{UAH} Priest, wife, son found dead in west Houston apartment - Houston Chronicle

An Episcopal priest, his wife and their youngest son were found dead Monday morning in an apartment in west Houston.

The bodies were found about 9:30 a.m. at the Memorial City Apartments at in the 800 block of Strey near Barryknoll, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said preliminary reports indicate three people died at the scene. Initial reports also indicate there was a great deal of blood at the apartment.

The Episcopal Diocese of Texas identified the three as Israel Ahimbisibwe, 51, the vicar at Redeemer Episcopal Church, his wife, Dorcas, and their 5-year-old son, Israel Jr., or Jay.

Workers at the apartment complex leasing office alerted authorities early Monday that they could not contact the residents at the apartment. Firefighters with the Houston Fire Department went to the scene and found the three bodies.

Police said  there was no sign of forced entry and the victims had unknown types of wounds.

Keever Wallace, who watched as police investigated the scene, said  he attends Redeemer. He said Ahimbisibwe had not been at church on Sunday and when Wallace and his wife knocked on the apartment door to check on the family, no one answered. Then they called the apartment office. Wallace said neighbors told him they had not seen the family since Friday.

Other neighbors in the well-kept apartment complex were disturbed when they saw reports about the deaths.

"It's frightening," said 73-year-old neighbor Michael Akhtari said. "It's scary."

Ahimbisibwe, a native of Uganda, was ordained in the Church of Uganda and held masters degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School, the diocese said in a statement.

After completing graduate research at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, he earned an additional masters and doctorate from Rice University. He was named priest in charge at Redeemer in 2011.

"This is a horrific and awful tragedy," said C. Andrew Doyle, the Episcopal Bishop of Texas, "We are in touch with the police and Israel's family here in Houston. Please keep the Ahimbisibwe and Redeemer families in your prayers."

More details will be reported as the story develops.

http://m.chron.com/houston/article/3-dead-at-west-Houston-apartment-6056555.php

Brian M. Kwesiga

President and CEO,

Ugandan North American Association - UNAA

972.415.6372 | www.unaa.org | "United We Stand"