Neighbors called the Word of Life Church, the site of a brutal murder in Central New York this week, a ‘cult’ surrounded in mystery.
Their building in New Hartford is a place where the men all dress in “long, black trenchcoats,” women are rarely seen outside, and where members are often heard singing strange chants at 3 a.m.
Now it’s the site of a murder investigation after two teenage brothers were allegedly brutally beaten — one of them fatally — by their parents, sister and other members of the congregation after a service Sunday night.
The beatings were to force them to confess their sins and seek forgiveness, police said.
Police Chief Michael Inserra said investigators are still looking into what these supposed sins were.
Lucas and Christopher Leonard, 19 and 17, were pounded with fists Sunday at the Word of Life Church during a violent “counseling session”, Inserra said. They were beaten in the abdomen, genitals, back and thighs, authorities said.
Lucas died and his brother was hospitalized in serious condition. Six church members — including the brothers’ parents and sister — have been arrested.
“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,” Inserra said.
The parents, Bruce and Deborah Leonard, were charged with manslaughter in Lucas’ death. Four other adults were charged with assault in the younger brother’s beating, including Sarah Ferguson, 33, the victims’ sister. All have pleaded not guilty.
Lawyers for the parents and the sister had no comment. Contact information for the other defendants’ attorneys wasn’t immediately available.
The church is a former elementary school where a Christian congregation has worshiped for as many as 30 years.
Neighbors in the once-thriving mill town of 22,000 people about 50 miles east of Syracuse said the congregation’s secretive ways made them suspicious.
“I’m really afraid. In my heart I don’t think this is the first incident,” said Eva Monaghan, who lives around the corner from the church. “Over all the years, I can’t imagine this is the first thing. Maybe nothing as bad. Around town, it’s considered a cult.”
Police said more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
The investigation began about 12:30 p.m. Monday when family members brought Lucas Leonard to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police surrounded the church and entered it. Several children were turned over to child welfare authorities.
Nancy Kneller, who works at a Catholic church next door to Word of Life, described the congregation as a close-knit group.
“It’s really sad. I think that people have always been so suspicious. Why are they so secretive? Why are there no kids out playing?” she said. Still, she said, “I think they’re good people that made a bad decision.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story
Hopefully these UGLY PIECES of HUMAN REFUSE will have the SAME treatment behind bars, before their UGLY carcasses come out Feet First, like the inmates know how to treat INNOCENT CHILD ABUSERS!!! Despicable, SUB human beings!!
Agree! Sick mofos
Wait till prison uses them. Prison doesnt like bullys or people who harm youth/children!
Then when evil people get to hell- they will be getting it again.
I pray for families of victims and survivors of this horror.
I do believe that those parents that brutally tortured their kids should go to prison and they should feel the torture the same way there kids did from the people in prison . I pray for the victims and the survivors.
The Authorities are only scratching the surface, but they are limited in what, and how, they can go after crazy folks like these. Inmates definitely do NOT like abusers of children, as most inmates have children themselves. I would not bet on any long-term survival for any of those cretins who go to prison.
” Good people that made a bad decision”….. REALLY ?
ya, I was going to say the same, but you beat me to it. Nothing “good” OR “christian” about these creeps.
These people are not Christians—period.
People who are true Christians would never do this to anyone.
These people are blind and are minions of satan to do such horrible things to other human beings. What these killers have done to these young men, will one day stand before our Lord and answer for this horrible deed they have done if there is no repentance on their parts. They need to be tried and convicted and understand the consequences of their actions. They must be and will be held accountable.
Indeed,they are not Christians, but a satanic cult, to destroy the True Church. These are what the Bible says “wolves in sheep’s clothing”; false teachers. They serve and worship “the father of lies….satan.”
No sane, sound person, (even non-Christian) will do such evil deeds to anyone, especially to their children.
Another embarrassment for Christianity.
True Christians need not be embarrassed.
Another blasphemous embarrassment for Christianity and the Bible.
“I think they’re good people that made a bad decision.” No. This is a bunch of idiots who killed a person.
Their actions had nothing to do with Christianity nor the Bible. The Bible does not advocate beating people to death. Every person involved in the beating should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. These people don’t get a pass by claiming they are part of a religious group. I find it ironic that a “church” called the Word of Life killed a teenager.
While the Old Testament mentions several crimes which were worthy of capital punishment, that portion of the Mosaic Law lost its power when Israel lost its sovereignty. The law God gave to Moses included moral, religious, dietary, health and governmental aspects. Capital punishment was part of the law which was given to the people since they would be a nation led by God. By the time of Christ, Israel was no longer an independent nation. They were ruled by Rome and subject to Rome’s laws. Today we are subject to federal, state and local laws. These people broke our government’s laws and should now face the punishment tied to those laws.
I agree, Justin. I was just trying to be concise. Some people lump such atrocities with Christians. It makes me angry to see “Word of Life “associated with murder. IMHO, it’s blasphemy, and using the Lord’s name– and Word–in vain.
The hazards of “sola scriptura” and “sola fide” is that each individual human is completely free to interpret Holy Writ in any way, shape or form desirable. Thus, Almighty Rationalization is the rule in order that each pride-filled human being can be Pope and Magisterium to his own devices, and make up his rules as he goes along.
So it was with Martin Luther, with Calvin, with Knox, with Wesley, with Mary Baker Eddy, with Joseph Smith and will all the crack-head denizens of America’s ghetto’s. The underlying, fundamental Truth is, sola scriptura has led to theological and moral chaos.
There are many dangerous cults in the Western world-many from India-one is called “Radhasoami”–where the guru is “God in Human Form” –There are over 3 million world-wide who belong to this cult.–and absolutely are convinced that they are worshipping the Guru-as “God in Human Form”.I don’t know if they have killed anyone yet for disagreeing-;^))-JM.
“…singing strange chants at 3 a.m…” – 3AM! Hello? Satanism.
There was something wrong in their minds of doing such evil acts…If we believe that there were unseen evil spirits who existed in these worlds, there is no other than but Satan and the demons who broadcast or dictated the minds of mankind to do such evil things…God is the giver and the taker of human life, He has a great purpose why He created human beings, and no one can take that life but only Him… and God’s character is different ( which is based on love, joy, peace, goodness kindness, gentleness, long suffering, self control and faithfulness), from Satan’s character, which he desire to kill, steal and destroy…He is the god of this world…He does not want mankind to be happy, so we have a lot of sufferings, pains, There are religions who will rise at this end-time that they worship God, they claim they are Christians, but their spirits had been influenced by Satan, just liked an example of what happened to these three youngsters….They claimed they loved God, and then you do this evil things? It contradict itself of what were written on God’s truth, His Ten Commandments.. If mankind have true fear in God, you are afraid to commit sin and do evil things, you have conviction not to displease God of doing what is not right.