Mississippi minister beaten and left for dead after taking a wrong turn leaving Memphis airport
Two men brutally beat a Mississippi minister after he took a wrong turn leaving the Memphis International Airport and got lost on his way home.
Willie Hamblen, 84, was returning from attending a funeral in Texas Sept. 14. After leaving the airport he made a wrong turn from Interstate 240 and ended up in a South Memphis neighborhood and got stranded in his vehicle on a railroad track at Pendleton Street and Frisco Avenue.
While he was waiting on a tow truck a man approached Hamblen, left, and returned in a vehicle with a second individual. The men beat and robbed him, hitting him over the head with an assault rifle, knocking him down on the tracks, and causing profuse bleeding, according to media reports.
They stole his wallet which contained about $1,200, his keys, and a phone. Hamblen’s encounter left him with painful bruises that included a concussion, broken ribs, and bruises. He hasn't preached at his church since the attack but hopes to return this Sunday.
The family of the Hamblen’s posted the following on the church’s Facebook page, “We would like to sincerely thank each of you for the outpouring of love to our parents during this time. The cards, prayers, visits, food, errands and so much more are very much appreciated. We are always overwhelmed by your kindness and compassion. Though other obligations keep us from being with our parents throughout this time, we are relieved and comforted by knowing of your love for them. We thank God for each of you!”
Hamblen’s church is located in Houston, Miss., about 100 miles southeast of Memphis.