Pastor's Secret Affair Ends in Fatal Shooting and 20-Year Sentence
In a shocking case that has rocked a Tennessee church community, a pastor's extramarital affair culminated in his murder, with his wife wounded while attempting to protect him. The shooter, a former church member he counselled, has now been sentenced to two decades in prison for the crime.
A Respected Pastor and a Devastating Betrayal
Pastor Brodes Perry, 36, served as an executive pastor at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a figure of religious and moral authority, having previously worked for four years as a pastor of assimilation at Saint Mark Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. His role involved welcoming and counselling new members, a duty that would later intertwine tragically with his personal life.
Brodes lived in Collierville, Tennessee, with his wife Tabatha, 42. Both were deeply devoted to their faith and their new community, having relocated only about six months prior. Their lives were shattered on the night of April 4, 2019, when gunfire erupted in their apartment just after 10pm.
A Night of Violence and a Shocking Revelation
Emergency services rushed to the scene, where police found Brodes gravely injured and lying in a pool of blood. Tabatha was also wounded, while a woman, later identified as Latoshia Daniels, 39, from Arkansas, was reloading a firearm. An officer subdued Daniels with a non-lethal beanbag round, leading to her arrest.
All three were hospitalised. Brodes had been shot five times in the head and torso and succumbed to his injuries the following day. Tabatha survived a gunshot wound to her left shoulder, while Daniels did not require further treatment. The incident quickly unveiled a scandal that devastated the congregation.
The Affair and Its Fatal Aftermath
Investigators discovered that Daniels knew the couple from the church in Little Rock, where Brodes had counselled her during her second marriage breakdown. A mother of two and a social worker specialising in anger management, Daniels had engaged in a secret affair with Brodes.
According to police statements and evidence, Brodes had recently ended the relationship. On the day of the shooting, Daniels purchased a gun and drove from Arkansas to Tennessee. She arrived at the Perrys' apartment, finding Tabatha alone. Tabatha, familiar with Daniels from church activities and tennis, invited her in, unaware of the affair.
After some conversation, Brodes returned home, creating a tense atmosphere. As Daniels prepared to leave, Brodes offered for Tabatha to walk her to her car. Daniels became upset that Brodes did not accompany her, stopped, pulled a gun from her coat, and cried, "You broke my heart," before opening fire. Tabatha was shot while trying to shield her husband.
A Lengthy Legal Battle and Trial Revelations
Daniels was charged with first-degree murder and firearm possession. Due to court delays, the trial did not commence until November 2025, six years after the murder. She had been released on $250,000 bail in February 2023.
The week-long trial revealed scandalous details. The prosecution argued the killing was premeditated, as Daniels bought the gun hours beforehand. The defence contended she was experiencing a mental health crisis and had no prior criminal record.
Daniels testified that the affair began in early 2017 during counselling sessions, when Brodes kissed her. She described strict rules he imposed: communicating via an app with disappearing messages, travelling together with her paying her own way while he covered hotels, being naked upon his arrival, and addressing him as "sir." She claimed Brodes told her his wife had agreed to a "sister wives" arrangement, which she believed due to his pastoral authority.
After Brodes moved to Memphis, he grew distant and ended the affair via the messaging app. Daniels stated she bought the gun intending to kill herself and visited for a final explanation, but reached for it in frustration when Brodes did not confess to Tabatha.
Wife's Testimony and the Final Verdict
Tabatha Perry took the stand, denying any knowledge of the affair or a "sister wives" agreement, though she conceded the relationship existed. She recounted the shooting, noting Daniels told her to "back off" before shooting her. The bullet remained in her body for months, causing ongoing pain.
In November 2025, the jury convicted Daniels, then 46, of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. In February 2026, she was sentenced. Daniels apologised in court, saying, "To Tabatha, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you... I'm godly sorry."
The judge sentenced her to 20 years for second-degree murder and just over 11 months for reckless endangerment, to be served concurrently, stating, "A broken heart does not justify someone dying." The case serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of betrayal and violence.
