Jeff and Marci Beagley Gave Sick Son Prayer Instead of Medicine, Jury Gives Them Guilty Verdict

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

(AP Photo, file)

(Family Photo)

OREGON CITY, Ore. (CBS/AP) Oregon couple Jeff and Marci Beagley testified they did everything they could for their 16-year-old son before he died, but a jury decided that anointing oils and prayer were not enough.

Photo: Jeff and Marci Beagley.

The couple, who practices faith healing, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide on Tuesday after prosecutors argued they failed in their duty to get medical help for their son, Neil, in June 2008.

Neil Beagley died of complications from a congenital urinary tract blockage. Doctors testified the he could have been treated up until the day he died.

Photo: Neil Beagley.

His death came just months after the death of their granddaughter, Ava Worthington, who died under similar circumstances.

The 15-month-old passed away March 2008 of pneumonia and a blood infection. Like Neil, she was given oils and prayer instead of medicine.

The toddler's parents, Raylene and Carl Worthington, were acquitted of manslaughter last year. The trial tested a change in Oregon law in 1999 resulting from a public outcry over a series of child deaths among members of the Followers of Christ Church.

Photo: Ava Worthington.

Members of the church, including the Beagleys, are known to avoid doctors in favor of faith healing.

The Beagleys could face 16 to 18 months in prison under state sentencing guidelines, although defense attorneys plan to ask for probation. They remain free pending their sentencing on Feb. 18.

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by B_Leach June 5, 2010 12:32 PM EDT: I'd just like to post that I am very thankful that these two were convicted. Children rely on their parents to take care of them until such time as they are grown and can take care of themselves.
Neil was under the impression that he was being taken care of. Sadly, he was not, at least not appropriately.
I hope this sends a messsage to their community and the rest of the country, that this sort of negligence will not be tolerated.
Thank god the judge didn't offer them probation, I would have been very upset for this young teen.
I hope their punishment is very difficult for the both of them..
I feel their remaining under age child at home, should be placed in foster care for proper monitoring and should receive a full physical.
May Neil rest in peace.; Reply to this comment


by lgebhart May 26, 2010 1:05 PM EDT: What goes around comes around is a truth that none of us can get away from, especially from holier than thou opinions. There have been many politicians who have had this happen when they have made comments about people who have had affairs and then turned around several years later and got caught for the same exact act.

For every person who thinks that what these people did was wrong, there are as many who think what they did was right.

May God bless you all!; Reply to this comment

by lindabrite May 14, 2010 2:10 PM EDT

I am a Christian. Christianity doesn't call for you to be ignorant. On the contrary, it calls for you to be wise in all things, and to weigh out very important, sometimes life and death, as well as eternal things. You are being stupid. We're talking death here! These CHILDREN died! You can commit a crime and/or a sin by commission or omission. Omission is called NEGLET. These children would have lived had it not been for the NEGLECT of this family. They should have had to serve a longer sentence, so as to send a strong message to you people who put religion in place of the brain God gave you. Read the parable by Jesus, about the talents that you are going to have to give an account for. Your brain and your cognitive thinking are one of these. They are a very wonderful gift God gave you, and you people have put them on a shelf, so as to belong to a more elilte group, so you can say you have more faith in God than others. Well, look where your faith has gotten these people...these children. Don't you know that Luke, in the Bible, was one of Jesus' best friends and followers, and that he was a medical doctor??? Use your brain!!! Stop giving Christianity a black eye in the eyes of the world who needs it so badly. God uses humans to help other humans. He uses Doctors and the medical community to help and heal people everyday.
In Matthew 18:6 the Bible says, ?But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. In a more modern version it says, ?But if you give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't. You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but you don't have to make it worse?and it's doomsday to you if you do.? These children had simple trust in their parents to do the most basic care that would keep them alive. Look what there trust got them. SHAME ON THE PARENTS and SHAME ON EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS THEM!

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by stardodger May 20, 2010 12:15 PM EDT: AMEN, Sister! I wish more Christians that believe as you and I do would be more vocal. I'm so tired of Christian=Stupid. God gave you a brain. USE IT! Personally, I think this leans towards "Do not test the Lord your God." Christ himself said that. (Matthew 4:7) Don't these people purport to be Christian?


by summerson May 24, 2010 2:00 PM EDT: Tens of thousands of people die each year through medical mistakes.
All this case proves is that Joseph Stalin was right.
"The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic."


by all_for_my_father February 14, 2010 1:19 AM EST: Attempted faith healing that leads to death is happening all over our country. Currently, Feburary 2010, in Springfield, MO Case 09-39202 involves elder abuse that led to death involving a Christian Scientist wife, and the care of her husband. After substantiation by the Missouri Senior Services (hotlined by hospital worker) and the Springfield, MO police department, the case was taken to the State Attorney's Office. It is now under review awaiting disposition by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Russell Dempsey.

The case involves a 78 year old male,(my father) who died as a result of lack of care and medical attention while in the "care" of a Christian Science wife. Albin Tisdale did have advanced directives indicating that he wanted all available medical treatment and care and had assigned his daughter to be medical power of attorney. His wife did not contact me and subsequently denied him medical care. From complications of CHF his health declined severely. At the point when paramedics were finally called Dad had a blood pressure of 99/## and 66 breaths per minute. He was removed from the home, paramedics proceded at his request to ventilate him in the rescue truck.

Dad's exact cause of death was several mitral regirgitation. After seven days in ICU he took he died on Monday night, August 31st. Doctors indicated that had he received treatment earlier that last week in his home, there would have been a positive outcome.

What happened in Springfield, MO should not have happened. Please share this story and others so that people will know that no child or adult is guaranteed safe in the care of someone that uses faith healing exclusively above medical attention and care.

Medical Attention And Healthcare Are Legal Obligations

Members of the church of Christ Science, are known to avoid doctors in favor prayor and Christian Science Practitioner faith healing.; Reply to this comment


by sunsandshore February 8, 2010 1:38 AM EST: To CaptDangledoo: Followers of Christ is NOT a Christian religion.
IT IS A CULT!; Reply to this comment


by sunsandshore February 8, 2010 1:29 AM EST: The Beagley family has 2 dead children from one family as a result of faith healing (MURDER) These warped people should be in prison for 10-15 years. The kids lives are worth more then 16-18 months! Now they can go on with their crazy belief. I hope they do not have anymore children as they are too ignorant to raise anything.; Reply to this comment


by powdah February 6, 2010 1:29 AM EST: Religion = Propaganda.
When will you people learn.; Reply to this comment


by UrinalGum February 5, 2010 6:21 PM EST: It makes me sick that people committing much less heinous crimes are getting a lot more time in jail.

/What Would Pat Robertson Tell Me Jesus Would Do: http://www.urinalgum.com/?p=835; Reply to this comment

by saviourized February 5, 2010 4:50 PM EST

First of all, nowhere in the Bible does it say to avoid doctors or seeking medical help for serious conditions. In fact, Luke himself was a doctor, and not once does it say that he stopped practicing. While a FEW passages could be misconstrued by the ignorant (whether accidentally ignorant or purposefully doesn't particularly matter when it results in the death of CHILDREN)further historical evidence quickly explains that these only support the fact that biblical characters did seek medical assistance in their times of need.

Anyone that does not seek medical help for their CHILD or anyone else that clearly needs it because they want to place the life -- that isn't theirs to bargain -- in the hands of an invisible man in the clouds is a murderer. The power of prayer isn't going to save your child, Jesus Christ isn't going to sweep down on a cloud and bless away the urinary tract blockage or pneumonia that is going to KILL THEM.

It is called supreme arrogance. People like this should get more than a slap on the wrist and warning. The only thing more warped than these people is our justice system.

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by summerson May 24, 2010 1:56 PM EDT: Physician heal thyself. Asa was diseased in his feet and died when he relied on doctors.
"Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?"
Jesus healed without medication even though as you mentioned Luke was a physician. Why didn't Jesus send people to Luke?


by RockyLanding February 5, 2010 4:30 PM EST: It's hard to have any pity for such blind and self-centered stupidity. They really believed that their faith and their prayers were so superior to the millions of other's prayers for the millions of children who die of illness every year that they would be granted the miracle. What is it that makes them feel like they are so special? They really believe that they are so righteous and so pious that they should receive special attention from God over the other seven billion people on the planet? I have a hard time feeling any compassion for such conceited, prideful ignorance.; Reply to this comment

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