Cops rebuff witchcraft, voodoo claims against New Hartford church beating victim

Syracuse.com/October 17, 2015

By Ken Sturtz

New Hartford, New York -- Authorities on Saturday sought to downplay accusations of witchcraft and voodoo against a man who was fatally beaten by members of his secretive Oneida County church.

Authorities have said members of the Word of Life Christian Church brought Lucas and Christopher Leonard into a "counseling session" near the end of a daylong service Sunday.

The brothers were beaten for hours to draw "confessions" for perceived sins, police said. Lucas Leonard, 19, died from his injuries while his brother Christopher was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Their parents, Bruce and Deborah Leonard, are facing manslaughter charges, and four other church members were charged with assault.

On Saturday New Hartford police issued a statement responding to an article that appeared on page 17 of The New York Times. The article says that during Sunday's service pastor Tiffanie Irwin said a member was practicing witchcraft. According to an account from Daniel Irwin, whose family runs the church, Lucas Leonard admitted to being the culprit and said "he wanted church elders to die and that he had considered making a voodoo doll of a church leader."

In a statement, New Hartford police said they were not questioning the accuracy of the Times article, but that they wanted to respond to and dispel rumors about the behavior of the victims.

"At this point in the investigation there is no evidence that we are aware of that supports that Lucas Leonard was engaged in any such activity," police said.

Rumors about the Leonard brothers practicing witchcraft or voodoo came from within the church, police said, and appear to have been spread by church members.

Related: New Hartford ex-parishioner reveals church's descent into 'spiritual cannibalism'

Authorities said they wanted to strongly emphasize that "Lucas Leonard and Christopher Leonard are the true victims of these heinous crimes," and that the assaults began in response to their desire to leave the church.

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