Micah Moore's Lawyer Says that Confession Was "Untrue"

As you recall, 23 year-old Micah Moore was recently charged in the murder of 27 year-old Bethany Deaton, a former intern for the International House of Prayer (IHOP). Prior news articles state that Moore confessed to the killing and told authorities that her husband, Tyler Deaton, instructed him to kill Bethany. Tyler Deaton reportedly lead a religious group in which same-sex sexual encounters and sexual assault occurred, according to witnesses cited in a probable cause statement. Micah Moore, Tyler Deaton, and Bethany Deaton all worshipped at the International House of Prayer, but the exact nature of Tyler Deaton's involvement with IHOP has been a source of controversy.

A new twist in the Bethany Deaton murder case has come to light. According to the Kansas City Star, Moore's defense attorney, Melanie Morgan, recanted Moore's murder confession. Calling Moore's confession "bizarre" and "untrue", Morgan blamed Moore's statements on his distraught emotional state.

"These were the statements of a distraught and confused young man under extreme psychological pressures as a result of his friend Bethany's untimely suicide and the sudden removal of his spiritual leader, Tyler Deaton, from their extremely close-knit religious community."

However, the Kansas City Star reports that Morgan's statement did not address claims that Bethany Deaton had been sexually assaulted by men in her husband's religious group. Tyler Deaton remains under investigation, according to a Jackson County prosecutor. KCTV 5 reports that police recently served a warrant to search an iPad belonging to Tyler Deaton.