Related
Translate
Get RNB via RSS
|
|
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
![]() |
![]() Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Polygamist Sect Leader Convicted of Sexual Assault
- Jury takes 14 minutes to convict self-proclaimed pot pastor
- Supreme Court upholds cult AUM Shinrikyo members’ death sentences
- Newspaper continues series of exposés of Scientology cult
- Epic Mohammad movie in pipeline
- Coptic Christian Blogger in Egypt Pressured to Convert to Islam in Prison
- Italian judge convicts 23 in CIA kidnapping of Muslim cleric
- Cult leader Warren Jeffs’ attorneys argue sect leader faced wrong charge
- Photos show birthing center at sect’s Texas ranch
- Texas judge limits some records in FLDS trial over polygamy references
Deliberations End In Church Members’ Murder Trial
Deliberations in the Marietta, Georgia murder trial of Joseph and Sonya Smith came to an end on Thursday. Prosecutors said the Smith’s abused their eight-year-old son even allegedly locking him in a box at times.
The couple is affiliated with the Brentwood-based Remnant Fellowship Church and their trial has been closely followed in Middle Tennessee.
Prosecutors said a blow to the head ended the young boy’s life in October 2003 while the defense maintains he died of a skin infection.
Emotional closing arguments were made by the prosecutor on Wednesday before handing the case over to jury. Prosecutor Eleanor Dixon shoved a dummy into a wicker box the prosecution said the Smith’s used to punish their child. She then [placed] candles on a birthday cake and sang to the deceased boy while the Smith’s watched and cried.
Jurors worked for 30 minutes Wednesday afternoon and then resumed deliberations Thursday morning.
The Smith’s are facing a total of 14 counts including four count of felony murder, five counts of first degree cruelty to children, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of false imprisonment.
The jury is made up of four men and ten women.
If convicted the Smith’s face a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.
The Remnant Fellowship Church grew out of author Gwen Shamblin ’s best selling book, the “Weigh Down Diet.” According to the group’s Web site, they have 130 Churches in the U.S, Canada, Europe, Australia and the Bahamas.
A verdict is expected sometime Friday.
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Find Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





