Cult Leader Accused of Claiming Divine Voice Faces Murder Charges in California
In a dramatic courtroom revelation this week, former members of a California religious group described their leader as claiming to be a prophetess through whom God spoke directly. Shelley Bailey "Kat" Martin, 62, faces murder charges alongside four co-defendants in two separate cases involving the death of a child and the disappearance of a former follower.
Courtroom Testimony Reveals Cult Leader's Divine Claims
During a preliminary hearing at San Bernardino Superior Court on Thursday, former member Kelli Byrd provided chilling testimony about Martin's leadership of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies. Byrd stated that Martin referred to herself as "Prophetess Kathryn" and claimed to be the physical embodiment of the Holy Spirit.
"Her body would start thrashing and her voice would become deep and low as she shared 'a word from the throne of God,'" Byrd testified, describing what members called Martin's "gift of prophecy."
Murder Charges in Two Separate Cases
Martin, her husband Pastor Darryl Muzic Martin, and Andre Thomas are charged with murder in the 2010 death of four-year-old Timothy Thomas. The child died of a ruptured appendix while in the Martins' temporary custody, with prosecutors alleging neglect led to his "very painful death."
In a separate case, Martin faces murder charges alongside Rudy Moreno, 43, and Ramon Ruiz Duran Jr., 44, for the alleged killing of former member Emilio Ghanem. Ghanem disappeared in 2023 shortly after leaving the group, with prosecutors claiming greed as the motive. His case was reclassified as a homicide after evidence including a burned vehicle was discovered in the Mojave Desert.
Former Members Describe Controlling Environment
Details emerging about His Way Spirit Led Assemblies paint a picture of extreme control over members' lives. Anthony Duran, nephew of defendant Ramon Duran, told The Los Angeles Times he escaped the group in 2020 at age 20.
"You had no choice in anything," Duran said. "You can't go here. You can't go there. You can only go to work and come home." He added that members were discouraged from reading the Bible independently, instead receiving teachings exclusively from church leaders.
Duran further claimed Martin would tell members she "carried the spirit" so heavily as the "Prophetess" that she was barely able to walk. "She was God," Duran stated bluntly to the newspaper.
Investigation Reveals Pattern of Suspicious Disappearances
Authorities have also connected the group to the 2019 disappearance of Ruben Moreno, brother of defendant Rudy Moreno, who vanished from a Claremont home shared with other group members. While no charges have been filed in that case, Claremont Police Captain Robert Ewing confirmed the investigation remains active.
The arrests followed a joint investigation launched last year when police departments in Redlands, Colton, and Claremont connected their open cases. Martin, her husband, Moreno, and Thomas were arrested in December 2025, while Duran was apprehended in Nashville in January 2026 and extradited to California.
Group's History and Legal Proceedings
His Way Spirit Led Assemblies was founded in Nashville in 1998 before relocating to California in 2000, operating from various homes across Southern California's Inland Empire for decades according to testimony.
All defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. The case has drawn attention to what authorities and former members describe as "cult-like" behavior within the group, with former members reportedly recanting earlier statements under pressure from the Martins according to Colton Police Sergeant Shawn McFarland.
