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3w ago

Ex-Member Describes 'Prophetess' Control at Hearing in Inland Empire Double-Murder Case

The preliminary hearing centers on prosecutors' bid to establish enough evidence to move the linked homicide cases toward trial.

His Way Spirit Led Assemblies church leader Shelley ‘Kat’ Martin listens during a preliminary hearing in a double-murder case on Feb. 5, 2026 at the San Bernardino Justice Center in San Bernardino. A former congregant testified on Feb. 6 that Martin grew increasingly controlling and violent over the years. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Defense attorney Eugene Carson, right, talks with clients His Way Spirit Led Assemblies church: Pastor Darryl Martin and his wife Shelley Martin during preliminary hearings in Dept. S-6 of the San Bernardino Justice Center in San Bernardino on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Shelley Martin, one of the church leaders, is charged with murder in the disappearance of former congregant Emilio Ghanem and 4-year-old Timothy Thomas, who died in the care of Shelley and Darryl Martin. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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Overview

  • Former member Kelli Byrd testified that Shelley Bailey “Kat” Martin called herself a prophetess, claimed to embody the Holy Spirit and delivered “words from God” during services.
  • Byrd recounted strict punishments and control within His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, including a 2013 incident where Martin struck her with a microphone for disobedience, causing bleeding.
  • Shelley Martin is charged in the 2010 death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas and in the alleged murder of former member Emilio Ghanem; Darryl Martin and Andre Thomas face charges in the child’s death, while Rudy Moreno and Ramon Ruiz Duran are charged in Ghanem’s case.
  • Investigators say Ghanem left the group in 2023 after working at its Fullshield pest-control business, and his rented truck was found burned in the Mojave Desert in 2025, prompting a homicide inquiry.
  • All five defendants have pleaded not guilty, and authorities say a joint effort by Redlands, Colton and Claremont police drove the late-2025 arrests; the hearing is scheduled to resume Monday.