what was happening," Byars said. 

Investigators search a home along Panola Road for evidence in the stabbing death of a DeKalb County pastor on May 19, 2022. (FOX 5)

Reid, who voluntarily surrendered her phone to authorities, was never charged in the case. She took the stand Tuesday to deny any involvement in the pastor’s murder.