NY Parents Helped Beat Their own Child to Death during “Word of Life Church Counseling Session” after 19 y/o Boy Blasphemed the Church ~ Call Michael A. Haber, Esq. @ 1-888-SHARK-8-1

That above is a pic of the upstate New York New Hartford Chapter of the Word of Life Church where a pair of teenage brothers from upstate New York were brutally beaten during a “counseling session” which was allegedly meant to explore their spiritual state, as they were pounded with fists in the abdomen, genitals, back and thighs, all in an effort by their parents, sister and other congregants to force them to confess their sins and seek forgiveness.  The beating was so bad that 19 y/o Lucas Leonard died from his injuries (his 17 y/o brother Christian Leonard would survive, although he was hospitalized in serious condition).  

Per New Hartford Police Chief Michael Inserra:  “Both brothers were subjected to physical punishment over the course of several hours, in hopes that each would confess to prior sins and ask for forgiveness.”  The alleged “counseling session” began Sunday night and stretched into Monday morning, only ending when Lucas was obviously dead.  The motive is believed to be that Lucas wanted out of the church, denounced it and reportedly engaged in “witchcraft”, including wishing Church elders dead and threatening the (alleged) pastor, Tiffanie Irwin, with a voodoo doll.  Over this nonsensical jibber-jabber the 19 y/o was literally beaten to death and his 17 y/o brother was beaten shy thereof.  So far six (6) church members, including the brothers’ own parents and their older sister, have been arrested.  The parents, 65 y/o Bruce Leonard and 59 y/o Deborah Leonard, pictured below, were charged with manslaughter in Lucas’ death. 

Four (4) others adults, including the victims’ sister, 33 y/o Sarah Ferguson (pictured below in the top left quadrant) were charged with assault in Christian’s  beating.  The other three adults, 26 y/o Joseph Irwin (top right quadrant), 26 y/o David Morley (bottom left quadrant) and 54 y/o Linda Morley (bottom right quadrant) all reside in the New Hartford Church building.

The incident took place on Sunday, October 13th, 2015 but did not come to light until about 12:30 pm the following day (Monday, October 14th) when family members brought Lucas Leonard to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.  Christopher had been hidden inside of the Church by his family but managed to escape and seek medical attention on Wednesday, October 16th, 2015.  Investigators determined that the Word of Life Church was the scene of the crime and the building was surrounded by special operations teams from state and local police agencies.  Police eventually entered the church, a three (3) story brick building on a residential street in a “once-thriving mill town of 22,000 people about 50 miles east of Syracuse” which originally housed a school. Several church members were interviewed and several children were reportedly turned over to child welfare officials. All six (6) arrestees have entered not guilty pleas.

Neighbors of the Church reportedly stated that the congregation’s secretive ways made them suspicious.  Said Eva Monaghan, who lives around the corner from the church:  “I’m really afraid. In my heart I don’t think this is the first incident.  Over all the years, I can’t imagine this is the first thing.  Maybe nothing as bad. Around town, it’s considered a cult.”  And a neighbor of the Leonard family has spoken out about the family, saying that the boys were not allowed to do “normal” kid things growing up.  Nicole Howard, a 31 y/o neighbor who lives six (6) houses from the Leonards reportedly said that Lucas and Christian were not permitted to have sleepovers and she reportedly described the family as being very religious, stating that the children were forced to read the Bible two hours each day.  Yeah… that worked out well didn’t it?  Memo to Bruce and Deborah Leonard, the other Word of Life Church member arrestees and any other religious zealots:  

Memo to Bruce and Deborah Leonard, the other Word of Life Church member arrestees and any other religious zealots continued:   Wtf is wrong with you?  I don’t give a rat’s ass what you want to believe or how seriously you want to take your own religion but when it comes to this, well, guess what, you’re gonna find a whole new religion right where you freaking belong… in prison.