A third suspect has been apprehended in connection with a disturbing murder linked to a cult in Southern California.
Ramon Duiz Duran, 44, was taken into custody on January 12 at his workplace in Nashville, Tennessee. This arrest pertains to the disappearance and subsequent death of Emilio Ganem in 2023, according to police reports. Duran has been extradited to San Bernardino County.
Authorities stated that Duran faces charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Emilio Ganem was a longtime member of a group referred to as the His Way Spirit-led Congregation, which some have labeled “cult-like.” This organization, based in Colton and Hemet in the Inland Empire, has been associated with various mysterious deaths and disappearances.
Ganem reportedly joined this group over 20 years ago and was instrumental in establishing FullShield, a pest control business affiliated with it, as shared by his sister, Jennifer Ganem.
In April 2023, Ganem made the decision to leave the group and returned to Nashville, where he initiated his own pest control venture.
He later visited the Redlands area in May 2023 to reconnect with former clients but received a cease and desist notice from the group’s pest control operation, alleging he was infringing on their business.
Seventeen days after that encounter, Ganem was reported missing following a visit to a Starbucks in Redlands. Police later discovered his rental truck torched in the Mojave Desert.
So far, five members of the organization, including two leaders, have been arrested in relation to Ganem’s death as well as another fatality. In December, Shelley Bailey “Kat” Martin, 62, and Rudy Franco Moreno, 43, were charged with murder, with authorities identifying Martin as a leader within the organization and Moreno as a member.
Shelley, along with her husband Dylan Martin and former group affiliate Andre Thomas, 48, is also facing charges related to the death of four-year-old Timothy Thomas, who passed away from appendicitis in Colton a decade ago.
While efforts have been made to question other group members, reports indicate they have been unwilling to cooperate, likely due to the Martins’ significant control over the congregation.
These Spirit-led congregations are recognized more for their strict administrative practices than their specific doctrines. Law enforcement categorizes this group as a “highly controlled religious organization.”
The name hints at a strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit and a Pentecostal or Charismatic approach, but specific practices are not widely disclosed.
