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Leaders of Hemet Religious Group Charged With Murders in 2010 Child Death and 2023 Disappearance

Prosecutors cite new witness accounts and 2025 evidence as the catalyst for reopening both cases.

Overview

  • Shelley “Kat” Martin, described as the group’s leader, is charged in the deaths of Emilio Ghanem, 40, and 4-year-old Timothy “Timo” Thomas, while Darryl Muzic Martin is charged in the child’s death.
  • Rudy Moreno is charged in Ghanem’s killing, and Timothy’s father, former member Andre Thomas, is charged in his son’s death, according to San Bernardino County prosecutors.
  • The Martins and Rudy Moreno have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and are being held without bail, with further court proceedings pending.
  • Investigators say Ghanem vanished after leaving the group; his rented truck was later found burned in the Mojave Desert with evidence indicating homicide, though his body has not been found.
  • Authorities allege the Martins prevented urgent medical care for Timothy’s appendicitis; the 2010 case, initially ruled a natural death, was reopened in 2025 as raids recovered firearms and produced additional arrests, and inquiries tied to other missing members, including Ruben Moreno, continue.