Katie 
Lloyd Eddie Lasker Jr, 49, and his wife, Stella Lasker. [Image credit: HORAD Ministries Facebook Page]
49-year-old Lloyd Eddie Lasker Jr, pastor at House of Refuge and Deliverance was under investigation for possible child abuse related to an exorcism preformed on an "emaciated" 21-month old child when he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
On September 22, Conway Police Detective Brittani Little showed up at his residence to ask some questions pertaining to the ongoing investigation but found that he was not home.
Officers located his truck a short time later though, and found him seated in the passenger side of the vehicle with another man, Timothy Bynum, standing near the driver's side of the vehicle.
According to reports, police found a small baggie of methamphetamine in the door panel of the vehicle, a pipe, and another smoking device, as well as more methamphetamine on the floor panel of the passenger side of the vehicle.
Bynum and Lasker were interviewed separately by officers. Bynum states that the drugs belonged to Lasker, and Lasker denied knowledge of the drugs "but did admit to using methamphetamine in the past,” and to having a firearm at his residence.
Bynum was arrested and charged with possession of the drugs located in the door panel and the pipe. Lasker was arrested and charged for the other paraphernalia and the drugs on the floor board of the vehicle.
Officers returned to his home after the arrest to conduct a "probation search" where they located a shotgun and shotgun shells.
During the course of events, Little was able to interview Lasker further concerning the child abuse case. According to the affidavit, Lasker admitted to attempting “to exorcise the demon in (the child) but he would not explain how he did this.” He also stated that he “has used meth in the church several times” including with the mother of the child in question.
Little was the officer that had responded to the call to the church property September 18 for a welfare check, where the 21-month-old child was found, “with multiple bruises from head to toe.” The child was transported to a nearby hospital where he was admitted to the ICU “with a brain bleed and extreme malnourishment.”
During a search of the church later that day, police recovered “one baggy with white crystal residue” believed to be methamphetamine.
Lasker made his first appearance in court on September 23 where he was given a $7,500 bond. He has been released from custody and is due back in court on October 13.
Contributor
