The other day I published a post about a snake-handling Pentecostal Christian, Jamie Coots, who was recently killed by a rattler in a Kentucky Church in the service of Jesus. I also posted a link to a video showing yet another woman, Melinda Brown, killed in 1995 in the same church doing the same thing. The video showed her husband, Punkin Brown, saying that her death from the snakebite meant that it was simply “her appointment to die.” And Punkin himself died of a snakebite three years later, leaving their five kids as orphans.

Now one of these children, Sarah Brown—or someone who claims to be her—has left a comment on this site. I haven’t yet verified this as real, and may not be able to, though the geographic area checks out. And an article from the L. A. Times about Punkin’s death in 1998 and the custody battle over his children shows that he did indeed have a daughter named Sarah, and that she was five at the time. That would make her 21 now.

So let us assume, for the nonce, that the comment below is real, and from Sarah. If it is, it’s ineffably sad, and I have nothing to add.

Sarah brown commented on Religion poisons everything: Another snake-handler bites the dust I just want to say that the word is still true no matter what happens… I am Punkin and melinda browns daughter the one pictured above and no matter what happens in this life it doesnt change Gods word… it was simply just their time to go… no matter if they were in church or driving down the road their names was called just as it was Brother Jamies [Coots] time to go…. and that is alll id like to say…

Here’s the picture of Melinda and, apparently, Sarah that accompanied my original article: