Bruce Leonard, 65, and his wife, Deborah Leonard, 59, were in court a few feet from Irwin on Friday. Four other members of the church, including the victim's sister, are being charged with assault for their roles in the deadly attack.

"I anticipate, when we go to the grand jury, we will ask the grand jury to consider these charges and other charges against these individuals and other individuals", McNamara stated. David and Linda Morey were recently released on $50,000 bond a piece.

A witness at a probable cause hearing told a judge the counseling session lasted 14 hours, beginning Sunday night and ending Monday morning.

Details emerged in court of the cult-like Word of Life Christian Church in New Hartford, N.Y., which adheres to fundamentalist principles and a literal interpretation of the Bible, and supposedly fostered an increasingly violent environment spearheaded by its preacher, based on witness accounts.

"The victim expressed a desire to leave the church and this is what may have initiated the session". Police have since said that he suffered blunt force trauma and not a gunshot wound. It's unclear why Christopher Leonard was beaten. He had to be coaxed out of hiding near the church when police arrived.

The assaults occurred after a Sunday night service at the church.

The police reiterated yesterday that the beatings had grown out of concerns that Lucas Leonard wanted to defect from the group.

The roughly 30-year-old Word of Life church once had perhaps 40 or more members but now counts closer to 20, Inserra said.

A total of seven children at the church were turned over to child welfare authorities after th eincident.

"There is absolutely no indication of any sexual abuse to any of the children", Inserra added.

Inserra said, "There is no evidence these brothers did anything".

About 10 a.m. Monday, panicked church members ran up to Irwin and said they thought Lucas was dead. The young men winced, Irwin said, but Lucas did not try to defend himself.

Police said Bruce Leonard told hospital personnel workers that his son had been beaten so badly because he had molested a child.

Meanwhile, the boys' father, Bruce Leonard, said what happened stemmed from a family matter unrelated to the church and that the parents didn't intend their son's grave injuries, according to his lawyer, Donald Gerace. Leonard also allegedly said he wanted to make a voodoo doll of the church leader. He was on the floor on the main sanctuary, but "alert enough to answer questions". Irwin's mother was performing CPR on the teen, he said.

Wendell is a parishioner of St. Patrick's and St. Anthony's and has organized a candlelight vigil and prayer service for Lucas and Christopher, led by the church's pastor, Father Abraham Esper. "Lucas was rolling himself back and forth on the floor and making a sustained, monotone moaning", Irwin said, according to Yahoo! He said the Leonards had no intention of seriously injuring their son. The interrogation was videotaped. He said he had not asked her what those things were.

Later, the sergeant said, Deborah Leonard said she had struck Lucas with a cord. The parents made the claim early in the investigation, he said.

Six church members in total will be charged pending hearings.

Mr Garramone said he did not believe his client was responsible for the fatal injuries.

Four other members of the sect, including a half-sister of the brothers, were also charged.

Grant says Deborah Leonard told him she and daughter Sarah Ferguson hit Lucas Leonard with a cord.

The Irwins " Traci is Tiffanie's mother " haven't been charged and haven't commented.