5 members of church enter pleas to abuse

Kansas City, Kan. — Five members of a storefront church accused of binding and gagging children as punishment have pleaded no contest to reduced charges of attempted child abuse.

One of the children, the 9-year-old adoptive son of the church’s leaders, died as a result of abuse, prosecutors said.

Neil and Christy Edgar, pastors of God’s Creation Outreach Ministry, and baby sitter Chasity Boyd, were convicted in September of first-degree felony murder in the death of Brian Edgar, as well as of abusing two other children in the Edgar family. Sentencing is set for Wednesday in Johnson County District Court.

In neighboring Wyandotte County, the five church members — along with Christy Edgar and Boyd — initially were charged with child abuse. They were accused of abusing the Edgar’s three adopted children, including Brian, and a 12-year-old boy who knew the family.

Wyandotte County Dist. Atty. Nick Tomasic announced a plea agreement involving all five on Friday. Renita Allen-Jackson and Barbara Clark, both of Kansas City, Kan., pleaded no contest to two counts of attempted child abuse. Neil Edgar’s sister, Julia Edgar-Montgomery, Idella Horton and Patricia Walker, all of Kansas City, Kan., also pleaded no contest to one count of attempted child abuse.

The women entered the pleas between Oct. 31 and Friday in Wyandotte County.

At a news conference in January, Tomasic said members of the church disciplined the children for disrespecting adults and not paying attention at church by hogtying them and leaving them in that position overnight.

Sentencing for all five women was deferred pending the completion of pre-sentence investigations, and they remain free on bond.

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