Churchman jailed for exorcism death...

[Michael_E]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/aug04/251920.asp

Minister gets 30 months in boy's death
Judge also bars him from performing other exorcisms
By DERRICK NUNNALLY
dnunnally@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 17, 2004
A Milwaukee minister whose attempt to perform an exorcism ended in the death of an 8-year-old boy was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison and 7 1/2 years of state supervision for the botched ritual last August.

Hemphill Trial

 
The sentence bars Ray Anthony Hemphill, 46, a former maintenance worker with no religious schooling who conducted services in a strip-mall sanctuary, from attempting any more exorcisms during the next 10 years without formal training in the practice. Circuit Judge Jean DiMotto said the prohibition, and the extended supervision, were needed to protect Milwaukee from Hemphill's unorthodox religious practices.

"The community cannot risk another child being hurt, much less being killed, in a religious ritual," DiMotto said.

Altogether, the sentence meets the 10-year maximum Hemphill faced after a jury convicted him in July of child abuse - recklessly causing great bodily harm.

Hemphill was also ordered to pay $1,224.75 in restitution.

He spoke only briefly at the sentencing hearing:

"Your honor, I'm truly sorry for what happened to Terrance Cottrell Jr. That is what I would like to say. Thanks."

The boy had been coming to prayer services at Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, 8709 W. Fond du Lac Ave, for about three weeks. They were intended to cure the boy's autism.

The services, Hemphill told police, ran an hour or two most nights and involved close physical contact, sometimes with his body lying across the child's torso. But on Aug. 22, 2003, he noticed that the boy, who was being held down by his mother, two other women and Hemphill, had stopped breathing. Hemphill called 911 and performed CPR, but Terrance died.

None of the other three has been charged for her role in the death.

District Attorney E. Michael McCann said his office decided against homicide charges because the state would have been required to show that Hemphill realized his actions presented a "great likelihood" of causing great bodily harm or death to the boy.

An autopsy found that Cottrell suffocated and the jury found Hemphill responsible even though his attorney, Thomas Harris, argued that the boy had toxic levels of medicines in his bloodstream.

Harris contended that his client needed only probation, with a stayed prison term hanging over his head, to keep him from endangering others. He spent more than 30 minutes laying out the reasons Hemphill's is "not a prison case," including his client's peaceful nature and good intentions in holding the ceremony.

DiMotto said the child's death requires at least some time behind bars.

Afterward, Terrance's mother and father each said they agreed with the prison sentence.

"He's doing some kind of time, that's his punishment, but for killing a child, that's kind of low," Terrance Cottrell Sr. said.

Cottrell's mother, Patricia Cooper, said, "He would still be here today if I never would have taken him to that church."