Final 4 Word of Life church defendants plead guilty to felonies; avoid murder trial

Syracuse.com, New York/October 22, 2016

By Elizabeth Doran

Utica, New York -- The last four defendants in the Word of Life Christian Church beating case in Oneida County pleaded guilty in court today to much less serious charges than they were originally facing.

The four, who were facing second-degree murder charges, pleaded guilty to felonies.

Tiffanie Irwin, pastor of the New Hartford-area church, pleaded guilty to two felonies: third-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault. The plea agreement calls for her to receive 12 years in prison.

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,, both pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault, and will get five years in prison each.

Nine people had been charged in the Oct. 11, 2015 beating death of Lucas Leonard, 19; and the severe beating of his 17-year-old brother, Christopher Leonard. The nine were accused of beating the two young men for hours in the church as part of a counseling session.

If they had been convicted of second-degree murder, they faced at least 15 years to life in prison and up to 25 years to life in prison.

Earlier this month, two other defendants accepted plea offers. Daniel Irwin, 25, and his mother, Traci Irwin, who is 50, each pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree unlawful imprisonment, felonies. They are expected to be sentenced to two years in jail in early December.

Sarah Ferguson, 33, a half-sister of the two victims, was found guilty of manslaughter in July. She was sentenced to 25 years in state prison.

Judge Michael Dwyer, who presided over the bench trial in Oneida County court, found Ferguson guilty of first-degree manslaughter but cleared her on the second-degree murder charge.

The young men's parents, Bruce and Deborah Leonard, both accepted plea deals. Bruce Leonard will get 15 to 16 years in prison while Deborah Leonard will get no more than five years in prison.

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