Hey everyone, and welcome back to Big Mad True Crime, where we get Big Mad over True Crime.

I'm your host, Heather Ashley, and today's case is out of Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Small talk sucks, so let's dive in.

Music Sutherland Springs is an unincorporated community of about 600 people, not far from San Antonio. In 2017, the town was so

small, it only had one blinking traffic light. There was a family dollar, a gas station,

a post office, a community center, and at the heart of it all, the first Baptist church of

Sutherland Springs, a modest

little white building that had stood for nearly a century. According to W.R.A.L., the inside was simple,

white walls, brown wooden pews, and an altar that was little more than a carpeted stage

with a wooden podium. The church was the hub of the

entire community. There was a children's choir, a youth group, movie nights, and Bible study for men and

women. Thursday nights spent a fellowship dinner and food distribution for those in need. On Sundays,

breakfast was served at 9.15 in the morning, followed by Sunday

school, and then main worship service started at 11. Most weeks, about 50 people came through the doors,

many dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts. Before service started, they greeted each other

with hugs, caught up in the aisles, and let their kids roam the hall while music played.

It was exactly what you would expect from a small town church.

On the morning of November 5th, 2017, families filed in as usual.

Brian Halcombe was the guest pastor that day, filling in while their

main pastor was traveling. Brian was known for being warm and joyful. A real family man, he was

deeply connected to his parents, his wife, his four children, and his five grandchildren.

Brian's wife, Carla, was a youth leader. People knew her as both

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