Parents found guilty in Oregon City faith-healing trial

A Clackamas County jury found Jeffrey and Marci Beagley guilty today of criminally negligent homicide for failing to seek medical care for their 16-year-old son Neil Beagley.

Instead of taking their son to a doctor when he became ill, the Beagleys treated him with faith healing – prayer, anointing with oil and laying on of hands.

The Beagleys could face a maximum of 10 years in prison. Because the two have no prior convictions, the normal sentencing range under state sentencing guidelines would be 16 to 18 months in prison.
[...]

The Beagleys are the first Oregon parents convicted of homicide in the faith-healing death of a child since the state legislature eliminated spiritual treatment as a defense in such cases in 1999. Legislators cracked down on faith healing due in large part to a history of child deaths associated with the Beagleys’ Oregon City congregation, the Followers of Christ church.

In July 2009, the Beagleys’ son-in-law, Carl Brent Worthington, was found guilty on a lesser charge – criminal mistreatment – for failing to provide medical care to his 15-month-old daughter, Ava Worthington. Raylene Worthington, the child’s mother, was acquitted on all charges.

Ava Worthington died about four months before Neil Beagley, also after marathon faith-healing sessions.
[...more...]

Related News Articles Topic(s): Faith Healing • Followers of Christ (Oregon) • Neil Jeffrey Beagley Related Tags / Keywords: Faith Healing • Followers of Christ church • Neil Jeffrey Beagley Read Another Religion News Article Latest headlines: RNB Homepage RNB Quick Takes: Religion News in Brief Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Subscribe only to this topic: Faith Healing, Followers of Christ (Oregon), Neil Jeffrey Beagley Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Faith Healing Most Popular RNB Articles Today Televangelists Benny Hinn and Paula White deny affair Tyke, 3, raised as shady guru’s ’son’ A Polygamist’s Victory: Will Texas Have Better Luck with Warren Jeffs? Utah court tosses FLDS cult leader Warren Jeffs’ conviction Supreme Court: FLDS cult leader Warren Jeffs gets new trial Texas, feds wait turns in polygamist cult leader cases Pastor in Russian Republic of Dagestan Killed Jury to decide if John Allen Rubio will get death in beheadings

---

Religion Search Engines:   • Religion News    • Christian Apologetics Search    • Counter Cult Search

---

Search Religion News Blog

More Religion Search Engines:

Counter Cult Search: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Apologetics Search: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.