Every day (except Mondays) Thorsten showed up at 8 a.m. for his job as church secretary at Fifth Immanuel Lutheran. He would walk over to the church to start work after his breakfast at January Café & Diner eight blocks away. This had been his routine for 40 years.
On Tuesday, June 24, 2021, Thorsten approached the church steps to a horrific sight. Pastor Tammy’s dead body sat in a pool of blood at the top of the steps.
A note was nailed to the wooden frame above the church doors:
Your pastor is dead, and you may be wondering why this is the case. 25 years ago, I was married to your pastor. She was a drunk back then. And the drink drove our family to ruin. One night, while I was at work, she put our two kids (ages three and six) into the minivan and started driving into town. She was blackout drunk and drove into the river. She survived. My children did not. Since our divorce, she has cleaned up her life. Or at least, she has given the appearance of such. But she ruined my life. In all my attempts at forgiveness, I have never reached it. So today, you see the results of my revenge.
Thorsten called 911.
Then he collapsed next to his wife.
When the ambulance arrived, there were two dead bodies in the pool of blood at the top of the steps.