Leaders of a secretive Inland Empire spiritual group have been charged with homicide in two separate instances — the disappearance of longtime member Emilio Ghanem in Redlands and the 2010 dying of 10-year-old Timothy Thomas in Colton.
Ghanem vanished in Might 2023, simply weeks after he determined to half methods with His Method Spirit Led Assemblies, a company authorities have described as “cult-like.” For greater than two years, his household has sought solutions to what occurred to him.
Timothy died whereas within the care of the group’s leaders, Shelly Bailey “Kat” Martin and Darryl Muzic Martin, in Colton in 2010, in keeping with Colton Police Sgt. Shawn McFarland.
On Monday, Shelly Martin, 62, and group member Rudy Moreno, 43, had been charged with the homicide of Ghanem and conspiracy to commit homicide, in keeping with the San Bernardino County district legal professional’s workplace.
Shelly Martin, Darryl Martin, 58, and former group member Andre Thomas, 48, had been charged with the homicide of Timothy.
The group additionally has been named in reference to the 2019 disappearance of member Ruben Moreno in Claremont, in keeping with the Claremont Police Division.
Redlands police and the FBI raided the Hemet property of His Method Spirit Led Assemblies in the course of the night time on Aug. 16, 2025.
(Daniel Flesher / Los Angeles Occasions)
Ruben is the brother of Rudy Moreno, who has been charged in Ghanem’s homicide. Claremont Police Capt. Robert “Buzz” Ewing stated the division had no updates on their investigation presently.
The Martins, Moreno and Thomas had been all arrested Thursday in a joint operation in Hemet and Colton involving the Redlands and Colton police departments, the California Division of Justice, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Workplace and the San Bernardino County district legal professional’s workplace.
In the course of the raids on the group’s houses, 4 extra suspects had been arrested on weapons-related costs, in keeping with the district legal professional’s workplace.
Different members discovered contained in the properties of what authorities known as the “spiritual high-control group” had been supplied with meals, water and contacts for assets from victims advocates with the district legal professional’s workplace
McFarland has described the group as “cult-like” and instructed The Occasions that the Martins imposed extreme management over members, who had been required handy over their revenue to the couple. The group has lived in varied properties in Colton, Hemet and Anza for the reason that late Nineteen Nineties.
Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber stated she prolonged her deepest condolences to Ghanem’s household.
Emilio Ghanem was reported lacking in Redlands in 2023.
(Redlands Police Division)
“They’ve confronted an extremely troublesome state of affairs and the development from hope to heartbreak over the previous two years as this case has moved from a lacking individual to a murder investigation,” she stated in an announcement. “Our hearts are with them throughout this troublesome time.”
Ghanem joined His Method Spirit Led Assemblies round 2000 and helped launch a pest management enterprise run by the group known as Fullshield Inc., his sister Jennifer Ghanem stated.
He parted methods with the group in April 2023, began his personal pest management firm and moved again to Nashville to be nearer to household, she stated.
In Might 2023, she stated, he visited the Inland Empire to attempt to reconnect with former purchasers. On Might 8, 2023, he was served a cease-and-desist letter that accused him of stealing purchasers from the corporate.
Seventeen days later, he vanished.
Earlier this yr, Redlands police discovered the truck Ghanem was final seen driving and, in August, served search warrants on the group’s Hemet and Anza properties, the place they recovered ghost weapons and automated rifles, in keeping with division spokesperson Carl Baker.
13 years earlier than Ghanem vanished, Colton police responded to a 911 name on the group’s residence at 1521 Latham St.
Inside, they discovered Thomas going into septic shock on account of a ruptured appendix, in keeping with a report from the San Bernardino County coroner’s workplace.
On the time, detectives suspected neglect performed a task in his dying and advisable costs towards the Martins. However the district legal professional’s workplace declined to file any.
In 2010, group members had been uncooperative with the investigation and gave conflicting testimony, making it difficult to prosecute the case, in keeping with McFarland.
A number of members have since parted methods with the group and not too long ago revised their statements to Colton police, saying that their authentic testimony was made beneath duress from the group’s leaders, McFarland stated.
In an announcement Monday, Colton Police Chief Anthony Vega stated he was grateful to everybody who labored tirelessly to collect new proof so the individuals who ought to have protected Timothy would lastly be held accountable.
“The arrests and costs filed towards the suspects liable for the dying of four-year-old Timothy ‘Timo’ Thomas are the primary steps towards long-awaited justice,” he stated. “Though Timo’s life was reduce brief 15 years in the past, the circumstances of his dying nonetheless weigh closely on our officers who by no means gave up on his case.”
