One of the last pieces of evidence the prosecution submitted was an audio recording of the November 2022 preliminary hearing for 37-year-old suspect Therese Maria Stevens, who was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Elizabeth.

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“We loved Elizabeth and we didn’t kill her … We believe in God. Because God is supernatural, we expected supernatural things to happen,” Stevens said.

Stevens responded to her original charge of murder, which she described as “false.”

“The next step is logically to decide whether the rule from a case called Tripodi applies. That is an important question because it has the potential to broaden the evidence that is admissible against all of you,” Burns said.

The Tripodi Rule determines whether something said, done or written by one of the defendants in furtherance of an alleged common criminal purpose is admissible as evidence against the other defendants.

Burns said the Tripodi matter needed to be resolved before the defendants could decide whether to present evidence or conduct their own defense.

Elizabeth’s father, Jason Richard Struhs, 52, is charged with murder for allegedly acting with reckless disregard for life when they stopped Elizabeth’s insulin, while her mother Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49, is charged with manslaughter.

Brendan Luke Stevens, the 62-year-old leader of The Saints, is also accused of Elizabeth’s murder.

The other suspects are: Loretta Mary Stevens, 67, Andrea Louise Stevens, 34, Acacia Naree Stevens, 31, Camellia Claire Stevens, 28, Keita Courtney Martin, 22, Lachlan Stuart Schoenfisch, 34, Samantha Emily Crouch, 26, Zachary Alan Struhs, 21, Sebastian James Stevens, 23, and Alexander Francis Stevens, 26.