Doll Found Hanging From Noose at Church

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A maintenance man found the doll, which was hanging from a tree in front of the City of Zion Church, about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, said Gregory Strong, the pastor. Someone had written racial slurs on the doll, along with references to President Obama, he said.

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Strong said he called police, and the doll was removed before congregants arrived for services. He said he thought the doll was meant to scare congregants in the days before Tuesday’s election.

“This was not coincidence,” he said.

Jim Collins, a Laurel police spokesman, said that officers collected fingerprints from the doll and rope and remained in the area, undercover, looking for suspects. There were no leads Monday, he said.

He said the words used and the way they were written indicated that the incident was not an act of teenage vandalism but an orchestrated effort by an adult. {snip}

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