Inside twisted, ‘cult-like’ faith followed by parents accused of murdering Elizabeth Rose Struhs

A small timber dwelling on a busy Toowoomba street is home to a bizarre religious group where modern medicine is shunned in favour of prayer and blind devotion. A former follower has now spoken out.

The home of Loretta and Brendan Stevens, where Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs practiced their faith.

When Jayde Struhs ran into mischief as a child, she says it wasn’t her parents who punished her – it was the leader of the family’s insular church.

“I feared him,” she said.

“He was a tall man with a big beard, a big personality and a fierce following of God.”

That man was Brendan Stevens, and at the time his religious group consisted of just two families, his and Jayde’s.

Known as ‘The Saints’, this group is now the focus of an ongoing investigation into the death of Jayde’s sister, Elizabeth Rose Struhs.

Elizabeth’s parents, Jason Richard Struhs, 50, and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 46, have been charged with their eight-year-old daughter’s murder.

Police will allege the pair withheld the insulin needed to manage Elizabeth’s type 1 diabetes in line with the group’s belief God can heal the sick.

Police allege Elizabeth Rose Struhs died after her parents Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs and Jason Richard Struhs withheld insulin needed to treat her type 1 diabetes.

Growing up

For the most part, Jayde’s childhood was happy and full of love.

She grew up surrounded by siblings and was a talented athlete who excelled at golf.

When she was about six, mum Kerrie along with Brendan Stevens and his wife Loretta split from their Brisbane-based church and started a small fellowship out of the Stevens’ Toowoomba home.

“I saw the Stevens family every week for 10 years – we were like family,” Jayde said.

“They were the happiest, nicest people you could meet, but they were really firm in their religion.”

Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 46, is charged with murdering and torturing her daughter.

Mr Stevens led the group in prayer, while the women in the church cleaned and tended to their children.

They followed the King James Bible with a devotion that meant no celebrations at Christmas or Easter.

“They were not mentioned in the Bible so we didn’t celebrate them, we did celebrate birthdays though,” Jayde said.

As the years rolled on, Jayde said the group hardened in its beliefs and became what she described as “cult-like”.

Jayde said she was forced to give up playing golf despite winning several competitions because it was seen as a distraction from learning about God.

Higher education was ruled out as were most relationships.

Jason Richard Struhs is also accused of murdering and torturing his daughter.

“You were not allowed to marry unless your partner was completely in the faith,” Jayde said.

“It was assumed that I would marry one of Brendan’s sons because we were the same age and we were the best of friends.”

The group’s teachings also worked their way into Jayde’s school life and that of her brothers and sisters.

“We used school as a way to reach out, that is what we were taught to do, that it was our obligation,” she said.

“If there was an opportunity to slide our beliefs into an assignment we would. If there was a chance to talk about it with our classmates we would.”

Elizabeth Rose Struhs was found in a Meredith Crescent home in Rangeville Toowoomba on January 8, 2022.

Walking away

When Jayde came out as gay in her teens, it only inflamed tensions between her and her increasingly religious mother.

At the age of 16, she walked away from her family and the religious group, but vowed she would return when her siblings needed her.

In 2019, Elizabeth Struhs collapsed in a coma linked to what was at the time undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.

She spent several weeks in the Toowoomba Hospital before being released into the care of her parents at their Rangeville home.

Elizabeth died on January 7, 2022.

Jayde Struhs (right) with her partner Emma Harding want to care for the surviving Struhs siblings.

Police allege this was the result of Jason and Kerrie withholding insulin in favour of prayer.

The Struhs’ neighbours reported hearing a large gathering of people singing and praying in the days leading up to Elizabeth’s death.

With her parents in custody and facing charges of murder, torture and failing to provide the necessities of life, Jayde has stepped back into her siblings’ lives and hopes to get custody of them.

It is a difficult task for someone so young.

“We really need to support these kids,” she said.

“My biggest concern is finding a house big enough for us all.

“At a bare minimum, we need a four-bedroom home, and we are scrambling but getting nothing.”

Jayde Struhs (left) with her sister Elizabeth Rose Struhs (right).

Jayde has support from her extended family and her partner Emma.

“We have had a big chat about how my life looks now, but being the most amazing girlfriend ever she has 100 per cent accepted me and everything that comes with me,” she said.

“She also has two kids of her own and has a lot of experience raising kids.”

A GoFundMe campaign launched after Elizabeth’s death has attracted about $13,700 in donations.

Kerrie and Jason Struhs have indicated that will represent themselves during the ongoing legal proceedings.

Their matters will return to the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on March 24.

Click here to support the GoFundMe campaign.