UTICA, N.Y. -- The half-sister of the two teenagers beaten inside the Word of Life church was sentenced Thursday in Oneida County Court to 25 years in prison.
Sarah Ferguson was convicted in July of manslaughter as well as assault and gang assault charges.
"I think the bottom line in this case, Ms. Ferguson, is that you killed your brother," said Oneida County Judge Michael Dwyer. "You were responsible for the whipping, and the blow that you inflicted were the ones responsible for killing your brother."
She testified during her trial that she whipped her brothers, Lucas and Christopher Leonard, with an electrical cord after they admitted to molesting her young children. Those accusations have not been proven.
Lucas Leonard died from his injuries.
Ferguson apologized for her actions, saying she snapped and that she loved her brothers.
"I do truly love my brothers," Ferguson said. "I did not intent or purposefully inflict, knowingly, serious physical damage. I was not aware, I just, I snapped. My brain just could not."
District Attorney Scott McNamara said this was one of the most brutal attacks he has ever prosecuted.
"We know from other things in her life, that we couldn't bring out in the trial, but that we do know, this is how she punishes people," McNamara said. "Because at the time she was initially arrested, her own children had signs of physical abuse on them."
During Thursday's sentencing, defense attorney Rebecca Wittman asked to court to show Ferguson compassion when determining the verdict.
"I would ask you to keep her sentence comparable to the sentences to be received by the parents of Luke and Christopher," Wittman said.
The judge sentenced her to 20 years in prison for the manslaughter charge. Combined with the other charges she was convicted of, Ferguson will spend a total of 25 years in prison with 10 years probation.
Two of Ferguson's co-defendants, her parents Bruce and Deborah Leonard, have accepted plea agreements. The remaining six defendants are expected to stand trial in October.