"Shelley Bailey "Kat" Martin taught members of her secretive religious group that she was like the character Neo from the Matrix - awoken from this realm by God and transformed into a perfect being, according to testimony from a former member. The self-proclaimed "Prophetess" appeared in San Bernardino Superior Court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing alongside four other defendants to face murder charges in the death of a 4-year-old boy and a former group member."
"The Martins are leaders of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies a religious group that imposed excessive control over members' lives and finances and operated for years across the Inland Empire, prosecutors say. Shelley Martin, 62, Rudy Moreno, 43, and Ramon Ruiz Duran Jr., 44, are charged with murdering former member Emilio Ghanem, who disappeared in 2023 shortly after parting ways with the group."
Leaders Shelley Bailey "Kat" Martin and Darryl Muzic Martin, along with current and former members Rudy Moreno, Ramon Ruiz Duran Jr., and Andre Thomas, face separate murder charges tied to a 2010 child death and the 2023 disappearance of former member Emilio Ghanem. All defendants have pleaded not guilty. Former member Kelli Byrd testified that Shelley Martin called herself Prophetess Kathryn, claimed to be a physical embodiment of the Holy Spirit, and produced prophetic trances marked by thrashing and a deepened voice. Prosecutors characterize the group as secretive, financially controlling, and active across the Inland Empire for years.
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