Summary of David Geftakys's Episodes Domestic Violence Known to Assembly Leaders
Dates are compiled primarily from The Collapse of the Geftakys Ministry, Rachel Geftakys: Part of My Story, and The Midwest and Tuscola. Kirk C.'s history of David's behavior in SLO provides another perspective.
Late 1974 David beat Judy for the first time six months into their marriage. Betty counseled Judy that it was her own fault for having a sharp tongue and provoking David; if she shaped up no more violence would happen. David was paranoid about Judy cheating on him from Day 1 of their marriage.
1977 - 1979 David and Judy were sent to Tuscola as Workers, where they lived in the House of Promise. Judy told Jim and Brinda McCumber about the abuse, and Jim said that George must be told. Brinda overheard Judy telling George about David beating her. His response was, "IF David did that, then you must have deserved it." He told Judy to never tell him that kind of thing again. He took no action and never mentioned it again.
1979 David and Judy were sent as Workers to St. Louis, where Dan Notti was heading up the Work. While pregnant with their second child Judy told Dan about the abuse.
1980 After the baby was born David and Judy went to stay with the Houk's in Oakland, IL. Brenda Houk, wife of Leading Brother Mike Houk, and Ken Teater, another Leading Brother, both witnessed David sitting on Judy and hitting her, giving her a black eye. Brenda later reported this to Betty. David wanted to go on a ski trip and leave Judy with the new baby. Judy objected. In a rage he tried to smother her with a pillow. In Altona, IL, Sheryl M. reported an incident of David's abuse at Howard's farm.
1981 David and Judy return to Fullerton and live with George and Betty, where David beat Judy so badly there was blood on the sheets. Gay Mau, a Worker and later the wife of Leading Brother Keith Walker, was sent over to help her. When Gay saw the bleeding and injuries she became alarmed and went to Betty. Betty minimized it by telling her that she didn't know what really happened to cause the injuries, and that Judy was responsible for provoking David.
1982 Dan Notti knew that David had grabbed Judy hard, slapped and shoved her. However, he was still unwilling to acknowledge that there was anything more then slaps or that there were "beatings." As usual, nothing was done, and David was not in any way made accountable.
1986 David and Judy were sent to head up the in Work San Louis Obispo. After an incident of abuse Judy asked Dan Notti to do something. A this point Dan Notti finally did acknowledge that David was beating Judy. David admitted it but insisted this was the first time and he wouldn't do it again.
1990 David and Judy move to a large house which became a Brothers House with as many as twelve people living with them. David began secretly drinking, as well as going out in the middle of the night for hours as he had done for years. All the SLO Leading Brothers lived in the home over time - Jeff Lehnkuhl, Ray Dienzo, Roberto Sanchez, Kirk C., Greg Holder. They all heard David raging and crashing furniture, and saw bruises.
1993 Rebecca, David and Judy's younger daughter, witnessed David beating Judy and slamming her head against the door, which resulted in a black eye. This was evident to all the leaders and members in SLO. On another occasion David pushed Judy to the floor. As he was choking her she struggled to get him off and scratched his face. That night he preached the Chapter Summary, but did not explain his scratches.
1994 The mother of a brother in the house was visiting and heard Judy scream as David fiercely beat her. She reported the incident to the Leading Brothers in SLO. She was subsequently slandered by David and told to leave his home. The Leading Brothers wrote a brief letter of reprimand to David. It was read to him in a meeting of all the SLO Leading Brothers and their wives: Greg and Marcie Holder (living with them at the time), Jeff and Nancy Lehmkuhl, Kirk and Linda C., and Roberto and Jenny Sanchez. David asserted that he had repented and had asked Judy for forgiveness. This letter was the first acknowledgement by the leadership that David was not behaving appropriately as a leader in the church. Neither Betty nor George nor Dan Notti revealed that they had known about his violence for years.
1994 Rachel turned sixteen. David spanked her for items out of place in her room. Judy called Betty and Betty told David to stop. From the middle of her back to her knees, the tops of her feet, and her hands, and her wrists and forearms were all bruised and sprained.
1996 David beat Rachel for talking on the phone to the unsaved man she had been with. He backhanded her with his closed fist and and felled her, then pulled her up by her hair and continued to hit her in the face and temple. She thought David was going to kill her and was incontinent. She suffered facial lacerations and swelling, and permanent hearing loss in one ear. She was seen the next day by Brent T., another church member, and Leading Brother Kirk C. Kirk questioned her about what happened. Rachel never heard anything more from the leadership.
At this point she left home and filed for a restraining order against David. Bob Anderson, an attorney in the Fullerton Assembly, represented Rachel; Bob is brother-in-law to Mark Miller. He informed George and Betty about the outcome. Brent began talking to Assembly leaders about the situation with David - Jeff Lehmkuhl, Keith Walker, Mike Duwelling, Mark Miller, Tim and Ginger Geftakys. David began to be worried about his position in the Work.
1997 David and Judy moved to Morro Bay with only two brothers living with them. This is when he became engrossed in pornography.At one point Judy was too afraid of David to stay in the house with him. Betty told her to go to Jeff's house and have Jeff take her back home. Betty indicated that perhaps David's testosterone treatments were causing his aggression.
April 1998 Judy told Ginger everything, and was assured that action would be taken.
September 1999 While Mike and Cheryl Zach were staying with David and Judy to observe their marriage first hand, especially Judy's rebelliousness, David chased Judy with a plate and fork, and tried to stab her with the fork.
September 2000David reacted so violently during the year following the Zach's visit that in fear for her life Judy fled from him on the floorboard of her brother's truck.
