Elizabeth’s father Jason Struhs’ rapid descent into religious extremism

Jason Struhs descended into religious extremism at incredible speed in months before the his daughter Elizabeth’s tragic death, his former boss has revealed.

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The father who killed Elizabeth Struhs to prove his faith in God descended into religious extremism at incredible speed in months before the little girl’s death, his former boss has revealed.

Jason Struhs’ former boss Brenden O’Donnell, who gave evidence at the Saints’ trial, has spoken of the anguish at watching his valued employee slip into the treacherous net cast by the fringe religious sect, the Saints.

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“He hooked up with the group, only weeks before this all happened. It happened really quick,” he told the Courier Mail from outside the industrial sized bakery he runs.

“I’m a Bible believer and so I sort of knew … their beliefs and how distorted they were from what the actual Bible said,” he told the Courier Mail from outside the industrial sized bakery he runs.

“So I could influence him with what the actual Bible said, it was a real shame that he chose to believe them over what God’s word really says.”

Mr O’Donnell said he warned Jason to stay clear of the Saints after the 53-year-old suddenly found god while Kerrie was in prison for neglecting Elizabeth’s medical needs in a 2019 incident.

Jason and Elizabeth Struhs.

“I said don’t get involved with them you’ve had a genuine encounter with God and they’ve distorted the Bible and you don’t want to be listening to them,” he said.

“I said come around we’ll talk about the Bible at home. But because his wife was so heavily into the group and what they believed, he felt he couldn’t do it any other way, so he had to go with them.”

Mr O’Donnell believed Jason joined the Saints – who believe in God’s supposed healing power over modern medicine – to save his ailing marriage and repair his relationship with his son Zachary.

“He went from one extreme to the other .. but he was overly, extremely influenced by the group.

“And because of his lack of knowledge of the Bible, he was an easy target to go and do what they did.

“Only the influence from his group and his wife … would push him to do, to carry out, to allow his daughter to die.”

Jason Struhs being baptised in a backyard.

Mr O’Donnell’s “alarm bells” were activated when Jason shared the Saints’ views on the bible particularly the idea of taking Elizabeth off insulin which she needed to stay alive.

“The Bible doesn’t say anything like that. On the contrary I kept saying to Jason if she didn’t need insulin then you’d know God has healed her,” he said.

“I just tried to prep Jason into not believing that. God’s hand won’t be forced into healing somebody just because people want it to happen, doesn’t go that way.”

He said the Saints “were a danger to society with that mindset” and so jail was the right place for them “until they fully ask for forgiveness for what they’ve done”.

“I’ve heard (Jason) say in the media that he still believes that God will raise her from the dead. Yes so do I, but it won’t happen in this lifetime. That’s just a pure misinterpretation of what the Bible says,” Mr O’Donnell said.

WATCH NOW: Failing Elizabeth: Her Heartbreaking Last Days, an explosive new Courier-Mail documentary