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Not Today

Episode 277: Word Of Life Cult And The Murder of Lucas Leonard

Not Today

Not Today

Society & Culture, Comedy, True Crime

4.51.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 70 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Word of Life Christian Church began as a tiny bible study led by self proclaimed prophet, Jerry Irwin. Eventually the bible study progressed into a fully fledged cult with around 80 members at its peak. When the paranoid and power-hungry Jerry Irwin suddenly died, his eldest daughter Tiffanie took his place. As the leader, Tiffanie subjected the group to extreme isolation, control, and abuse which ultimately would result in the brutal murder of 19-year-old Lucas Leonard.

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Transcript

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1:00.5

Hey, I'm Steph remind you that bonus episode number 50 is available now

1:28.7

on Patreon, which is kind of nuts. There are a whole 50 other episodes that you can get access to

1:34.2

over there that our patrons voted on. So they're really interesting cases. And you get access to

1:38.9

a bunch of other fun perks. So if you like what we're doing and you want to support the show, go to

1:43.1

patreon.com slash not today podcast.

1:45.6

And feel free to binge away. It's something I enjoy doing and do frequently. So no shame.

1:50.9

But today I'm going to be talking about a cult. And I have a lot to talk about. So let's get right into it because this is a big one.

1:59.4

This case contains graphic details that may be distressing to

2:02.4

some. Listener discretion is advised. On October 12, 2015, a white minivan raced into the parking lot of

2:10.3

St. Luke's Hospital in Utica, New York. A 59-year-old woman named Debbie Leonard jumped out of the

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