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.
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