The death of a teen in a small town in New York a little over a year ago shocked the country. Those who read about it were confused how a teenager died during a church “counseling” session. One young man died, his brother was hospitalized with severe injuries. The local residents protested and held candlelight vigils. The stories of strange observations by neighbors; the reports of those who once were a part of the Word of Life Christian Church all pointed to dangerous and unsafe behaviors.

Lucas Leonard and his brother Christopher were held after church Sunday, October 11, 2015. The counseling session for them lasted about 14 hours. From this session, Lucas died of injuries inflicted with an electric cord along with receiving kicks and punches from those surrounding him. Christopher was found the next day by authorities in dire need of medical care with multiple bruises and kidney injuries. He spent several days in the local hospital under legal protection while the authorities sought to make sense of the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death.

The results of the investigation included indictments for nine members of the small church. Those indicted included the parents of the deceased, the half-sister, the pastor, her mom, her brothers and two additional members. Charges included murder, kidnapping and gang assault. Early in the proceedings, the mother, Mrs. Deborah Leonard, took a plea deal for her testimony in the case. She will receive no more than five years in state prison.

The father of the teens, Bruce Leonard, was the next to take a plea. His testimony was heart wrenching. He will receive 15 or 16 years in prison and have many years to consider the nagging question from District Attorney McNamara- “Why?”

The half-sister, Sarah Ferguson, chose to take her chances with a bench trial. We reported her plight earlier on this blog. She was convicted of first degree manslaughter, first degree assault and gang assault. She will serve 25 years in state prison. The most dramatic scene in her trial was the District Attorney holding up the pants of the deceased showing a large blood stain between the legs. She tried to convince the judge she did not realize the injuries were life threatening, he did not believe her.

October 21, 2016, news outlets reported the conclusion of the case as the last four defendants accepted plea deals presumably to avoid a murder trial and the requirement to explain their part in session. The list of results found here. A summary follows.

During October, Traci Irwin, who is 50, and son, Daniel Irwin, 25, mother and brother to the pastor, Tiffani Irwin, plead guilty to unlawful imprisonment. They will receive two years in prison.

Tiffani Irwin, pastor and presumed leader of the session, plead guilty to third-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault. She will receive a 12 sentence under the agreement.

Joseph Irwin, her 23-year-old brother, pleaded guilty to first-degree gang assault and second-degree assault. He is to receive eight years in prison.

David, 27, and Linda Morey, 55, long time members, both pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault, and will get five years in prison each.

Let’s consider certain things in this case. The defendants chose to admit guilt of serious crimes instead of defending their “religious freedoms” to pray, to exercise their religious practices and stand up for their rights! What could have kept them from risking their future and going to trial? Who knows, but it could have been to swift and precise nature of the investigation and prosecution of the case. They could have learned a lot after the guilty verdict for Sarah Ferguson.

Look at the charges that several defendants agreed to. Five agreed to admit guilt for charges other than murder or manslaughter. That was a “safe” alternative for them and under counsel from their attorney. Accept jail time rather than risk a longer or worse sentence.

Can we in North Carolina learn anything from these happenings? Does the gang assault charge apply to any cases involving Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) victims? We don’t know, yet. In my opinion, this charge and several others would be appropriate. In fairness, the tragedy in New York was more obvious for successful prosecution, there was a body. Hopefully, we in NC will not have to wait for a body to get swift, fair and accurate investigation charges involving crimes against ex-WOFF members.

Honestly, I continue to hold hope for Matthew Fenner to receive his day in court. Obviously, this case has been drawn out longer than expected. Will 2017 be the year when he will see the scale of justice weighing his case? Will other WOFF survivors face their fears and come forward? We shall see. When more survivors seek justice, it will get easier for others to go to the authorities for help. For many reasons, several not connected to the present public servants; the trust in our local legal system has been damaged. 2017 is the year our trust can return. That hope can keep us focused on seeking truth and helping those who need our help.

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Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 578.