|
 Lucas Leonard, 19, was beaten to death in October over 10 hours
during a counseling session at the Word of Life Church in Chadwicks,
New York, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Syracuse, prosecutors said.
His brother, Christopher, 17, received blunt force injuries when he
was repeatedly struck during the same session, which was initiated
because Lucas Leonard wanted to leave the congregation, prosecutors
said.
The grand jury's indictment charged the brothers' father, Bruce
Leonard, 65, with 13 criminal counts including second-degree murder,
kidnapping and gang assault.
Charges of second-degree murder, kidnapping and gang assault were
also brought against church pastor Tiffanie Irwin, 29; Traci Irwin,
David Morey, 26, Linda Morey, 54, and Joseph Irwin, 26, who were all
congregants at the church; and Sarah Ferguson, 33, the half-sister
of Lucas and Christopher, the court document showed.
 At least some of the Irwins are related to each other.
Tiffanie Irwin and Traci Irwin originally were not charged in the
incident, while the other five were initially charged with
first-degree manslaughter in Lucas Leonard's death.
An eighth person, church deacon Daniel Irwin, 24, was indicted on
charges of second-degree manslaughter, kidnapping and gang assault.
The brothers' mother, Deborah Leonard, 59, was not named in the
grand jury indictment but will appear in Oneida County Court on Dec.
2 to face separate charges of first-degree assault against Lucas and
second-degree assault in Christopher’s beating, according to her
lawyer Devin Garramone.
Deborah Leonard was initially charged with manslaughter, but
Garramone said that charge was dropped.
[to top of second column] |
Attorneys for the other people charged in the case could not be
reached for comment.
Christopher Leonard, during a preliminary hearing last month,
testified that he and his brother were beaten with an electric
extension cord fashioned into a whip.
He said Tiffanie Irwin organized the counseling session.
Christopher said he attempted to resuscitate his brother before the
boys were loaded into two separate vans. Lucas was transported to
St. Luke’s hospital in Utica, New York, where he was pronounced
dead, prosecutors said.
Most of those indicted in the case remain in jail on bail of tens of
thousands of dollars each, while David and Linda Morey have been
released on bail of $50,000 each, according to jail records.
(Reporting by TG Branfalt Jr; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing
by Leslie Adler)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
