Accused murderer gets baptized with family present - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

The Colbert County sheriff wants to know how family members got word of a murder suspect's trip to church.

Ronald Weems had a reunion with his children at a church, where he went to get baptized.

Sheriff Ronnie Mays said this situation put everyone at the church in danger, including his deputy, had things taken a negative turn.

Weems has been in jail for nearly a year, charged with the gruesome murder of Amanda Taylor.

Investigators said Weems got help dismembering her body and disposing it along a Colbert County road.

Sheriff Mays said if and when inmates are approved to get baptized at a church, it's supposed to happen without any prior notification to the inmate, and families are not allowed to be there. Only the deputy escort and one or two church officials are supposed to be there.

Mays said it was the church liaison who breeched jail security procedure alerting Weems and his family of the baptism arrangements.

Mays said when his deputy got on scene, he never called to verify family permission to be there. 

"When you've got several family members there, you don't know what their intent is. It can turn into a very dangerous situation for the inmate, for the family members that are there, and absolutely a very dangerous situation for the officer that's there," Mays said.

Mays said the church representative is not allowed back into their facilities, and he is reviewing the working relationship they have with the church.

He said he will also review the jail's religious policies and make any changes he sees fit to keep something like this from happening again.

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