Pastor among 8 indicted in fatal New York church beating | Inquirer News

Pastor among 8 indicted in fatal New York church beating

/ 08:29 AM November 25, 2015

Church Killing

Tiffanie Irwin, pastor of the Word of Life Christian Church, arrives for an indictment hearing at the Oneida County Courthouse, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, in Utica. N.Y. Irwin was among multiple people charged with murder for the death of Lucas Leonard and injuries to his brother, Christopher, during an attack at the church in October. Mark DiOrio/Observer-Dispatch via AP

UTICA, New York, United States—The pastor of an upstate New York church where a young man was beaten to death and his younger brother seriously injured has been indicted on murder charges.

Pastor Tiffanie Irwin’s mother, Traci Irwin, also was charged Tuesday, as were Tiffanie Irwin’s two brothers, the victims’ father and half-sister and two other church members.

Article continues after this advertisement

The indictment charges all but one of the Irwin brothers with second-degree murder. All eight face charges of manslaughter, kidnapping, assault and gang assault. They were in court Tuesday.

FEATURED STORIES

Plea information wasn’t initially available. Messages left for defense attorneys weren’t immediately returned.

Authorities have said “spiritual counseling” spiraled into a gang attack on 19-year-old Lucas Leonard and his 17-year-old brother, Christopher. The older brother died from injuries suffered at the Word of Life Christian Church in New Hartford on Oct. 12.

Article continues after this advertisement

RELATED STORIES

Article continues after this advertisement

Vietnamese priest beaten at planned orphanage

Police: Brothers were beaten in New York church to make them confess

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: beating, charges, Church, injury, Murder, New York, pastor

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.