Two members of Tulare's Church of the FirstBorn, whose adherents refuse medical care and instead pray to God for healing, pleaded no contest Thursday to a felony charge related to the March 2003 death of their 10-year-old daughter.
The plea, to a charge of child abuse that leads to death, was entered a day before Wesley and Laronda Hamm were scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing. The hearing would have determined whether there was enough evidence to send the case to a jury trial.
Prosecutor William Yoshimoto said he was prepared for the hearing but suspected that a plea might be entered.
"I had an idea something was going on," he said.
The Hamms had originally also faced a charge of man-slaughter.
Yoshimoto said the defendants pleaded to the more serious charge.
According to the court documents, the Hamms' daughter, Jessica, died after showing flu-like symptoms for several days.
But because of their religious beliefs, the couple didn't seek medical attention.
The Hamms will remain free on bail until sentencing, which is scheduled for April 28. Yoshimoto said he couldn't discuss the type of sentence he'll recommend, but the welfare of the couple's three other daughters will be addressed.
"That's a big part of what we're going to do at the sentencing hearing," he said. "We want to see justice served and the children protected. Those are our big concerns."
The Hamms' attorney, David Allen, didn't return calls seeking comment.
The case against the Hamms is not the first involving members of the Church of the FirstBorn. In 1993, Harold and Carol Stevens' 16-year-old daughter, Carrie, died when she stopped using insulin to control her diabetes.
That case ended in a mistrial. The Stevenses entered a plea to a charge of misdemeanor child endangerment, avoiding a second trial.
According to court documents, Jessica is the third child the Hamms have lost under similar circumstances. No charges were filed in those deaths, one in Arkansas and the other in Indiana.