Deborah and Bruce Leonard are being held at the Oneida County Jail on $100,000 bail.
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NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (AP) A neighbor says that a 19-year-old who died after a beating in a New York church was a “pleasant kid” who was responsible enough to take care of the family’s dog.
However, his injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma.
Six church members, including the brothers´ parents and their half sister, were arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter. Sarah Ferguson, from left, Linda Morey, Joseph Irwin and David Morey are arraigned Tuesday in New Hartford, N.Y., after being charged with second-degree assault in the beating of 17-year-old Christopher Leonard, whose brother, Lucas, died from injuries he suffered in the beatings. This photo taken Tuesday, October 13, 2015, shows the The exterior of the The Word of Life Christian Church in Chadwicks, New York. They appeared in court Wednesday: Lawyers for the parents and the sister had no comment.
“During the counseling session involving Lucas Leonard and his brother, Christopher, the session turned physical”, Chief Michael Inserra said.
He added: “Over the course of several hours, the brothers were ordered to confess to prior sins and ask for forgiveness”. Authorities went to the church and found his younger brother, who was hospitalized in serious condition.
Several children were removed from the church and turned over to Oneida County Child Protective Services.
Police said more arrests were expected as the investigation continues. Neighbors who lived near the church for years said they rarely, if ever, saw the gates opened, and they had never been inside. “Over all the years, I can’t imagine this is the first thing”. The police then conducted a raid on the home and church of the parents.
“Why are they so secretive? Now this is scary for us little small town folk to see this”, she said. “It’s really sad. I think that people have always been so suspicious”. But after the students folded into a neighboring school district, the large brick building stood empty until it was bought in 1987 by Traci Irwin, the spiritual leader and “mother” of the church, O’Neill said.
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Local authorities were only alerted about the brutal beatings when the parents brought their seriously injured son Lucas to the hospital. They said the family did not celebrate Christmas and weren’t allowed outside during Halloween.
