Slain Pastor's Car Key To Investigation

ATLANTA,None — Matthew Moses said the last time he saw his father, Derek Moses, alive his dad hugged him and told him he loved him.

A co-worker found Derek Moses shot to death Monday morning at his financial planning office on Cascade Road in southwest Atlanta. The office is down the block from Providence Missionary Baptist Church, where Moses served as an associate pastor. Authorities said Moses had multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

Atlanta police told Channel 2 on Thursday the leading working theory is that Moses was killed in order to steal his car, which was found on Montreat Avenue, nearly two miles away from his office.

Moses' son, Matthew Moses, told investigative reporter Mark Winne he cannot accept the primary reason police believe his father was killed.

"I mean that would be ridiculous, it would be senseless," said Matthew.

Matthew said his dad found his calling as an accountant, financial planner and associate pastor. He combined his passions and skills together to help churches and others plan their futures, said Matthew.

"He really did genuinely want to help people," said Matthew.

Friends and neighbors told Channel 2's Tom Jones they were shocked that anybody would want to hurt Derek Moses and said the community is suffering from this tragic loss.

Police said they found no signs of forced entry and Derek Moses' four-door navy blue BMW 530i was the only thing missing from his office.

Homicide Detective Summer Benton walked us through the crime scene where Derek Moses was killed to where his car was found. Police also took Winne inside the high security evidence cage to see the blue BMW they recovered.

Police told us the car could be the key to catching the pastor's killer, if someone saw who was in the vehicle within the 48 hours after Moses was shot. Benton said the victim's vehicle was taken immediately after he was shot in the face at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Authorities indicated witnesses saw at least two people run from the abandoned car on Montreat Avenue, about 1.8 miles from where Derek Moses was found, on Monday afternoon.

Derek Moses' business partner, Coy Paschal, told Channel 2, "We were more like brothers than business partners. Derek was our anchor. We want to know what happened."

Matthew said his father was taken from him too soon, "It's tough when someone is taken, versus him leaving," he said.

Police ask that anybody who may have seen Derek Moses' stolen 2002 navy blue BMW 530i with a golf tag between Saturday and Monday afternoons please call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS.

The Moses family asked that anybody who wants to donate in honor of Derek Moses should donate to Fisk University in Nashville, where he obtained his undergraduate degree before pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University in New York City.

WSBTV