A man who says members of a secretive North Carolina religious group held him down and beat him wants the prosecutor kicked off his case, accusing the district attorney of siding with a church that dozens of former congregants have said abused them.
Matthew Fenner said in court documents that he has waited more than eight years for a retrial in the kidnapping and assault case involving Word of Faith Fellowship only for District Attorney Ted Bell to schedule the second trial for a church leader during the week Fenner had interviews for a medical residency. Fenner said Bell has refused to delay it.
In a sworn statement, Fenner said Bell wants to stay on Word of Faith’s good side because he supports the locally influential church and its hundreds of members in the small county who could stay in his favor for his reelection bid in 2026.
Bell said the allegations about how he has handled the case are all false and that he will respond to all of Fenner’s allegations in court.
“I remain committed to fulfilling my duties with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering dedication to justice,” Bell said in a written statement.
Fenner alleges Bell stopped talking to him, refused to interview new witnesses and investigate new evidence, and asked him to drop t …