A pastor of a church in New York and six others were indicted Tuesday for murder following the death of a young man and injury to his brother.
Pastor Tiffanie Irwin of the World of Life Christian Church in New Hartford, New York was charged in the 13-count indictment along with her mother, Traci Irwin; her brothers Joseph and Daniel Irwin, who were also church leaders; Bruce Leonard, the victims' father; their half-sister Sarah Ferguson, and two church members, Linday Morey and her son, David Morey, according to the Associated Press.
"Spirit counseling" went out of hand and became an all-night attack against 19-year-old Lucas and 17-year-old Christopher Leonard, authorities said, inside the church, a former elementary school which serves as a church and a home for the Irwins.
All of them except Daniel Irwin are facing second-degree murder charges in the Oct. 12 death of Lucas. All eight are also facing manslaughter, kidnapping, assault and gang assault charges for the attacks on Lucas and his brother, who survived the ordeal.
Joseph and Tiffanie Irwin pleaded not guilty Tuesday while the others were expected to appear in court Wednesday.
The police initially charged six people including the victims' parents, but the pastor and her mother were not included.
Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara said the victims' mother, Deborah Leonard, would be charged separately on first-degree and second-degree assaults, a reduction from the initial manslaughter charge she pleaded not guilty to in October.
At last month's hearing, Christopher Leonard told the court that Tiffanie Irwin asked the Leonard family and others to stay behind for a meeting after an eight-hour Sunday service.
Christopher said for six or more hours, he was pummelled with fists and whipped with a four-foot, folded electrical cord on the back, suffering injuries to his torso and genitals.
The meeting was called as his brother Lucas wanted to leave the secretive church. After the beating, the victims' relatives refused to tell officers where to find Christopher, who went to the church's second floor.
Lucas was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the New Hartford Police.
