Central New York News

Pastor Pleads Guilty In Church Beating That Killed Teen

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published October 21, 2016 at 4:09 PM EDT

The final four Word of Life Christian Church defendants appeared in Oneida County Court on Friday.

30-year-old Pastor Tiffanie Irwin pleaded guilty to two felonies: third-degree manslaughter in the death of 19-year-old Lucas Leonard and felony second-degree assault of then-17-year-old Christopher Leonard.

In October 2015 the brothers were set upon by church members in what was called a "counseling session."

The Utica-Observer Dispatch says Irwin faces 12 years in state prison and will be sentenced Monday, Dec. 19. As of now, all those charged in the brutal beatings have either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of their crimes.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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