A 67-year-old woman was brutally murdered by her roommate in Rockville, Maryland, this week, and the only apparent reason for the violence appears to be that the suspect believed her roommate was practicing witchcraft.

Early Tuesday morning, a relative grew concerned about the elderly victim, Chong Park, and asked the housing authority where she lived to check on her safety. When they entered the apartment, they found a gruesome scene and discovered the victim’s body.

Police arrived moments later, and discovered Park’s roommate, Rita Sanders-Campfield (pictured above), in the other bedroom, where a bloody pair of scissors were recovered from her bed along with several articles of blood soaked clothes found in Sanders-Campfield’s closet. A large knife was also found on the victim’s body.

According to local news, Sanders-Campfield was found “squirming under the sheets of her bed” and had sustained several injuries that were “possibly bite marks” on her arm. The victim’s daughter told authorities that during her last visit Sanders-Campfield spoke a lot about the topic of religion and of her desire to be “perfected,” but was not clear as to what that may have meant.

Police also discovered a journal that was hand written by Sanders-Campfield, which may shed some light on the possible motive for the gruesome crime. In it, she calls Parker “evil” and makes claims that her roommate was “practicing witchcraft.” She is now sitting in a detention center in what is described as a catatonic state, not speaking other than occasionally mumbling incoherently to herself. This is a striking contrast to the bright, articulate woman who delivered a speech for a fund-raising event for the housing development where she lived just a few months earlier (see the video here). Sanders-Campfield, who had no history of violent behavior, holds a doctorates degree in zoology, and seemed genuinely happy and optimistic at the event in May.

Currently, Sanders-Campfield is in detention awaiting a mental health evaluation before her bond hearing, which is scheduled for next week. So far, reports indicate that she has been unable to have a conversation with either her lawyer or a therapist, and it is unclear at this time if she will be able to stand trial.

As bizarre as this story may be, it echoes other cases that have been seen in recent headlines. In October, 21-year-old Isaiah Zoar Marin brutally murdered a 19-year-old acquaintance in Oklahoma and nearly beheaded him, saying that he too was practicing witchcraft. Such occurrences of violence against accused witches are growing around the world as well. In Paraguay, a 45-year-old woman was burned at the stake after accusations that she was practicing witchcraft just last month. In addition to the United States, crimes related to accusations of witchcraft have also been seen in India, Tanzania, and other nations in just the past few months.

[Image: Washington Times]