Law enforcement investigators in Mississippi are trying to find out who killed two nuns inside their home outside of Jackson and why.
Durant Assistant Police Chief James Lee said Thursday that an officer found Paula Merrill and Margaret Held after they failed to show up for work.
One is a member of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky. The other is part of the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee.
The two were practicing sisters. Investigators said there is no clear motive behind the killings but they are looking into whether or not their religious work had anything to do with the murders.
According to Facebook page for the School Sisters of St. Francis, the two spent more than 30 years ministering in Mississippi and helping the disadvantaged.
"The people who are doing all of these things don't care whether you're a nun or whether your child," Mimi Willis said.
Authorities have not said how the women died, although they said it appeared they were not shot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
