UTICA, N.Y. -- After a week and a half of hearing from investigators, doctors, and even one of the victims, Friday was Sarah Ferguson's chance to share her side of the story in the first Word of Life Church trial. It was four hours of emotional testimony.

Ferguson is accused of taking part in beatings at the New Hartford church that killed one of her half-brothers, Lucas Leonard, and severely injured another, Christopher Leonard, in Oct. 2015. Ferguson is charged with depraved indifference murder for the death of Lucas.

"It's been 8 1/2 months and I haven't been able to speak," Ferguson said. It was now her chance to tell her side of the story.  

After church service, Ferguson says she was asked to participate in a family intervention in the Word of Life Church's small sanctuary. She says she agreed because she wanted to bring up concerns of her own regarding her two half-brothers.

Ferguson says she found out about a peep hole in the bathroom. Christopher admitted to using it.  This then prompted her to ask much more serious questions. 

"I said, 'Excuse me please. I said have you ever touched my children?' To which there was then a response. A positive response. He said yes he had." 

Ferguson said she had to ask this question repeatedly before finally getting a response.  She says she received a similar response from her other brother, Lucas. Her brothers then went into explicit detail about what they claim to have done. 

"They used a crowbar to open my door and to get into my apartment while I was asleep and they proceeded to cover my children's mouth."

Ferguson says she doesn't remember much about the meeting, other than being handed an electrical cord and violently beating her brothers with it. She said she specifically aimed for their groin area. 

"I don't remember causing all that damage and there's no way that I could possibly know that I caused all that damage." 

Ferguson says she thought her brother, Lucas, had peed his pants. That's when she stopped hitting him with the cord. She says she immediately left the sanctuary, wrapped herself in a blanket and fell asleep.

The DA asked why she hadn't alerted authorities about the possible abuse of her children. "Why didn't you call police at that point?"

"I was definitely planning on doing that," Ferguson replied.

Ferguson said several times during her testimony that she wasn't thinking when she was striking her brothers; she was reacting emotionally. 

"Do you believe that what your brothers received was just punishment?" Ferguson was asked.

"Absolutely not." 

Ferguson said despite what her brothers had allegedly done, she still loved them and never meant to kill Lucas. 

Closing arguments are scheduled to take place Tuesday morning.