Man blames leaders of mysterious SoCal religious group for his 4-year-old brother's death

COLTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A man accused of murdering his 4-year-old boy in Colton 15 years ago has pleaded not guilty.

Andre Thomas, along with the leaders of a mysterious religious organization known as His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, are all charged with first-degree murder after the death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas in January 2010.

But the 4-year-old's brother, who lived with him along with other church members at the time of his death from appendicitis, says he doesn't feel his father is the one responsible.

"They took his religion and deceived him, made him do things and convinced him to do things," said Andre Thomas, Jr., the suspect's son.

Thomas Jr. said he was very young when his family joined the organization, led by Daryl Muzik Martin, the pastor of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, and his wife, Shelley Bailey "Kat" Martin, known as the "prophetess" for the religious organization.

"It was strange," said Thomas Jr. about the organization's worship services. "They would make us speak in a language and spin around in circles for all night, for hours. We would be at church from 9 in the morning until 12 to 1 at night."

Thomas Jr. said the Martins also separated his family, forcing he and his brother to live in a home on Latham Street in Colton with other church members, away from his father who was forced to live in a separate home down the street.

Thomas Jr. said church leaders prohibited him from attending public elementary school.

"It was very hard to leave if you wanted to leave," Thomas Jr. said. "They would tried to convince you to stay."

Thomas Jr. said his brother started experiencing stomach pain in January 2010.

"One day he started complaining about his stomach hurting, the side of his stomach hurting and they did what they usually did. They would pray for him and said he would be fine. But as the days got longer, he got more sick, more unwell and he started to turn pale."

But Thomas Jr. said the Martins never sought medical attention for his brother, even as his condition worsened.

"They kept lying to my dad, telling him that Timothy was OK, but they wouldn't allow us to see him."

Several days after he started experiencing pain, Thomas Jr. said his brother began to vomit.

"It was like a dark color; a very dark color. Brownish and blackish. It didn't look right."

By the time paramedics were called to the scene, it was too late.

Four-year-old Timothy Thomas was pronounced dead.

At the time, Colton police investigated his death. They forwarded the case to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for involuntary manslaughter charges.

But the district attorney's office declined to file charges, citing a lack of sufficient evidence.

Years later, after the disappearance of another church member, 40-year-old Emilio Ghanem, the Colton Police Department reopened the case.

Recently, murder charges were filed against the boy's father, as well as Daryl and Shelly Martin.

Shelly Martin, along with another church member identified as Rudy Moreno, are accused of murdering Emilio Ghanem.

Ghanem was reported missing in May 2023 after meeting with a church member at a coffee shop in Redlands.

It was the last time he was seen alive.

Redlands police said they discovered his burned-out truck in the Mojave Desert, with evidence indicating he'd been murdered. But Ghanem's body has yet to be found.

Andre Thomas Jr. doesn't believe his father should be charged with murdering his brother. He places the blame solely at the hands of church leaders Shelly and Daryl Martin.

"I do believe they're responsible because it could have been preventable," Thomas, Jr. said. "They could have taken him to the hospital and they didn't.

"They coerced (my father), and they lied to him and tricked him. And they did this to multiple members in the cult."

Thomas Jr. has set up a fundraiser to assist him in his fight for justice.

"I don't believe my dad is responsible. He's a victim of what happened."