Our May pick for The Morbidly Curious Book Club -- "Without a Prayer" by Susan Ashline

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Teenager Lucas Leonard made shocking admissions in front of the altar—he’d practiced witchcraft and conspired to murder his parents, among other horrific crimes. The confessions earned him a brutal beating by a gang of angry church members, including his parents and sister. Lucas arrived at the hospital dead, awakening the sleepy community of Chadwicks, New York, to the horror that had been lurking next door. Nine members of Lucas’ church (and a good amount of them family) would eventually find themselves facing murder-related charges. But how did they get to that point? And what made Lucas confess? The full story has never been told—until now. Emmy-nominated journalist Susan Ashline delves deep into the Leonard family history, the darkness within the Word of Life Christian Church, and what led Lucas, his family, and his community to that fateful night.

Susan Ashline is the author of the nationally acclaimed true crime book Without a Prayer: The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult. She is an Emmy-nominated journalist whose career spans more than twenty-five years. Her work has received major awards, including a first place Associated Press award for general excellence in individual reporting, and a Gannett Gold Medal award. Susan graduated from the University of Massachusetts, and she studied at the University of New Mexico and the State University of New York.

Resources and links:

https://www.icsahome.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanAshline

https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Jacket_Off_the_Gorge/NePoEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

https://www.reddit.com/r/askfuneraldirectors/comments/18np4eb/transporting_deceased_loved_one_over_state_lines/

https://www.us-funerals.com/when-death-occurs-away-from-home/

https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2019/08/word-of-life-christian-church-book-reveals-wild-saga-of-church-founders-death.html

https://www.romesentinel.com/news/update-former-word-of-life-church-set-on-fire-in-chadwicks-man-charged-with-arson/article_29d8a10a-9a6f-5600-bfc0-5d0b6d1db262.html

https://lukesthunder.blogspot.com/