BEDFORD – A 38-year-old man was arrested after an investigation into a burglary at a Lawrence County church, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Lawrence County Police Department.
Christopher McKnight, whose listed address is homeless, was arrested on August 28 on allegations of Level 5 felony burglary and misdemeanor criminal mischief at a place of worship.
According to Detective Sergeant Michael Ramos, the investigation began on August 26 at a church located in the 2200 block of Popcorn Church Road. Investigators reported that a window on the church’s communion building had been kicked from the outside and folded open.
Approximately $40 worth of miscellaneous food items had reportedly been taken. Surveillance video showed a white male leaving the property with plastic bags containing items. Church representatives told investigators the food had been taken without permission. Investigators photographed the damage and collected evidence, including swabs and surveillance video.
According to the affidavit, surveillance footage from August 25 showed a man pushing a mountain bike north through the church parking lot around 6:37 p.m. The man pushed the bicycle to a shelter house north of the annex building, where he was seen turning on a water spigot and drinking water.
The man was described as wearing dark shorts, a gray T-shirt, a baseball-style hat with a bicycle helmet over it, and a dark backpack. The helmet reportedly had distinctive bright red markings on both sides.
Investigators also noted that the man’s shirt appeared to be heavily saturated with sweat and that the bicycle appeared to be a high-end mountain bike.
Surveillance footage showed the man leaving with items inside his backpack and a white plastic bag hanging from the bicycle’s handlebars.
The affidavit states that Sheriff Greg Day later received information from a concerned citizen who recognized the man in the surveillance photographs from a Facebook post by the sheriff’s department.
The citizen, who worked for a company in Bloomington, reportedly identified the man as McKnight. According to the affidavit, McKnight had told employees he was “transitioning” to Bloomington and lived in “town,” but did not provide an actual address.
The employee also reportedly said McKnight rode a bicycle matching the one seen in the church surveillance footage and had bragged that the bicycle was worth approximately $12,000. The employee provided investigators with video of McKnight riding the bicycle, which Sheriff Day reviewed and believed showed the same person seen in the church surveillance footage.
On August 27, the sheriff’s department also received a report from a male who said he had encountered a suspicious man on a bicycle near Fayetteville Baptist Church. The male witness told dispatch the alleged suspect had identified himself as “Christopher.”
A search of the Fayetteville and Williams areas was subsequently conducted.
On August 28, Major Blackburn and Deputy Porter located McKnight and brought him to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.
McKnight was identified through a Bureau of Motor Vehicles return. Investigators advised him of his Miranda rights, which he said he understood before agreeing to speak with them.
During the interview, McKnight denied knowledge of the burglary and remained noncommittal when questioned about the incident. He told investigators he gets “supplies from Bloomington.”
However, McKnight acknowledged that he visits churches and drinks water from outdoor spigots, which investigators said was consistent with activity captured on the church’s surveillance video. He also told investigators he rides a Specialized Rockhopper/Stumpjumper bicycle that he acquired through a combination of trade and cash.
Investigators reported that McKnight was wearing clothing and accessories that appeared visually consistent with those worn by the person in the church surveillance footage, including two-tone gloves with partially exposed fingers, a dark-colored hat, and two-tone low-cut shoes. Investigators also said they observed the gray shirt from the surveillance footage among McKnight’s belongings when he was booked into jail.
The bicycle became another significant piece of evidence in the investigation.
According to the affidavit, Detective Michael Williams contacted several bicycle shops in the area while attempting to identify the distinctive bicycle seen in the surveillance footage.
An employee of The Bicycle Station in Columbus reportedly reviewed photographs from the sheriff’s department’s Facebook post and identified the bicycle as a Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper EVO.
The employee told investigators the bicycle appeared to be a 2025 or 2026 model and had a retail value between $10,000 and $15,000.
McKnight also signed a consent-to-search form and voluntarily provided a cheek swab. Investigators said the DNA sample would be submitted to the Indiana State Police laboratory for comparison with evidence collected at the church.
McKnight was arrested and taken into custody.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
