Gloversville native's book to be featured on Hulu show

Gloversville native Susan Ashline knows this well.

The Emmy-nominated journalist extensively covered the Utica-area Word of Life Christian Church cult in her 2019 book “Without a Prayer,” which will be featured in an episode of “Cult Justice,” a new docuseries on Hulu set to release all eight parts Thursday.

“Interest was high during the pandemic, and then it seemed to wane and, for some reason — right now — the interest has rebounded,” Ashline said.

“Cult Justice” joins “Daughters of the Cult,” another popular docuseries on Hulu, which centers on the polygamous cult leader Ervil LeBaron, as well as Netflix’s “The Program,” which explores corruption at troubled teen schools and programs.

As detailed in “Without a Prayer,” the Word of Life Church made national headlines in 2015 after members of the New Hartford-area cult beat two teenage brothers, killing one. Lucas Leonard, who was 19 at the time, was attacked by a group of churchgoers, including his parents and half-sister, in a beating that lasted hours. He was only taken to the hospital the following day, where he died. Christopher Leonard, who was 17 at the time, was also beaten. Nine members of the church eventually faced murder-related charges.

Ashline, a 1984 graduate of Gloversville High School, was well-equipped to investigate and suss out what exactly happened at the church-turned-cult. After studying mass communications at the University of Massachusetts, she worked as a TV journalist, eventually covering court cases.

“I've sat in on hundreds of court trials and hearings. I've covered cases from charges to conclusion, and it was always really fascinating to me,” Ashline said.

She came across the Word of Life Church in 2018, after her agent suggested she consider writing a book about art heists, serial killers, etc.

“I thought, ‘Well, I need to be close to whatever happened,’” Ashline said.

Given that the Word of Life Church was not too far away from her hometown, the story fit the bill. She embarked on a grueling six-month research and writing process, traveling from her home in the Rochester area to the Utica suburb.

“I went to the community and I talked with people in the neighborhood around where the Leonards lived. I went door to door . . . went to stores. And then, I went to where the [church] was actually located,” Ashline said.

Kristel Leonard, one of Lucas’ siblings who escaped the cult, became instrumental in telling the story.

“I met with her. We talked over the phone throughout the entire writing process, so that I could make sure that I get everything completely accurate,” Ashline said. “She also provided a wealth of information and the book would not have been what it is without her.”

Publishers Weekly, which gave it a starred review, noted that it was meticulously researched, adding, “This is a gripping account, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.” Since “Without a Prayer” was published in 2019, producers and filmmakers have reached out to Ashline about documentaries surrounding the cult. She’s turned them all down until “Cult Justice.”

“I am not a fan of murder as entertainment and this is really a tragic story and a really personal story. I [felt] like Luke was my son almost when I was writing that. So I want to do him justice and I didn't want to be part of any kind of hokey show,” Ashline said.

“Cult Justice,” produced by seasoned investigative journalists Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, didn’t seem to fit that description at all. The show aims to explore the power of cults, exploring a different cult in each of the eight episodes. The fourth episode of the season, “Pastor Tiffanie,” focuses on Word of Life Church.

“They take real pride in the research that they do, and how they present it. So I was OK being a part of that,” Ashline said.

Filming was done at a rented home around Rochester. Ashline was interviewed by Ross via Zoom for the episode. When the Daily Gazette Family of Newspapers spoke with her, she hadn’t seen the episode and wasn’t sure what to expect.

However, Ashline already has another show on the horizon. She recently signed on to participate in a docuseries on a major streaming service that's set to air at the end of the summer.

Writing “Without a Prayer” has not only led to docuseries opportunities, but also to another book — this one perhaps even more personal.

Called “A Jacket Off the Gorge,” it explores her relationship with criminal and master manipulator Jon Fontaine, whom Ashline initially met in 2011. Fontaine had faked his death at Letchworth Gorge in a state park just west of the Finger Lakes region — leading park and state police on a four-day search — and stolen a valuable collection of coins.

Ashline was only partly aware of his past and it wasn’t until she was researching “Without a Prayer” that she began to suspect there was more to his story.

“I'm noticing some familiar things in my own relationship that seemed to point to the manipulation and brainwashing that was happening in the Word of Life cult,” Ashline said. “So essentially, I'm coming to learn that I may be brainwashed in my own relationship.”

Described as part true crime, part memoir, the book goes back and forth between Fontaine’s past and Ashline’s experiences, including her research into the Word of Life cult. It’s also a commentary on the criminal justice system.

“It raises questions about mental health treatment for offenders and how our criminal justice system responds in particular to domestic violence,” Ashline said.

Since the book was published around the holidays this past year, she’s been surprised by the positive response, praising her for surviving the ordeal.

“It is not the reaction I thought I was going to get,” Ashline said. “I thought I would be shunned by the community, humiliated . . . I just felt like people would be unaccepting. And it's the very opposite. It's really what I needed to heal . . . and the reviews people have left are just really uplifting and empowering.”

Both “Without a Prayer” and “A Jacket Off the Gorge” are available through major booksellers.