Clapping, singing, bizarre speaking in tongues: Killer dad Jason Struhs’ baptism into fringe Christian cult revealed
Published By admin with Comments 0
Footage of a killer father’s baptism into his family’s fringe church congregation in the months before he caused the death of his daughter by withdrawing her lifesaving insulin has been revealed – with the congregation breaking out into a bizarre song over the act.
The mobile phone clip can be revealed following the conviction of Jason Richard Struhs and 13 others over the death of Elizabeth Struhs in early 2022.
The eight-year-old girl, who had diabetic ketoacidosis, was denied her lifesaving insulin for several days by Mr Struhs and her mother, Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs.
The pair are members of a close-knit religious group known as The Saints, who reject modern medicine in favour of God’s healing power.
Instead of seeking medical attention or administering her insulin, members of The Saints prayed for God to heal the child in accordance with their fringe faith-healing beliefs, until she died on or around January 7, 2022.
Mr Struhs had only been a recent convert to The Saints, having rejected their beliefs for years.
That changed in August 2021 when he was baptised by Mr Stevens – with the footage capturing members of the congregation watching on.
Mr Stevens – the leader of The Saints – stands over Jason dressed in a simple garb.
In the footage he says: “And Jason, because you’ve agreed you want to get baptised, in the name of God because it’s right, I’m now going to baptise you in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
“Now take a breath, Jason, and I’ll put you under the water.”
With a quick submersion Mr Stevens dunks him into the tarpaulin basin and pulls him up.
“Praise the Lord God, hallelujah,” Mr Stevens continues.
In bizarre scenes, the congregation then breaks out into song, clapping along to the rhythmical guitar as Mr Struhs remains in the tub.
Over the music, Mr Stevens is heard babbling in an unknown language directly into Mr Struhs’ ear – the camera panning around the members of the religious circle who pick up the pace of the singing.
This “language” is referred to by The Saints as “speaking in tongues” – effectively an unknown language between its members and God.
The footage can be revealed following the conviction of the 14 members of The Saints at court, following a nine-week Supreme Court trial in 2024.
Jason Struhs, 53, and 63-year-old Brendan Luke Stevens – who is the leader of The Saints – were both charged with Elizabeth’s murder, while Kerrie Struhs, 49, was charged with manslaughter.
Elizabeth’s older brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 22, Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, – the wife of Brendan Stevens – and the couple’s adult children Acacia Naree Stevens, 32, Therese Maria Stevens, 37, Sebastian James Stevens, 24, Andrea Louise Stevens, 35, Camellia Claire Stevens, 29, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, and his wife Samantha Emily Schoenfisch, 26, and a third woman, Keita Courtney Martin, 24, were also charged with manslaughter.
Mr Struhs and Mr Stevens were found not guilty of murder, but guilty on the alternate counts of manslaughter.
Content retrieved from: https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/courts-law/clapping-singing-bizarre-speaking-in-tongues-killer-dad-jason-struhs-baptism-into-fringe-christian-cult-revealed/news-story/7ae6e10142542fd5ac380786d01bc613.
