Authorities have nabbed a third suspect in a chilling murder case tied to a cult-like religious group in Southern California.
Ramon Duiz Duran, 44, was arrested at his workplace in Nashville, Tennessee January 12 and extradited to San Bernardino County in connection to the 2023 disappearance and death of Emilio Ghanem, according to police.
Duran was booked on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, cops said.
Ghanem was a longtime member of “His Way Spirit Led Assemblies,” a religious, “cultish” group based in Colton and Hemet in the Inland Empire that has allegedly been linked to multiple deaths and disappearances, according to the Los Angeles Times.
He joined the group over two decades ago and helped establish Fullshield Inc., a pest control business managed by the organization, his sister, Jennifer Ghanem, told The Times.
Ghanem left the so-called cult in April 2023 and returned to Nashville, where he started his own pest control company, his sister said.
In May 2023, he visited the Redlands area to reconnect with former clients but received a cease-and-desist letter alleging he was taking business from the group’s pest control company.
Seventeen days later, Ghanem was reported missing after visiting a Starbucks in Redlands.
Police later found his rental truck burned in the Mojave Desert.
Five members, including the group’s two leaders, have been arrested by state and local authorities in connection with Ghanem’s and another death.
In December, Shelly Bailey “Kat” Martin, 62, and Rudy Franco Moreno, 43, were arrested and charged with murder. Prosecutors identified Martin as a leader of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies and Moreno as a member.
Shelly, along with husband, Dylan Martin, and former group member Andre Thomas, 48, were also charged with murder in the death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas, who died from appendicitis in Colton 10 years ago.
Authorities reportedly attempted to interview other members, but because of the extreme control the Martins allegedly held over their followers, they were uncooperative.
His Way Spirit-Led Assemblies is recognized more for its high-control practices than its specific doctrine. The group has been identified as a “high-control religious group” by law enforcement.
The name indicates a strong focus on the Holy Spirit and a Pentecostal or Charismatic orientation, similar to other Assemblies of God or Gospel Assembly groups, though specific practices remain largely undisclosed.
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