Cult Leaders Charged in Member Disappearances

Six senior figures within the Southern California religious group His Way Spirit Led Assemblies have been arrested and charged with murder. The December 11 arrests are linked to investigations into the disappearances of two members, Emilio Ghanem and Ruben Moreno, who went missing years apart. Leaders Darryl Muzic Martin and Shelly Bailey 'Kathryn' Martin, along with high-ranking member Rudy Moreno, were among those charged with murder.

Authorities have also reopened the 2010 death investigation of a four-year-old boy who died while in the Martins' custody from a ruptured appendix. While initially ruled accidental, neglect is now suspected, with prosecutors considering child homicide or murder charges. Former members describe the group as tightly controlled, with the Martins believed to embody divine spirits, and the group hoarding survival supplies.

Raids on group properties uncovered significant caches of illegal firearms, including converted automatic rifles and ghost guns. The investigation into the disappearances intensified after evidence suggesting homicide was found with Emilio Ghanem's recovered truck in August 2025. The group's pest control business also issued a cease-and-desist to Ghanem prior to his disappearance.