Sentencing today for a husband and wife in Oneida County who were involved in the brutal beatings of their two children, one of whom was killed.Bruce and Deborah Leonard stood before a judge today and were sentenced for the attack on their children in the Word of Life church sanctuary In New Hartford in 2015.
Bruce Leonard got ten years behind bars and his wife got five years in prison. they and other church members are accused of beating the Leonard children with electrical cords over a period of hours that resulted in the death of 19 year old Lucas Leonard.
His 17 year old brother Christopher was severely beaten but survived the attack. Investigators say the brothers were beaten because they were accused of practicing witchcraft and molesting family members.