Man arrested in fatal stabbing of two nuns in Mississippi

A man has been arrested in the stabbing deaths of two nuns whose bodies were found in their home in rural Mississippi, authorities said.

Margaret Held and Paula Merrill, both nurse practitioners, failed to show up for work Thursday at a clinic in Lexington, where they served one of the state's poorest counties.

Clinic workers called police when the pair didn't arrive at the clinic, said Maureen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson.

When authorities arrived at their home in Durant, 13 miles away from the clinic, they saw evidence of a break-in and found their bodies, she said.

As investigators searched for answers, a blue Toyota Corolla used by the victims was found Thursday on an abandoned road less than a mile from their home. 

 Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, has been charged with two counts of capital murder in connection with the killings, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said early Saturday.

"Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation," said Lt. Col. Jimmy Jordan, director of MBI.

After an investigation that included the sheriff's department and the attorney general's office, "this heinous crime has been resolved," he said.

He did not provide additional information on the arrest.

Shortly after their bodies were found, authorities said the motive for the killings remained unclear, adding that calling it a "robbery would be premature."