<p>The Reynolds and Harper families still sit in their regular seats at Hollywood Baptist Church. But a year after a love triangle led to the death of a deacon and the jailing of two parishioners, the church is still healing.</p><p>It was last July 5 when church deacon Thad John Glenn Reynolds was found stabbed to death at the Frito-Lay distribution center where he worked. The grieving congregation organized a memorial service for Reynolds and set up an education fund for his four daughters.</p><p>Three days later, the deacon's wife and an assistant pastor were charged in the killing. Police said Michelle Sullins Reynolds and Richard Scott Harper conspired to kill Thad Reynolds in a deadly love triangle. Harper was accused of ambushing Thad Reynolds and stabbing him 19 times; police said Michelle Reynolds helped plot the crime.</p><p>The accused couple are awaiting trial in Floyd County. The church, meanwhile, is trying to care for the family members devastated by the killings _ and move on from the media spotlight the church received after the crime.</p><p>"It was like a laser beam on us for the first few months," Pastor David Harper told the Rome News-Tribune.</p><p>"Probably for the most part, things are back to normal," David Harper said. "But for those of us who were there and who were close to the families, it's still in the back of our minds."</p><p>David Harper said the strength to move on is largely rooted in a desire to focus on the present and future rather than the past. "We've not tried to make (Thad Reynolds' murder) the whole focus of our church," he said. "The focus has shifted away from our church to these families. How can we minister to them?"</p><p>The four Reynolds girls are left without a father, and their mother has been in custody at Floyd County Jail for the past year. She has been denied bail twice, and, according to her defense attorney, Jimmy Berry of Marietta, has not seen the three youngest since her arrest.</p><p>The girls, now ages 13, 7, 5 and 2, are being cared for by their father's mother.</p><p>Scott Harper's three daughters, 7, 6, and 4, are living with their mother, Paige Harper. Their father is still behind bars at Floyd County Jail, also without bail.</p><p>Since her divorce was finalized last month, Paige Harper has retained the couple's home and has full custody of the children, according to court documents.</p><p>Both Scott Harper and Michelle Reynolds face five counts of murder and various other charges in the death. Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson is seeking the death penalty against both.</p><p>Despite the killing and its ensuing publicity, the congregation has stuck together, David Harper said.</p><p>"An event like this would shut the doors on an average church. It's just an explosive event. But in the first six to eight months, it made our church stronger than it had ever been," he said.</p>
