Imagine the shock and dismay when the very methods meant to guide and protect lead to tragedy. Our latest episode takes you through the heart-wrenching journey of Gwen Shamblin's Remnant Fellowship Church, where the lines between faith, discipline, and law blur with devastating consequences. We carefully unravel the story of young Joseph, whose life ended too soon, and the uproar it caused that spotlighted the controversial teachings of Shamblin's church.
With the Smith trial as a backdrop, we share intimate testimonies and chilling details that piece together a narrative fraught with tension and moral quandaries. The episode doesn't shy away from the tough conversations around the impact of religious doctrine on child-rearing practices. We confront the difficult question of where to draw the line between strict parenting and abuse, all while giving voice to those who lived through the ordeal and the legal systems that had to untangle this complex web.
Thanks for being a loyal Crime Connoisseur! Enjoy your free 30-Day Audible Trial Membership
Discover your dog's DNA with a simple cheek swab for their genetic testing.
BoxDog and BoxCat are premium customizable subscription boxes for dogs and cats.
Your cat deserves better. Have fresh, human-grade meals for your cat straight to your door each month.
Imagine the shock and dismay when the very methods meant to guide and protect lead to tragedy. Our latest episode takes you through the heart-wrenching journey of Gwen Shamblin's Remnant Fellowship Church, where the lines between faith, discipline, and law blur with devastating consequences. We carefully unravel the story of young Joseph, whose life ended too soon, and the uproar it caused that spotlighted the controversial teachings of Shamblin's church.
With the Smith trial as a backdrop, we share intimate testimonies and chilling details that piece together a narrative fraught with tension and moral quandaries. The episode doesn't shy away from the tough conversations around the impact of religious doctrine on child-rearing practices. We confront the difficult question of where to draw the line between strict parenting and abuse, all while giving voice to those who lived through the ordeal and the legal systems that had to untangle this complex web.
Thanks for being a loyal Crime Connoisseur! Enjoy your free 30-Day Audible Trial Membership
Discover your dog's DNA with a simple cheek swab for their genetic testing.
BoxDog and BoxCat are premium customizable subscription boxes for dogs and cats.
Your cat deserves better. Have fresh, human-grade meals for your cat straight to your door each month.
Welcome back crime connoisseurs. I'm your host, grace D. I hope everyone had a good new year. We're picking up right where we left off from last week. To recap, gwen Shamblin has become known as the diet guru. She started a Christian-based weight loss program that has seen incredible results. But some question how healthy this program can be.
Speaker 1:
Gwen grew up in the Church of Christ and married David Shamblin, who had a master's in divinity. Gwen and David have two children, michael and Michelle Elizabeth Shamblin. Gwen's way down workshop grew into a global sensation within five years, having 250,000 participants and 14,000 churches throughout 70 countries by 1997. In 1999, gwen and David started their own church Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood, tennessee. During her Desert Oasis 2000 Way Down Workshop Convention, gwen announced the start of Remnant Fellowship. In her message she rejected the Holy Trinity, that there is one God in three forms the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and instead emphasized solely on God and His will. A month later, gwen sent an email to her followers saying that she believed the doctrine of the Trinity was not biblical. After this, churches started removing the Way Down Workshop classes in their churches because she denied the Trinity. But despite this, remnant Fellowship and Gwen Shamblin still gained a lot of followers. She not only built an empire but almost like her own little world, even though followers were all over the country and overseas. Gwen emphasized members having services within the Remnant community done by other Remnant members, like handyman services, hair babysitting and music lessons, to name a few and having little dealings with the outside. Five former employees sued Gwen for religious discrimination. They claimed that Gwen forced them to attend church if they worked for her. 35 people had left working at Way Down Workshop, most left on their own and some were fired. The lawsuit was settled outside of court and confidentiality agreements were signed, but this isn't the last time that Gwen and her church would be in the headlines for legal issues.
Speaker 1:
In October 2003, first responders were called to a home in Mableton, georgia, for an unconscious, unresponsive boy After being taken to the nearby Children's Hospital. The boy dies the next day and investigators have a lot of questions. And that's where we pick up. As I stated in last week's episode, listener discretion is advised for this episode. This is part two of Gwen, shamblin and Reminette Fellowship Church. Before we kick off, I want to let you all know that I'm going to cover Joseph's death in its entirety, from start to finish jumping ahead of other things. So everything related to Joseph is all together, and then we'll go back in chronological order.
Speaker 1:
On October 8th 2003, the parents told authorities that Joseph had passed out and never regained consciousness after the family gathered in the kitchen to participate in prayer sessions with their church. Via the internet, the dad's name is also Joseph, but his is spelled with a P-H and the son's is with an F, so from now on I'll refer to the dad as Big Joseph to cut down on any possible confusion. Big Joseph reportedly told police that when he went to pick Joseph up he was warm to the touch, wet with sweat and unresponsive. He thought his son was overheating, so he carried Joseph to the carport and laid him down on the concrete, hoping it would have a cooling effect, but that didn't work. They then called 911 for help and when Cop County Fire and Rescue responded they found 8-year-old Joseph lying on his back in the dining room, not breathing and without a pulse. He was rushed to the nearby children's hospital in hopes that there was still time to save the little boy. Sadly, joseph passed away the next day.
Speaker 1:
The hospital called the medical examiner's office at 7.55 pm on October 9th to inform them of Joseph's death and they said that he had died as a result of injuries sustained from child abuse. Sonia Smith told police that on the day they called 911, the couple had disciplined Joseph with a series of glue stick whippings, delivered in increments of 10. She said that Joseph was locked in a closet and made to pray to a picture of Jesus mounted on the ceiling. He was monitored in the kitchen via a camera in the closet. Hal Bennett, a medical examiner's investigator, arrived at the children's hospital at 8.30 pm and met with a woman named Christie, the ICU charge nurse. She informed Hal that Joseph had swelling of the brain and multiple blunt force trauma wounds to his body and extremities. Christie then advised Hal that copies of the medical records were available for review by the medical examiner, dr Brian Friss, chief medical examiner of Cobb County. After talking with the hospital and getting all the paperwork in order, joseph and the medical records were transported to the Cobb County Forensic Science Center. Hal left the hospital at 9.30 pm and arrived at the County Forensic Center at 10 pm.
Speaker 1:
The next day, on October 10th, at 1.45 pm, dr Brian Frist started Joseph Smith's autopsy. To understand the extent of this case and what is to come. I'm going to go over the autopsy report in detail because, with what will be coming up later in the episode, you guys need to have a complete understanding of what was found on this little boy. At the time of the examination, joseph had on a disposable diaper. No other clothing or valuables were present.
Speaker 1:
When examining Joseph's head and face, Dr Frist found a reddish bruise on the right forehead at the hairline, approximately 3 by 2 cm. Nondescript scarring in the left lateral forehead, within the hairline, a large red bruise measuring 4 by 3 cm on the right lateral cheek, involving the right lower eyelid and extended up to the right eyebrow. There was a small bruise over the left mandible measuring 1 by 1.5 cm. An additional area of bruising was found lateral to the left eye, measuring 1 by 1 cm. Another 1.5 by 1 cm bruise was located on the left eyebrow. A small laceration with bruising was found on the right mandible, measuring 2 by 1.5 cm. A small abrasion was found in the right cheek's lining and at the back of the right lip. On Joseph's chest, dr Frist found a 3 by 3 cm circular bruise and above the bruise there was a scar 4 by 1.5 cm in the shape of a loop Towards the middle of both the loop-shaped scar and bruise. There is scarring in the shape of a right angle, with the two arms of the right angle measuring 7 cm and 3 cm. There was also a small abrasion to the left nipple. The abdomen was flat with nondescript scars.
Speaker 1:
Joseph's back showed extensive nondescript bruises, scars and contusions. The most prominent was in the middle of the back. There was another loop-shaped scar at a 45 degree angle extending over the left back. There were additional numerous bruises and contusions all over his back. Many of them were in parallel lines. In the buttocks region there were extensive areas of scarring and abrasions. On the right buttock there was a large area of scarring with excoriation. In the midline there were healed scars with areas of excoriation. The left buttock also showed abrasions with excoriation. However, it was to a lesser degree than the one on the right. The bruises found on the back and the buttocks were of various ages.
Speaker 1:
The upper extremities showed extensive bruising, contusions and abrasions. There was a large bruise over the right shoulder measuring approximately 7 x 6 cm. This contusion extended over towards the back. The forearm showed bruises comprised of linear parallel lines. Those bruises were of various ages. The lower extremities also showed extensive bruising, contusions and abrasions of various ages On the posterior aspect of both thighs. Most prominent on the left extremity were extensive areas of bruising and abrasions with excoriation. These areas also showed prominent scarring. Many of the changes were consistent with thermal burns. In addition, the extremities showed extensive contusions and bruises comprised of linear parallel lines of injury with areas of pattern loop bruising.
Speaker 1:
The brain showed signs of edema. Edema is swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body's tissues. Dr Brian Frist determined the cause of death to be sequala of blunt forced head trauma associated with acute and chronic abuse. The manner of death was ruled to be a homicide. On December 8th 2003, big Joseph and Sonia Smith were arrested and charged with four counts of felony murder, five counts of first-degree cruelty to children, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of false imprisonment. They faced 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder. They spent four months in jail before remnant church members posted their bond.
Speaker 1:
Joseph's death came just months after the July 25th 2003 death of his 17-month old brother, malik. The Journal Constitution reported that his death was attributed to pneumonia, although an investigation was ongoing. The Journal Constitution also reported that a 14-year-old relative of Joseph Smith's, who described the child as being demon-possessed, a statement with which the parents agreed. A Department of Family and Children Services report reported that the Smiths belong to remnant Fellowship International, which operates out of Way Down Workshop on Seabird Lane in Cool Springs. A new church was under construction on Franklin Road in Brentwood Following Joseph's death.
Speaker 1:
During an interview with DFCS workers, big Joseph told them the family had been watching a webcast of remnant religious services when Joseph began a tantrum. That same day Big Joseph Smith told authorities he disciplined Joseph by hitting him with a two-foot-long whipping-like glue stick. According to police, big Joseph and Sonia used the long glue stick to beat Joseph and sometimes ordered their older son, michael, to hold Joseph while he was being beaten. On the day of his death, sonia said Joseph had gotten several whippings, which generally came in increments of 10. Former Cobb County detective David Schweizer told A&E True Crime that he compared a glue stick with the fresh marks on Joseph's body and it was a perfect match. Detective Schweizer said that after he got a recording of a phone call between Sonia Smith and Gwen Shamblin from a source, he drove four hours to execute a search warrant for remnant Fellowship's facilities in conjunction with the local law enforcement. Take a listen to the recorded call between Sonia and Gwen.
Speaker 2:
We've got four people on the line and we would love to hear from you guys. Go ahead, call her number one this is Sonia Smith in Atlanta. Sonia, you have four children.
Speaker 3:
Go ahead, sonia, well first I wanted to thank you. Last week my seven-year-old he was going through some changes. He was very destructive. Anything of mine he was trying to destroy. He strangled one of my babies well, attempted to. He tried to set the house on fire and when I called I was at the end of my robe and didn't know what to do.
Speaker 3:
He was not even fine doing a paddling and I got to speak with Ted Inger and the advice he gave me was just wonderful and I just wanted to say thank you. It's like looking at a different child.
Speaker 3:
I did exactly what Ted told me to do to spank him on the back of his thighs, take everything out of his room, and that was like a two-hour job. But we got everything out of there and locked him in there from that Friday until Monday and only left him in the room with his bottle, and I just praise God for you guys because that's something. Otherwise I probably would have had to go to the world in this message, you know, calling the police, or I just had no clue how to deal with that and I just really wanted to say thank you. He is. He comes to me every day, like three or four times a day. I home school and I work at home, so we see each other a day. Mom, is there anything I can do for you? Can I help you? What do you need done, mom? And that is such an amazing gift and I just wanted to say thank you and that's just from obeying, setting those boundaries, making it clear and just following God's lead.
Speaker 2:
And so people need to know there's hope and that's a miracle. You've got a child that's going from just bizarre down to in control, so I'll praise God. And so what is the fear? Oh, that child, or that poor child, are you gonna, you know, hurt his self-esteem, or you're gonna, let me tell you something they get self-esteem when they lose himself. It is all about losing themselves and then looking out to someone else. He was full of self and he wanted what he wanted when he wanted attention, he wanted whatever, you know. But he can only get that from God. Only God can fill it up. And so we are schooling these kids. We are, you know, ruining their lives by even letting them think about themselves at all. So thank you, sonya, for sharing that. Who else is on the line?
Speaker 1:
On Wednesday, may 19th 2004, law enforcement officials raided the Way Down Workshop warehouse in Franklin, tennessee, just before lunchtime. By the time the press arrived, all seven members of the Franklin Police's detectives division, chief Jackie Moore, deputy Chief Alice Siegel and Lieutenant Mike Jordan, were all on scene. The raid was part of a continued investigation into the role the teachings of remnant fellowship church played in the death of Joseph Smith. They collected files and computer discs over two days. The search didn't yield anything criminal, so Detective Schweizer Superiors told him there was pretty much nothing else he could do. He retired from Cobb County in 2020 and now works as an investigator for the Banks County Sheriff's Office and as a task force officer with the Department of Homeland Security. Police felt that the church had played some role in Joseph's death. In an article with the New York Times, corporal Brodie Stodd of the Cobb County, georgia police said quote a lot of our evidence is that they discipline their children in ways the church recommended. It's possible that these two parents took what they learned to the extreme end quote In February 2007, the trial of Big Joseph and Sonia Smith began.
Speaker 1:
They were tried together and members of the remnant fellowship got together and paid their legal fees. Assistant district attorney Eleanor Dixon told the jurors quote Joseph's body, will tell you the story of what happened to him. There was beating after beating, after beating and then he died. And quote Assistant district attorney Dixon told jurors that Joseph was beaten by his parents using various objects, including a glue stick, which she described as a foot-lung piece of flexible material for the use inside of a glue gun. She said the boy was known as a wild youth who had issues, but his parents never took him to a doctor or to see a counselor.
Speaker 1:
The Cobb County medical examiner determined that Joseph died from blows to the head and the first responders who responded to the family's emergency call said his body was covered with bruises. Prosecutors stated that Joseph was locked in a wooden box and confined to a closet for hours at a time before he died in October 2003. Authorities say that Joseph was chronically abused and died from a blow to the head. The couple's attorney argued that Joseph did not die from the injuries and that the medical examiner failed to perform crucial tests that would have found the actual cause of his death. They suggested that Joseph died as a result of a bacterial infection from chronic eczema.
Speaker 1:
Big Joseph and Sonia told authorities. Joseph passed out and never regained consciousness after the family gathered in the kitchen to participate in a prayer session with their church. Via the internet, the Smith case led authorities to investigate the church, though police who testified during the couple's trial said they could not find a link between the boy's death and the church's teaching about punishment. It was found that one of the church's leaders had given a talk during the February 2003 women's conference where he talked about having a showdown spanking with his two-year-old daughter. Here take a listen.
Speaker 4:
Hey guys, this is David Martin. I just want to give a real two-minute testimony just to say that since we really have been blessed, jennifer and I have been blessed with this advice from Gwen and have applied it to a six-year-old, a two-year-old and an 11-month-old, and actually much longer than that. We've been doing it since we've known Gwen and since we've gotten this advice, I can't tell you what a difference it's made. A year ago, our two-and-a-half-year-old Avery, we had a real showdown with her and her will was just, was ruling and enough was enough and we had a leg spanking over and over and over and over and over and over again and time one evening, and this was after just a series of these things over a few weeks, and we stayed on top of it for a couple, three weeks and that has been a different child in this last year because of that. And now I can say now I can say that I feel real confident if she will, we're training up that child the way she should go and she won't depart from it. She's not going to come home drunk at 16 years old. She's not going to come home, you know, pregnant and and I it's all for God, all this is for God and it is about looking at those children, loving God more than you love those children and understanding that you are.
Speaker 4:
By training up these kids and applying exactly what you've learned today, you are providing more little vessels for God to be king, more little vessels where God can dwell, and you are. You are, like Gwen was saying, reversing the cycle of sin in your family's generations and you get a chance to see in them everything godly and righteous that you've had to beat out of yourself. For you know, as adults, now you get a chance to correct all that before it ever happens. And you will marvel in your old age when you watch these kids not struggle with hardly anything. And and I just I can just testify as as a parent for me and Jennifer with small children that this absolutely works.
Speaker 4:
And if you will do it and do the hard thing, all you'll have to do is do it for just a few weeks and then it'll get easier and easier.
Speaker 4:
And now we hardly ever have to spank Avery because she obeys so quickly and readily and if that will tries to creep back up, we just remind her of who she is and it doesn't take but about two minutes of that and then that's over again and then she's fine. But it is so rare now that I just I just praise God for it and what you've gotten today is just a drink of living water. And if you'll just do it, just do it and and seek after it and put it into practice, you will be so blessed and you'll never have to deal with this hardly ever again. It'll hardly ever creep up ever again. And if it ever did, you just pop it back down. And the good news is, if the god will rule and you will get to correct everything that you ever did wrong in your own life, you'll get to see it happen in righteousness and truth in your own kids lives and break that curse of sin in your, in your family's generation.
Speaker 1:
Remnant leaders have supported Big Joseph and Sonia throughout the case, with some members even attending the couple's trial in Georgia. They believe the Smiths claims that Joseph's death was an accident and have helped pay for their lawyers. Sonia told the police that she normally gave the children their whippings in increments of 10 blows each and that Joseph had gotten several of those whipping sessions on the day of his death. The police reported that the Smiths locked Joseph in his room to pray to a picture of Jesus on the ceiling and in a closet for days and even weeks he was given only a bucket for a toilet. An older son sometimes held Joseph down while the parents beat him with implements. Police officer Stephen Gaynor said Sonia quote jokingly told me if he ever goes to the hospital they're gonna drag mommy and daddy to jail. End quote. Another police officer said that the father told him after Joseph's death quote I'm not going to lie to you, he's bruised. End quote. The police wrote in a report the parents showed no remorse and were very defensive about their religion and its recommended discipline methods. Joseph's older brother, michael Booth, who was 16 at the time, testified in court that Joseph was frequently hit with footlong glue sticks, coat hangers, belts and an extension cord. Everyone in the family was afraid of him because he was so destructive and claimed to be a soldier of the devil, especially when the family engaged in religious activity.
Speaker 1:
Michael testified that on October 8th 2003 the family was watching a webcast church service of remnant fellowship when Joseph began quote screaming, cursing and carrying on Every time we prayed. He tried to do things to my little brother, james. End quote. The Smiths told Michael to put Joseph inside of a wood-lined chest. After Michael got Joseph in the chest, he tied the lid closed with an extension cord because Joseph kept popping his head up. Michael testified that Joseph continued cursing inside the box, yelling quote I'm going to kill all you mother-effors when I get out. James is the first on my list. I'm going to slit his throat end quote. 10 or 15 minutes later he stopped yelling. Michael cut the extension cord and opened the chest. Joseph was unresponsive. Big Joseph ran to the chest, pulled his son out, attempted resuscitation and called 911. Joseph died in the hospital the next day.
Speaker 1:
Medical examiners testified that Joseph died of blunt force, trauma in acute and chronic abuse and positional asphyxiation. All topsy photos showed his body covered with abrasions and bruises, as well as brain swelling, citing a high white cell count in Joseph's blood. Two doctors testified for the defense that Joseph died of an infection rather than blunt force trauma. A dermatologist testified that the marks on Joseph's skin were because of eczema rather than bruising.
Speaker 1:
During the trial, laura Boone testified to when she babysat Joseph for the Smiths six months before Joseph died. Laura was 14 at the time, worked as a babysitter and made a report of child abuse about Joseph without knowing his name. She found out it was him when she saw his face on TV during a news report of his death. Laura, whose family is not part of Remnant Fellowship, says she started babysitting for the church families because her neighbors were members. Laura and her friends often babysat kids in a large group while their parents attended church gatherings.
Speaker 1:
Laura says she met Joseph in April 2003 when the Smith family attended a church event. She saw Joseph crying in a corner so she asked his father what she should do. She said quote. His father hit his fist into his hand and he said hit him hard. I was shocked. I said no End. Quote. She says his father then took Joseph into the next room to discipline him. Quote. I don't know what he was doing hitting, spanking, whatever, but we could all hear that happening. End quote. The next day Laura and her mother went to Tennessee's Department of Children Services to make a child abuse report. She said quote I didn't know the child's name or the dad's name. I knew they were from Atlanta, but there wasn't enough detail for DCS to do a proper follow-up investigation. End quote Laura described Joseph as pretty rambunctious with behavioral issues that professionals might have best addressed. Here's a clip from Laura's testimony during the trial.
Speaker 6:
I just want to ask you a couple of questions about the defendant, joseph Smith in this case. Do you know Joseph?
Speaker 5:
Yes, and how do you know him? He goes to a room in fellowship and I babysat for the kid, his kid, joseph.
Speaker 6:
Smith at the Wadow Workshop. Okay, I'm going to back up a little bit and ask you is babysitting something that you regularly do now?
Speaker 3:
No, ma'am.
Speaker 6:
Did you regularly do it? In 2003? Yes, and how often would you say you babysat for a remnant fellowship?
Speaker 5:
At least a dozen times over the whole course that I babysat for them. What is remnant fellowship? I see it as a church based off of the Wadow.
Speaker 6:
Workshop that go and channel in the started. Now you said you babysat for them a number of times. When you babysat for defendant Joseph Smith son, where did that actual babysitting?
Speaker 5:
take place. It was at the Wadow Workshop. Where was that On Seaboard Lane in Brooklyn, Tennessee.
Speaker 6:
That's in Tennessee. Yes, do you remember approximately when you babysat for him?
Speaker 5:
This was in the spring, around Easter time, and what year? 2003. And do you see Joseph Smith here today, the dad Joseph Smith? Yes, okay, where is he, sorry? Okay, can you describe what he's wearing? A suit with the red tie.
Speaker 6:
And when you saw him around Easter of 2003,. Can you describe the place you saw him?
Speaker 5:
It was in the Wadow Workshop. There was a big area with like a sink and rocking tears and nursery type area, and then off to the side was a bigger room for the kids to play, and then we were in that bigger room where all the kids were. How many kids were you babysitting at that time? That day there were probably 20 plus kids. So it's daytime or nighttime babysitting.
Speaker 6:
This is in the daytime, and how many babysitters were there with the children.
Speaker 5:
I would say seven or eight of us when you babysat before for this for the Redneck Fellowship?
Speaker 6:
would that be typical of a number of babysitters? Yes, ma'am, do you remember first seeing the defendant, joseph Smith, and child Joseph Smith?
Speaker 5:
Yes, Would you tell the jury what you saw? They walked in and, Joseph Smith, the baby was in or the kid was in the corner crying, and I thought maybe his dad had like a toy or some food or something that would make the kid feel better. So I asked him what he would want me to do if the kid continued to cry when the dad was leaving. And he just looked at me and said hit him hard. And I said, sir, I'm not going to hit your son. What do you want me to do? And he said, no, really hit him hard. And I just said that I wouldn't.
Speaker 6:
And so he took him into. Let me stop you right there. You made an emotion with your fist in your hand. Is that the emotion that this defendant made? Yes, ma'am, what happened after you said you would?
Speaker 5:
not hit his child. There was a smaller, maybe Sunday school type room off to the side of the nursery and he took Joseph in there and he was still crying and we can just hear him hitting him and the son just wailing. Now how do you know he was? He said you heard something. What did you hear? Either spanking or hitting, but very hard hitting or spanking. Can you describe the sound? Just a very hard like hit and then a very wild scream and cry from Joseph Smith, the son. Did you see the child and the dad after they left that area? Yes, ma'am, they came back out and the son stayed the remainder of the afternoon with us. Did you ever speak with the child? I asked him if he was okay, but he was still just crying throughout the he never. He wasn't very talkative. He didn't really seem to answer any of my questions. Did you ever see these two people?
Speaker 1:
again. No, ma'am Joseph would have been 12 on Friday, February 16, 2007. In her closing arguments, wednesday the 14th Assistant District Attorney Dixon sang happy birthday to Joseph, leaving the defendants in tears. Coincidentally, the jury convicted Big Joseph and Sonia Smith on Joseph's birthday a felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, first degree cruelty to children, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and reckless conduct. Church members paid for their bail and legal defense and crowded the courtroom. Church leaders said the child's death was an accident from hitting his head on the banister. They described the Smith's discipline methods as traditional spankings and groundings of the child to his bedroom and denied they were abusive. When sentencing the Smiths on March 27, 2007, superior Court Judge James Badaford said quote I think it's serious enough where you should receive the maximum punishment and it should be on top of life end, quote the Smiths looked at each other but said nothing. As Judge Badaford imposed the sentence, about two dozen supporters were in the courtroom and several friends spoke on the couple's behalf, describing them as kind. Judge Badaford called the letters of support for the Smiths amazing but said the supporters likely didn't have all the details. Although the church was investigated after Joseph's death, police testified during the couple's trial they could not find any link between the boy's death and the religious institution. Ted Anger, one of the church's leaders, said they still believe the Smiths are innocent. Outside of the courtroom, ted said quote we will support the Smiths in any way we can. End. Quote the Smiths filed a motion in Cobb County for a new trial, arguing the ineffective assistance of counsel of their defense lawyer, but that was denied on October 8th 2009.
Speaker 1:
An appeal was then brought to the Supreme Court of Georgia. This appeal was denied on November 8, 2010, when the Supreme Court of Georgia, on a 5-2 vote, upheld the murder convictions and life prison sentences given to both Joseph and Sonia Smith. The dissenting opinions cited in proper conduct of the trial judge for allowing unfair and potentially prejudicial theatrics by the prosecution to gain an outcome based on passion rather than on the facts of the case. They also cited inadequate jury instructions and definitions for some specific charges. A petition was filed on February 7, 2011 with the United States Supreme Court asking the Supreme Court to review the decisions made in the lower courts. This petition was also denied on June 27, 2011.
Speaker 1:
Remnant Fellowship runs and maintains the Smiths or Innocent Page. Currently, sonia is incarcerated at the Arendelle State Prison, whereas Joseph is serving his sentence at the McCann State Prison. At this time, big Joseph and Sonia Smith are still members of Remnant Fellowship Church. According to the the Smiths or Innocent Web page, remnant Fellowship started prison ministries where the Smiths participate in prison workshops. And, after much debate within myself, this is where we're going to end the episode. I really wanted to give Joseph his own episode because highlighting the innocent lives affected during this time is so important. Next week we will finish up with Gwen Shamblin and Remnant Fellowship Church. We're going to go back in order with more major events that happened with Gwen and the Church. Be sure to follow on Instagram at CrimeConnoisseurs. If you have a case suggestion, click the link in the bio, fill out the form and I'll look into it, or you can send an email to CrimeConnoisseurs at gmailcom and for the subject line, put case suggestion. In the meantime, keep it class econosores and I'll catch you on the next case.