Without a Prayer: The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult by Susan Ashline
In October of 2015, 19-year-old Lucas Leonard was beaten to death by his parents, sister, and other members of their church. The beating was punishment for Lucas’ admission that he practiced witchcraft, wished his parent’s dead, and had committed other even worse and unspeakable crimes. Lucas’ family were members of the Word of Life Christian Church in Chadwicks, New York. The church was founded by the Irwin family, evangelical Pentacostals, lead by Jerry Irwin. Following his death, leadership transferred to his daughter, Tiffanie. It was Tiffanie who instructed the punishment of Lucas and his younger brother that fateful night. Without a Prayer introduces readers to the Irwin family, tracing the roots of the Word of Life Church and documenting the church’s transformation from church to cult. The second part of the book follows the trials of the six members of the church indicted for the Lucas’ murder. Because Tiffanie and her congregants documented everything, Susan Ashline had access to hours of video and audio materials, tens of thousands of text messages, and court documents to aid her reporting. The result is a horrifying and compelling story of the ascent of dangerous religious zealot. This is a must read for true crime fans and those interested in cults and cult behavior. |
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Read it or Weep 
That’s horrendous. I am not from the US, so I didn’t know the story of Lucas Leonard, but I am now definitely interested in reading this book, thanks.