Not guilty pleas entered in fatal upstate church beating

Several members of an insular church in upstate New York pleaded not guilty yesterday to being part of a group that beat a young man to death and injured his younger brother.

The victims' father, sister and six church leaders and members are charged in a 13-count indictment with murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, assault and gang assault in the death of 19-year-old Lucas Leonard and the beating of 17-year-old Christopher Leonard inside Word of Life Christian Church in New Hartford last month.

Authorities have said "spiritual counseling" spiraled into an all-night attack on the brothers after Lucas Leonard talked about leaving the church.

The grand jury indictment handed up Tuesday contained more serious charges than those police filed soon after the attacks and added three defendants, including the church's pastor, spiritual leader and a deacon, all relatives who live at the former school building where the church is housed.

Christopher Leonard testified at a hearing last month that he and his brother were pummeled for hours, and described trying to revive his dying brother as he lay bleeding on the floor in the sanctuary.

The father, Bruce Leonard, and half sister, Sarah Ferguson, pleaded not guilty yesterday in Oneida County Court, as did church spiritual leader Traci Irwin, who is Tiffanie's mother, and church members David and Linda Morey, who are mother and son.

Tiffanie Irwin and her brother, Joseph Irwin, a deacon, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. Another sibling and deacon, Daniel Irwin, is due in court Monday. He is the only one among the eight who is not charged with second-degree murder, instead facing a lesser count of manslaughter.

All were ordered held without bail.