NEW ALBANY, Ind. — A southern Indiana man whose wife and two children were found dead in a creek last week said he has no idea what happened to them, but the family’s pastor said he doesn’t believe faith played a role in their deaths.
Pastor J. Todd Nichols of Greater Faith Church in New Albany told WHAS-TV for a story Monday that the deaths of 35-year-old Jamie Clutter, 10-year-old Brandon Clutter and 6-month-old Katelyn Clutter have been painful for the church.
The nude bodies of the Clutters were found Wednesday in a shallow New Albany creek. Police say they found a baby harness and a Bible nearby.
Nichols said Jaime Clutter was a deeply spiritual person but that he and her husband, Michael Clutter, don’t think faith played a role in her death.
“Obviously the situation is very grave and painful for our church,” he said. “We have no idea how things turned out the way they did or why they did, and we just ask the community to pray with us to find the truth.”
Autopsies showed the children had drowned. Jamie Clutter’s cause of death is still undetermined. Investigators are waiting for more information from toxicology reports, which could take several weeks.
The Clutter family had recently moved to New Albany from Washington state.
Michael Clutter said he doesn’t “have a clue” why his family was killed. Their bodies were found in a park less than a mile from their apartment.
“My wife was just a very sweet person and she was the best mother to the kids that anyone could ever have,” Clutter said.
“I wish somehow I could have them back,” he said. “I would give anything to have them back.”
