BALTIMORE -- A judge praised a young mother for great strides in her treatment after she starved her 1-year-old son to death while part of a religious cult [1 Mind Ministries], and the woman's attorney said Wednesday she is breaking free of the belief that her son will be resurrected.

Ria Ramkissoon pleaded guilty to a single count of child abuse resulting in death and received a suspended sentence. Prosecutors agreed to the deal after determining that she had been brainwashed by cult leader Queen Antoinette.
[...]

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Antoinette was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

After Javon died, Antoinette ordered Ramkissoon and her followers to pray for his resurrection, and Ramkissoon testified in February that she still believed her son would come back to life.

But her faith in the resurrection is fading, according to her attorney, Steven D. Silverman.

"She's come to realize that she was misled," Silverman said.

As part of her deal with prosecutors, Ramkissoon has spent the past 90 days in a faith-based residential treatment center. The purpose of Wednesday's hearing was to let the court know whether the treatment has been effective.
[...]

After conferring with Silverman and prosecutors, Baltimore Circuit Judge Timothy J. Doory said he was impressed with Ramkissoon's progress and ordered her to remain at the treatment center until its operators decide she's ready to leave. She will likely stay there for a year or longer, Silverman said.
[...more...]

Full story: Judge Praises Former Cult Mom Who Starved Son to Death

A young mother who starved her 1-year-old son to death while she a member of religious cult 1 Mind Ministries will be back in a Baltimore courtroom.

Ria Ramkissoon, who pled guilty in a plea deal, will appear at a hearing Wednesday to determine how she's faring in treatment and when she can be assimilated back into the community.

Prosecutors agreed to suspend her sentence after determining that she had been brainwashed by cult leader Queen Antoinette. The cult leader was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Full story: Hearing in 1 Mind Ministries cult death case

Three cult members have been sentenced for the death of a toddler starved for not saying "Amen" after meals.

Mike Hellgren reports Queen Antoinette has been sentenced to 50 years for second-degree murder and child abuse, but after serving 25 years, she can be up for parole, based on good behavior. Trevia Williams and Marcus Cobbs have been sentenced to 25 years, with 10 suspended and for good behavior the two can be out in seven and a half years.

Judge Timothy Doory said the death of Javon Thompson was mystifying and the three fit the legal definition of "depraved heart" crimes in that they didn't care, and knew they didn't care, about the consequence of their actions.

Doory saved his harshest comments for the cult leader, saying, "You were the collector of people, of lost souls and in the name of religion you have manipulated them."

Authorities say they manipulated 23-year-old Ria Ramkissoon, who believed her baby would be resurrected through the dead through prayer. When that didn't happen one member stuffed the body in a suit cases and left it in a storage shed in Philadelphia.
[...]

The child's mother, 23-year-old Ria Ramkissoon, is already in a residential treatment program for young women as part of unusual plea bargain in which her plea will be withdrawn if the child is resurrected, as she believes will happen.
[...]

Prosecutors said Antoinette told Ramkissoon that denying food would cure the boy's rebellious spirit. The mother admitted denying food and water to the 16-month-old child, who wasted away over the course of a week before dying.

After Javon died in late 2006 or early 2007, Antoinette told her followers to pray for his resurrection, and the young mother spent weeks with her son's body.
[...more...]

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Full story: Cult leader gets 50 years in child’s death

Woman plead guilty to child abuse in death of son with alleged cult members

A woman who starved her 1-year-old son to death at the behest of a the leader of a religious group has been given a suspended sentence and probation.

Ria Ramkissoon pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in the death of her son, Javon Thompson. The plea agreement contained an extraordinary provision: If Javon is resurrected, the plea will be withdrawn.

The head of the alleged cult, Queen Antoinette, told her followers not to feed Javon when he did not say "Amen" before a meal. After he died, she told them to pray for his resurrection.

Ramkissoon said she still believes Javon will come back to life when she testified against Antoinette, the leader's daughter and another man.

All three were convicted of second-degree murder.
[...more...]

Full story: Woman who starved son in 1 Mind Ministries cult gets suspended sentence, probation

Three defendants each face up to 60 years in prison in death of 16-month-old

A Baltimore jury on Tuesday afternoon convicted three alleged cult members on charges of first-degree child abuse resulting in death and second-degree murder for starving a 16-month-old boy in their city apartment because he did not say "amen" before meals.

Prosecutors argued that the defendants showed the "height of maliciousness" in not feeding Javon Thompson as punishment, even if they never intended the boy's death, which happened slowly and painfully over days.
[...]

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The defendants -- 41-year-old Toni Sloan, who goes by "Queen Antoinette," her daughter, Trevia Williams, 22; and Marcus Cobbs, 23 -- each face a maximum of 60 years in prison when they are sentenced, scheduled for May 18. Cobbs was also found guilty of being an accessory after the fact for allegedly helping to cover up Javon's death.

Antoinette, who is accused of ordering the deprivation that others carried out, had been separately facing life on a first-degree murder charge. But Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Timothy J. Doory dropped that count against her Monday night, prosecutors said, adding that they tried to revisit the issue Tuesday morning.

"The state argued as vociferously as we could," said Assistant State's Attorney Julie Drake, chief of the felony family violence division. But Doory declined to reinstate the charge.

The remaining counts were first-degree child abuse resulting in death, second-degree child abuse, second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cobbs was said to have burned the boy's bed and measured his small, emaciated body in order to find a suitcase that was big enough to store it.
[...]

Their case has drawn national attention because of its bizarre nature. The defendants represented themselves, and they have been accused -- by prosecutors and Javon's grandmother -- of belonging to a religious cult that follows the command of Queen Antoinette.
[...]

Antoinette said in court that she had rules in her house, but she never forced anyone to do anything.

But Drake told the jury that "the force exerted was psychological, perhaps spiritual," claiming that Antoinette manipulated people using their fear of eternal damnation. Queen claimed that God spoke to her, and her rules were his rules.

"Queens give orders and she expected to be obeyed," Drake said.

In a letter written to help establish her burgeoning business, 1 Mind Ministries, as a nonprofit, Antoinette described herself as "a chosen daughter of the most high God and a Queen of Jesus Christ," Drake said, reading from the document.
[...]

On the courthouse steps, minutes after the jury took up its charge Tuesday afternoon, Javon's maternal grandmother, Seeta Newton, said she was hopeful justice will be done, but she still worries for her daughter.

Ramkissoon has pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death and is awaiting sentencing, expected to be a 20-year suspended term and some kind of inpatient counseling. She's quiet now, and withdrawn, not the goofy, vibrant daughter Newton remembers.

And she still believes her son will come back to life if she has faith enough.
[...more...]

Full story: Jury convicts 1 Mind Ministries cult members in boy’s starvation death

Defendants accused of starving toddler to death

Closing arguments are expected today in the Baltimore trial of three alleged cult members [See: 1 Mind Ministries - RNB] accused of starving a toddler to death because he didn't pray properly.

The defendants, who are representing themselves, rested their cases within minutes Monday without calling any witnesses. They face decades in prison if convicted.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adIyYYIU4NY&hl=en_US&fs=1&&w=425&h=344]

All are charged with child abuse resulting in death, which carries a maximum 30-year penalty, for depriving 16-month-old Javon Thompson of food and water. Prosecutors say the punishment began because the boy refused to say "amen."

Defendant Toni Sloan, who goes by the name "Queen Antoinette," 41, is also charged with first-degree murder, which is punishable by life in prison. She's accused of ordering the starvation. Her daughter "Princess" Trevia Williams, 22, and their friend Marcus Cobbs, 23, are charged with second-degree murder, which has a maximum sentence of 30 years, because they allegedly did nothing to help the boy as he withered.
[...]

In cross-examination of the state's witnesses, the defendants have suggested they lived a disciplined, religious life, but denied that they were a cult.

On Monday, the state called two witnesses before resting its case: a Baltimore police lab director who identified the child's mummified remains and a medical examiner who testified that the boy was killed by "unspecified means," likely suffocation or food and water deprivation.
[...]
[...more...]

Full story: 1 Mind Ministries: closing arguments expected in trial of reputed cult members

Woman eventually told N.Y. agency of boy's starvation, leading to group's arrest

A woman who once lived with three accused cult leaders testified Thursday that they had her involuntarily committed to a mental hospital to keep her quiet about a toddler's starvation death.

Danielle Smith, 26, said she tried to alert neighbors to the boy's food deprivation, which began as punishment for refusing to say "amen" after prayer, but couldn't because she was not allowed to be alone with outsiders.

She said she left a vague hint scrawled across one wall -- the sentence, "We love our children" -- before the group put her out of its New York City apartment, where they had moved after the 16-month-old, emaciated child died in Baltimore. A day later, they escorted her to the psychiatric ward of Kings County Hospital Center.

"The people at the hospital thought I was crazy," Smith said. Yet, she was able to tell her story to police and a New York child protective agency, where a case worker believed her, leading to the group's eventual arrest.
[...more...]

The members of 1 Mind Ministries have elected to represent themselves during their trial.

Smith said Antoinette told her and other household members that if they did not follow her orders, "You would fall away from God and possibly go to hell."

Asked why she did not feed Javon, Smith said, "I didn't know what would happen if I did."

After Javon died, Smith said, Antoinette asked everyone in the house to get on the floor and pray for him to rise from the dead. Ramkissoon testified Wednesday that she still believes Javon will be resurrected.

Smith said she and Ramkissoon were forced to sleep in the same room as Javon's decomposing body. Antoinette told them they needed to get over their fear for him to be resurrected, she said.

Smith described the same set of rules that Ramkissoon and her sister, Tiffany Smith, who also lived with Antoinette, were told to abide by. The group members wore only white, blue and khaki, destroyed their identification documents, and smoked marijuana, which Antoinette called "God's weed," Smith said.

After the group moved to New York, Smith described how she began telling neighbors about Javon's death and Cobbs had her committed to a psychiatric hospital. After her release, she said, she was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Smith did not look Antoinette in the eye as the alleged cult leader questioned her, instead addressing her remarks to the jury. After her testimony, she shared a long embrace with Ramkissoon's mother.

The trial will resume Monday with the state's final two witnesses, and Baltimore Circuit Judge Timothy J. Doory told jurors he expected them to begin deliberations on Tuesday.
[...more...]

Full story: Witness: Accused cult leaders had her committed to keep quiet

Testifying against alleged cult members, woman also believes boy will be resurrected

The mother of a dead child testified Wednesday that she agreed to starve her toddler son, who refused to say "amen," to rid him of a demonic spirit that was potentially placed there when her own mother offered the boy up to the devil.

Ria Ramkissoon, 23, also said she has faith that God will resurrect her son, Javon Thompson, and she's not afraid to say so, even if it makes her sound crazy.
[...]

Ramkissoon has pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death, and expects to receive a 20-year suspended sentence, along with inpatient counseling and five years of probation.

Her official sentencing has been repeatedly postponed in anticipation of her testimony Wednesday against three other defendants who are accused of running a religious cult and are charged with murder in 16-month-old Javon's death.

On trial in Baltimore City Circuit Court are accused cult leader Queen Antoinette, 41, her daughter, Trevia Williams, 22, and Marcus Cobbs, 23. Antoinette was developing a religious organization called 1 Mind Ministries and had plans to open a shelter for kids, according to testimony.

She ran a religious household that required its members to read the Bible, travel outside in pairs for safety and wear certain colors, namely blue, white and khaki, witnesses have said.
[...more...]

Ramkissoon said Antoinette told her that her son, Javon Thompson, had a ''spirit of rebellion'' inside him and that denying him food would excise the evil spirit. She said she had no reason to think Antoinette was lying.

After Javon died, Antoinette told Ramkissoon to ''nurture him back to life,'' and she stayed beside his decomposing body for weeks, even trying to give him water, Ramkissoon said.

''I still believe that my son is coming back,'' Ramkissoon said. ''I have no problem saying what really happened because I believe he's coming back.

''Queen said God told her he would come back. I believe it. I choose to believe it,'' she said. ''Even now, despite everything, I choose to believe it for my reasons.''
[...]

Under cross-examination, Antoinette asked whether her statement about not feeding Javon was an order or a ''suggestion.''

Ramkissoon said she has consistently told prosecutors and her attorney that she was not forced to starve her son, but she made clear the idea was Antoinette's.

''When I was about to feed him,'' Ramkissoon said to Antoinette, ''you said, 'You shouldn't feed him anything,' and then you told me why. ... I believed you.''
[...more...]

The former boyfriend of an alleged religious cult leader testified Tuesday that he encouraged the mother of a starving 1-year-old boy to feed the child.

Steven L. Bynum took the stand at the trial of Queen Antoinette, her daughter and another man. The three are accused of denying food and water to toddler Javon Thompson after the boy did not say "Amen" before a meal.
[...]

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Bynum was initially charged along with the other followers in Javon's death, but prosecutors formally dropped the charges Tuesday. He did not make any deal in exchange for his testimony.

Javon's grandmother, Seeta Khadan-Newton, also testified Tuesday about her efforts to get her daughter and Javon away from the group. After living with the group for just two days, her daughter was "emotionless" and did not return a hug from her, she said.

As they cross-examined the witnesses, Antoinette, Williams and Cobbs appeared to take exception at the characterization of their group as a cult. The three defendants are representing themselves.

"Where did you come up with or where did you hear that we were a cult?" Antoinette asked Khadan-Newton.

Khadan-Newton cited the group's restrictions on what its members wore and on their movement outside the residence. "In my head, that's a cult," she said.

[...more...]

Full story: Mother says she agreed to starve son to rid him of demonic spirit

Members of 1 Mind Ministries cult on trial

BALTIMORE -- The leader of a religious cult was "outraged" when a 1-year-old boy did not say "Amen" before a meal and ordered her followers to deprive him of food and water until he died, a Baltimore prosecutor told jurors Monday.

Three members of the now-defunct cult known as 1 Mind Ministries are on trial for murder in the death of Javon Thompson, who was around 16 months old when he died of starvation and dehydration in either December 2006 or January 2007, according to authorities.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7VGWGJYFW8&hl=en_US&fs=1&&w=480&h=385]

After the boy died, the cult members prayed for his resurrection, then destroyed all evidence of his death and stuffed his body in a suitcase, which they hid in a shed behind a home in Philadelphia, Assistant State's Attorney Julie Drake told jurors.

The cult members - Queen Antoinette, 41; her daughter, Trevia Williams, 22; and Marcus A. Cobbs, 23 - are representing themselves at trial.
[...[

The jury of seven men and five women listened intently as Drake recounted how Javon's mother, Ria Ramkissoon, was recruited into the cult and did nothing to stop her son from wasting away, even though she was "distraught" over his slow and agonizing death.

Ramkissoon pleaded guilty last year to child abuse resulting in death and plans to testify against Antoinette, Williams and Cobbs. At her insistence, the plea deal included an extraordinary provision: If Javon comes back to life, the plea will be vacated.

Ramkissoon, then a teenage single mother, joined the cult because she wanted to become a Christian and was told she wouldn't have to work or go to school, Drake said.
[...more...]

Full story: Prosecutors: Boy starved to death at cult’s hands

Members of 1 Mind Ministries accused of denying child food and water as punishment for not saying 'amen'

Queen Antoinette - aka Toni Sloan or Toni Ellsberry - sat at a defense table Tuesday and grimaced every time she heard a statement she didn't like, particularly those containing the words "cult" or "commune."

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Includes definitions of terms (e.g. cult, sect, anticult, countercult, new religious movement, cult apologist, etcetera)

Plus research resources: articles, books, websites, etc.

Listing of recommended cult experts, plus guidelines to help select a counselor/cult expert

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Her actions irked Assistant Public Defender Maureen Rowland, representing one of Antoinette's co-defendants in a bizarre homicide case that involves the alleged starvation death of a toddler.

Antoinette's side comments during the motions hearing are "just one small thing that is going to come up over and over and over again," Rowland argued before Baltimore Circuit Judge Timothy Doory as she sought a separate trial for her client.

Even though Doory noted a "great potential for a train wreck" during proceedings at which Antoinette intends to represent herself, he denied the lawyer's request.

Prosecutors claim cult members - including Antoinette and her daughter, Trevia Williams, who is also representing herself - starved the 16-month-old boy at Antoinette's order because he refused to say "amen" after meals.

Police say the cult members carried the boy's body to Pennsylvania in a suitcase in the hope that he could be resurrected later.

Jury selection is to begin today and testimony on Monday.
[...]

As the alleged cult leader, [Antoinette] is facing a first-degree murder charge, while Cobbs and Williams are charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors recently charged Cobbs as an accessory after the fact. All three face charges of child abuse resulting in death.
[...more...]

Full story: Trial near in cult starvation death