Crime

Mother of teen killed in NY church beating pleads guilty to assault

/ AP

UTICA, N.Y. -- The mother of two central New York teenagers beaten during a church counseling session has pleaded guilty to assault in the attack that killed one son and injured the other.

Teen beaten to death inside secretive NY church

As part of a plea agreement Wednesday, Deborah Leonard admitted taking part in group beatings that killed 19-year-old Lucas Leonard and injured 17-year-old Christopher Leonard after Lucas indicated he wanted to leave the church.

The mother faces up to five years in prison. Deborah Leonard and her husband, Bruce Leonard, initially were charged with manslaughter following the October session inside the Word of Life Christian Church in New Hartford. An Oneida County grand jury has since upgraded the charges against Bruce Leonard and several other church members to murder.

All have pleaded not guilty.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.