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Fatal beating saw parents whip teen who wished to quit church, court hears Parents fatally whipped teen who wanted to quit church, US court hears
(35 minutes later)
A mother and father whipped their 19-year-old son in church with an electrical cord and what appeared to be a belt during a deadly, all-night spiritual counseling session triggered by his desire to leave the fold, according to witness testimony and police sources speaking on Friday. A mother and father whipped their 19-year-old son to death with an electrical cord during an all-night spiritual counseling session triggered by his desire to leave their church, a US court has heard.
Church deacon Daniel Irwin testified he peered through a doorway window in the sanctuary during the more than 12-hour ordeal at the Word of Life Christian church and saw Lucas Leonard bleeding and in apparent agony. Lucas Leonard was subjected to a 12-hour ordeal by his parents, sister and fellow church members at the Word of Life Christian church in New Hartford, New York, on Sunday, police and witnesses alleged.
“Lucas was rolling himself back and forth on the floor and making a sustained, monotone moaning,” Irwin said. His 17-year-old brother Christopher was also beaten and was admitted to hospital in a serious condition.
Within hours, the young man was dead, killed by blows inflicted by his parents, sister and fellow church members, authorities said. His mother told police the group took turns hitting him and holding him down, state police investigator Jason Nellis testified. The parents, Bruce and Deborah Leonard, are accused of manslaughter. At a court hearing on Friday, a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.
The testimony came at a court hearing for the parents, Bruce and Deborah Leonard, on manslaughter charges. At the conclusion of the hearing, a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.
The arrests in New Hartford, an upstate town of 22,000 people, have thrown a spotlight on Word of Life, a highly regimented and insular church that operated out of a large, red-brick former school that also served as a communal home for several members.
Police chief Michael Inserra said outside court that members told authorities Lucas Leonard and his 17-year-old brother, Christopher Leonard, were beaten during what began as spiritual counseling on Sunday night over Lucas’ desire to leave the church.
A neighbor, James Constantine, said Lucas had talked about moving on and had mentioned he might join the army.
Christopher was hospitalized in serious condition, but his health was improving.
Four other church members, including the victims’ 33-year-old sister, Sarah Ferguson, have been charged with assault. Their hearings will be held later. All six defendants have pleaded not guilty.Four other church members, including the victims’ 33-year-old sister, Sarah Ferguson, have been charged with assault. Their hearings will be held later. All six defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Lucas Leonard’s mother and father sat silently throughout the proceeding with their heads bowed, his eyes mostly closed, her long, graying hair hanging in her face. Church deacon Daniel Irwin testified at the hearing that he saw Lucas bleeding and in apparent agony. “Lucas was rolling himself back and forth on the floor and making a sustained, monotone moaning,” he said.
Bruce Leonard’s attorney said prosecutors had not proved the couple intended serious injuries to their son. Deborah Leonard’s lawyer said the mother felt helpless to stop an “intervention” she didn’t expect to become so harsh. He said he received a text message after services ended at 8pm on Sunday saying the Leonard family would be part of a counseling session with the church’s pastor, Tiffanie Irwin, his sister. Irwin said he was not told what the session was about and didn’t participate.
Irwin, the church deacon, testified he got a text message after services ended around 8pm on Sunday saying the Leonard family would be part of a counseling session with the church’s pastor, Tiffanie Irwin, his sister. Irwin said he wasn’t told what the session was about and didn’t participate. Watching through a window at around 10pm, Irwin said, he saw Bruce Leonard hit Lucas up to six times with what appeared to be a belt and hit Christopher. The young men winced, Irwin said, but Lucas did not try to defend himself.
From the start, it was intense: raised voices prompted Irwin to move five children who were in a room near the sanctuary to another space farther away so they wouldn’t be scared. Their mother hit Lucas with a cord out of anger over “things that he had said”, investigator Todd Grant testified. He said he had not asked her what those things were. A neighbor, James Constantine, said Lucas had talked about moving on and had mentioned that he might join the army. Another investigator, Jason Nellis, said the mother told police the group took turns hitting Lucas and holding him down.
Watching through a window around 10pm, Irwin said, he saw Bruce Leonard hit Lucas up to six times with what appeared to be a belt and hit Christopher. The young men winced, Irwin said, but Lucas didn’t try to defend himself. Irwin said that around 10am on Monday panicked church members ran up to him and said they thought Lucas was dead. Irwin said he dashed into the church to find Lucas lying motionless on the floor, and Lucas’s father and brother and Irwin’s mother, church spiritual leader Traci Irwin, trying to resuscitate him. Lucas was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Their mother hit Lucas with a cord out of anger over “things that he had said”, investigator Todd Grant testified. He didn’t ask her what those things were. The defendants include Daniel Irwin’s brother, Joseph Irwin. Asked after the hearing whether Daniel Irwin or any additional relatives could face charges, the Oneida County district attorney Scott McNamara said prosecutors “are looking at everybody that’s involved”. He later said he anticipated more people could be charged. Traci and Tiffanie Irwin have not been charged and have not commented.
Around 10am on Monday, panicked church members ran up to Irwin and said they thought Lucas was dead. Bruce Leonard’s attorney argued during the hearing that prosecutors had not proved the couple intended serious injuries to their son. Deborah Leonard’s lawyer said the mother felt helpless to stop an “intervention” that she had not expected to become so harsh.
Irwin said he dashed into the sanctuary to find Lucas lying motionless on the floor, with the young man’s father and brother and Irwin’s mother, church spiritual leader Traci Irwin, trying to resuscitate him. Lucas was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The roughly 30-year-old Word of Life church once had perhaps 40 or more members but now counts closer to 20, authorities said.
The defendants include Daniel Irwin’s brother, Joseph Irwin. Asked after court whether Daniel Irwin or any additional relatives could face charges, Oneida County district attorney Scott McNamara said prosecutors “are looking at everybody that’s involved”. He later added that he anticipated more people could be charged.
The roughly 30-year-old Word of Life church once had perhaps 40 or more members but now counts closer to 20, authorities said. Traci and Tiffanie Irwin have not been charged and have not commented.
There are thousands of small, independent Christian churches around the US, many of them following a very strict fundamentalist theology, said David Bromley, a religion professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Their beliefs can lead to strong resistance when a member wishes to leave, he said.There are thousands of small, independent Christian churches around the US, many of them following a very strict fundamentalist theology, said David Bromley, a religion professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Their beliefs can lead to strong resistance when a member wishes to leave, he said.
“If you get into a very conservative group where there is only one way and God’s wrath is about to be unleashed on humanity and we’re the faithful remnant, then leaving the group is a very serious condition, from the point of view of members,” Bromley said.“If you get into a very conservative group where there is only one way and God’s wrath is about to be unleashed on humanity and we’re the faithful remnant, then leaving the group is a very serious condition, from the point of view of members,” Bromley said.