Faith-healing parents arrested
Last Updated Oct 03, 2008 6:06 AM
The mother and father of a teenager who died in June turned themselves in Thursday to face charges of criminally negligent homicide. Neal Beagley, 16, died because of bladder complications nearly four months ago. Authorities said his parents belong to the Followers of Christ Church, a religion relying on prayer in place of medical care. After Beagley died, a medical examiner ruled his death could have been prevented had his family taken him to a doctor. Based upon findings from the grand jury, the Clackamas County Circuit Court issued arrest warrants Wednesday for Jeffrey Dean Beagley and Marci Rae Beagley in connection with their son's death. Clackamas County prosecutors said the Beagleys turned themselves into authorities Wednesday after a grand jury indicted the couple on criminally negligent homicide charges. The Beagleys posted bail Thursday and are expected to appear in court Friday afternoon. There was no one at the church Thursday to offer comment on the recent indictments, but according to DMV records the family lives on a private drive in Oregon City. Friends of the Beagleys said it was private property and that they had no comment. The Oregon City-based Followers of Christ Church isn't associated with a mainstream denomination. It has 2,000 members, most of who live in the Oregon City and Gladstone area. After several children from the church died in the 1990s, Oregon lawmakers passed new laws striking down legal shields for faith-healing parents. State senator Peter Courtney helped pass the law after an 11-year-old died of diabetes. The boy's parents tried spiritual healing instead of insulin. The Beagley family is also connected to another recent high-profile case, which involved a toddler who died in March. Carl and Raylene Worthington, who are members of the church, were charged with manslaughter and criminal mistreatment in connection with the death of their 15-month-old daughter, Ava. Neil was the uncle of Ava, who died of bacterial pneumonia. In that case, too, the medical examiner ruled that death could've been prevented with a simple medical procedure. The Worthingtons' trial is scheduled for next year. Courtney told FOX 12 in March that he would be watching the case closely to see if the laws need to be changed again.