Warrant: Man tried to blackmail murdered Durham priest
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A search warrant made public Wednesday says 36-year-old Matthew John Reed tried to blackmail 71-year-old Durham priest Kent Hinkson before allegedly murdering him.
The warrant also says Reed admitted to the killing.
Reed is charged with first-degree murder.
Hinkson's body was found Aug. 10 in a heavily wooded area of Eno River State Park about 15 miles from his home.
According to the search warrant, Hinkson left his home the afternoon of Aug. 4 to visit a pharmacy and make a deposit at a Durham bank. That was the last time his family saw him alive.
On Aug. 6, Hinkson's Hyundai Sonata was found abandoned in the 1800 block of Williamsburg Way. The warrant says police found a reddish brown substance in the car that appeared to be blood.
The next day, police spoke with Reed's brother-in-law -- a Pennsylvania police officer -- who told them Reed's mother had told him he had confessed to having killed someone.
"...something had gotten out of hand and had to do with sex, money, and a person with a prominent position in the community," reads the warrant.
On Aug. 9, Durham detectives again spoke with the brother-in-law who told them he had personally spoken with Reed, who told him he had been taking meth and had met with a prominent preacher and had attempted to blackmail him. He said he told the preacher he would tell his wife about the meeting unless he was paid and then admitted to killing the preacher "with his own two hands."
Later on Aug. 9, Reed called Durham detectives himself and said he had taken a life and that he was cold and hungry and ready to turn himself in.
Detectives met Reed at a Greensboro McDonald's and arrested him.
During the drive back, Reed allegedly told detectives he met Hinkson just two hours before killing him. He said Hinkson picked him up at a Durham McDonald's.
He later took detectives to Hinkson's body.
The details in the warrant are new to the public but not Hinkson's family.
"The family's hanging in there," said Brian Gillman, a close family friend speaking on their behalf. "They've just been tremendously encouraged by the support and the love they've been getting from the community and from family and friends."
While the new details are shocking, the Hinkson family says it did not encourage police to keep the information private.
"No, absolutely not," said Gillman. "The family doesn't want to hinder the law enforcement work that's still ongoing. Law enforcement has been taking the lead from the get go and we defer to them in all matters."
Hinkson served at Durham's Anglican All Saints Church.
